Why Clean Shower Heads?

Shower heads get scale (limescale) and slime (biofilm) building up inside them. This is a perfect home for Legionella. Showers also spray water into the air as a fine mist, which people can breathe in.

How Often

• Every 3 months in normal buildings
• Every month in hospitals and care homes
• More often if scale builds up quickly

What You Need

• Acid descaler (for removing scale)
• Disinfectant (sodium hypochlorite / chlorine)
• Bucket
• Soft brush
• Gloves and goggles

How to Do It

1. Take the shower head off the hose.
2. Take it apart if you can (remove the nozzle plate and flow restrictor).
3. Soak in descaler for 15-30 minutes (follow the instructions on the bottle).
4. Brush the inside and nozzles to remove loosened scale.
5. Rinse everything with clean water.
6. Soak in disinfectant (50 ppm chlorine) for 10 minutes.
7. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
8. Put it back together and refit it.
9. Run the shower for 2-3 minutes to flush out any remaining disinfectant.
10. Write down what you did.

If You Cannot Remove the Shower Head

1. Put a plastic bag over the shower head.
2. Fill the bag with descaler and seal it.
3. Leave for 30 minutes.
4. Remove and flush.
5. Repeat with disinfectant.