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Clean/Decalcify a Shower Head - PEP BB plumbing.sand.cleanshowerhead

posted 1 year ago
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This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Plumbing.

In this Badge Bit, you will clean/decalcify a shower head.  (Note that this BB is part of a 6-part choose your own adventure list BB called the Tiny List. You must complete six Badge Bits in the Tiny List.)



Some related articles
  - How to Clean the Shower Head with Vinegar
  - How to Unclog Your Shower Head While You Sleep
  - How to Clean a Shower head with Baking Soda and Vinegar
  - Explosive Shower head Cleaner









To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - clean/decalcify a shower head

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must provide:
   - a before picture of the shower head
   - an in progress shot of you cleaning/decalcifying the shower head
   - an after picture of the newly cleaned/decalcified shower head
   - a description of the method for how the shower head was cleaned/decalcified
   - OR a 2-minute video of you doing this
COMMENTS:
 
Erik Pehoviack
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posted 8 months ago
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Our shower head wasn’t that bad, but I thought I’d give this BB part a shot. The steps were simple.
First, a shot of our shower head before cleaning.



I soaked the shower head in white vinegar to dissolve buildup. It worked well inside the holes but not so much on the surface. This is the same bag of vinegar I used for my aerator.



Then I used a stainless steel scrub brush to remove the dissolved minerals. I didn't want to mar the plastic so easy does it.



Testing the shower head after cleaning rinsed away the debris. As you can see I could have left it soak a bit longer but it was getting late and we both needed a shower!

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I hereby certify this BB complete!

 
Mike Haasl
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posted 5 months ago
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I cleaned the shower head tonight!  I did the bag of vinegar and then wiggled the rubber nipples to get the chunks off.
Before.jpg
Before
Before
Vinegar-in-a-baggie.jpg
Vinegar in a baggie
Vinegar in a baggie
Done-.jpg
Done!
Done!

"Hundreds of years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the type of car I drove... But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that it becomes a tourist destination"

Staff note (paul wheaton) :

I certify that this BB is complete!

 
Carolyne Castner
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posted 3 months ago
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Cleaned the shower head yesterday while cleaning the sink aerators. It didn't have a lot of buildup, but had a lot of staining.

Soaked in 9% vinegar for about three hours (while working on a couch repair)

Massaged the rubber tips with my fingers after the soak; got quite a bit of hidden build-up from inside the nozzles and managed to remove most of the staining.

IMG_0224.jpg
Shower head with staining
Shower head with staining
IMG_0225.jpg
[Thumbnail for IMG_0225.jpg]
IMG_0231.jpg
[Thumbnail for IMG_0231.jpg]
IMG_0232.jpg
[Thumbnail for IMG_0232.jpg]
IMG_0249.jpg
Clean and not stained anymore
Clean and not stained anymore

I Solemnly Swear I am NOT the crazy cat lady!
*but not for a lack of trying!

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!

 
Claire Alexander
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posted 3 months ago
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Cleaned the shower head in our guest bath for the he 1st time in 13 years!  Put the vinegar bag over it and cleaned it overnight.  Scrubbed it with a recycled toothbrush and voila!  Good as new!
IMG_20200709_205103326.jpg
Before
Before
IMG_20200709_205516617.jpg
During
During
IMG_20200709_205534581.jpg
During in profile
During in profile
IMG_20200710_085842578.jpg
After!
After!
Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete! Along with your new air badge in plumbing

 
Nicholas Molberg
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posted 1 month ago
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Old showerhead, not been messed with since I moved in. Perfect time to clean it up!
IMG_20200916_154521750.jpg
Here it is, with the spray dial taken off.
Here it is, with the spray dial taken off.
IMG_20200916_155112486.jpg
A nice bath in apple cider vinegar. Just the dregs, not wasting my good stuff
A nice bath in apple cider vinegar. Just the dregs, not wasting my good stuff
IMG_20200918_164001195.jpg
Poured out a day later, and scrubbed in the sink.
Poured out a day later, and scrubbed in the sink.
IMG_20200918_164609217.jpg
Much nicer looking than when I started.
Much nicer looking than when I started.
IMG_20200918_164625658.jpg
Nothing is obstructed anymore.
Nothing is obstructed anymore.
Staff note (Mike Barkley) :

I certify this BB is complete.

 
Kevin Harbin
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posted 1 month ago
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Quick clean of a shower head with vinegar.

Children, Rabbits, Chickens, Bees

Staff note :

Certified

 
Ashley Cottonwood
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posted 1 month ago
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I like your videos Kevin!

~ Growing Sustainable Communities ~

 
Kevin Harbin
Posts: 46
Location: Zone 7a
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kids rabbit chicken food preservation fiber arts
posted 1 month ago
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Ashley Cottonwood wrote:I like your videos Kevin!


Thanks!

Children, Rabbits, Chickens, Bees

 
Rebecca Blake
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posted 3 weeks ago
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I soaked the shower head in vinegar by tying a bag of vinegar to it then scrubbed with a brush immediately after removing the bag.

Edit: Cleaner be ware, I hate how the water flows out of this shower head now! Hah.
Dirty-Showerhead.jpg
[Thumbnail for Dirty-Showerhead.jpg]
bag-of-vinegar.jpg
[Thumbnail for bag-of-vinegar.jpg]
Clean-Showerhead.jpg
[Thumbnail for Clean-Showerhead.jpg]
Staff note :

Certified complete

 
Ash Jackson
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posted 2 weeks ago
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I used the "take the shower head off and dunk it in pure vinegar for twenty minutes" method.
IMG_20201003_180724_1.jpg
Before
Before
IMG_20201003_181005.jpg
Dunked
Dunked
IMG_20201003_192934_1.jpg
After
After

My PEP Badge Tracker - An easier way to track your PEP Badge Progress. | Wait, wait, wait; What is PEP? | How Permies.com works.

Staff note (Mike Haasl) :

I certify this BB complete!

 
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