How to Remove Calcium Buildup From Your Shower

Calcium buildup in your shower can be difficult to remove. Here's how you can completely refresh stubborn calcium deposits in your shower.

As time goes by, the demand for bath and shower products around the planet continues to go up. People now spend more than $43 billion every year on getting the most out of their shower and bath experiences. However, many people do not realize how much calcium buildup can affect their experience in a negative way.

Many people never take the time to learn more about calcium buildups. However, learning just a few basic tips can pay off again and again. After all, calcium buildups are a part of life no matter where you go.

Many people do not even recognize that a calcium buildup is responsible when they start having problems with their shower. Once you can recognize calcium buildup when it appears, you can resolve it.



Read on to learn all about the most important things to focus on when you need to remove calcium buildup from your shower!

The Importance of Removing Calcium Deposits

Although our water looks pure at a glance, all water contains at least trace amounts of other substances. In particular, most water carries a certain amount of minerals. Among these minerals is calcium.

As water flows through your shower, little bits of calcium in the water start to stick to your faucets. As time goes by, a coating of calcium will start to cover your faucet. At that point, new calcium particles will find it even easier to get purchase on your faucets.

Left alone long enough, calcium deposits lead to water flow problems. When your faucet has a calcium deposit, you might get less and less water out of it.

In other cases, you will get the same amount of water, but it will shoot out through a narrow opening. Or you might find that your faucet starts to spray water in different directions as the calcium deposits interfere with the intended flow of water.

However, you can solve these problems with the right cleaning techniques. When you clean your faucets, you can use either commercial options or natural cleaners at home.

Removing Calcium With Professional Cleaning Tools

There are many kinds of commercial cleaners designed to handle calcium buildups. Because this problem has been around for so long, people have figured out how to solve it.

Professional cleaning products are highly effective against calcium buildups. At the same time, you have to be careful with them.

Their efficacy comes in part from the harshness of the chemicals in such products. If you're not careful, you could end up irritating your skin or eyes.

Using Homemade Shower Cleaner Options

Sometimes, it is more convenient to throw together a cleaning solution at home. Other people prefer to avoid the chemicals in professional calcium deposit treatment products.

When you understand how easy it is to create an effective cleaner out of kitchen ingredients, you will understand why so many people use these options. The most important kitchen ingredient to keep in mind, in this case, is vinegar.

Because vinegar is acidic, it can break down calcium deposits, which are basic. However, you should keep in mind that such a strong ingredient may also break down other things. If you have a showerhead made out of iron, you can damage it with the application of vinegar.

You can see this happen if you rub an iron showerhead with vinegar. Little pieces of the metal faucet will start to come off. If you don't have an iron showerhead, then you can simply scrub your calcium deposits away with vinegar.

If you don't mind taking a little bit longer to clean, you can dilute your vinegar. Getting too much vinegar on your skin can also irritate it, although not in any serious way. For that reason, you might want to wear gloves while you clean your showerheads.

Some people like to add lemon juice to their vinegar solution. Because lemon juice is also acidic, it can help clean away the calcium on your shower. On top of that, many people prefer the smell of lemon to the smell of vinegar.

Using Bathroom Cleaners on Removable Showerheads

If you have a removable showerhead, you may be able to save yourself a lot of effort. Consider removing the whole showerhead and then submerging it in a bowl of vinegar.

In this way, your showerhead should come out sparkling clean without you having to apply any elbow grease. In most cases, you might want to wait about 2 hours to let the vinegar do its work.

If you have serious calcium deposits, you can also contribute to the process with a little physical cleaning. You might find that a toothpick comes in handy to clear out tiny holes that are blocked by calcium.

If you are dealing with a calcium block that is more difficult than usual to resolve, you can resort to drastic measures. Consider placing your showerhead in a diluted solution of boiling water and vinegar. This will accelerate the cleaning process.

Of course, if you do not have a removable showerhead, you will have to manage this problem another way. You can use a large plastic bag to immerse your showerhead in vinegar without removing it.

Use a rubber band or other tool to hold the bag around the showerhead. Before you attach it, fill the bag with vinegar. Just as with the removable showerhead, you may need to use a toothpick or brush to help manage a difficult cal block. 

Understand How to Handle Calcium Buildup in Your Shower

The more that you know about calcium buildup, the less such buildups will affect your quality of life. In many cases, you can resolve calcium buildups in their early stages to prevent any serious problems from arising. In other cases, you can call the professionals to take care of serious calcium buildups.

To learn more about how to keep your bathroom and plumbing working in top condition, reach out to ADVANCED Sealers and Cleaners and get in touch with us here at any time!