TikTok introduced me to a genius tool for cleaning shower head nozzles easily – experts say it’s a 'useful tool' everyone should have

This genius hack will let you clean and unclog the hard-to-reach shower head nozzles – and it’s less than £5!

A bathroom with a shower and a sink
(Image credit: Future PLC/Lizzie Orme)

TikTok’s cleaning influencers, collectively known as ‘Cleantok’, are at it again (but then again, when are they not?). And we came across another gem of a cleaning hack using a £5 Amazon product to tackle shower head nozzles, solving the tricky cleaning issue of how to clean a shower head properly and effectively.

Cleaning shower head nozzles are an ongoing frustration for us, tiny and hard to clean they can lead to rogue jets of water firing into your face. But you won't need to worry about this anymore with the shower head cleaning brushes, available at Amazon for £4.99. We're not the only ones taken with this discover as 'Showerhead cleaning brush’ has attracted 44.3 million views to date on TikTok alone.

But, of course, we weren’t born yesterday and we’re fully aware that it’s very much hit-and-miss with TikTok cleaning hacks as many are best avoided , causing more damage than good. That’s not the case with this one though as even our plumbing expert gave it a thumbs up, ‘The small shower nozzle cleaning brush is one of the most useful tools because it is suitable for cleaning small areas that are hard to reach,’ says Zhelyazko Yanchev, plumbing expert at Fantastic Services.

Two shower heads with running water

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Parmiter)

Shower head nozzle cleaning hack

Clogged shower heads are not uncommon as this issue is mostly caused by hard water and the resulting mineral deposits and limescale – and about 60% of UK homes suffer from hard water.

‘Clogged shower heads are most commonly caused by hard water or hard water with hard minerals,’ Zhelyazko says. ‘Minerals such as these can build up in the pipes over time and eventually clog the tiny holes in your shower head where the water should be travelling.’

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But even if your shower head isn’t clogged, you should regularly clean it to prevent clogging from occurring in the first place.

‘Ideally, you should clean your shower head thoroughly once a month, but you should clean it regularly on a weekly basis in order to prevent serious buildup from occurring. Simply spray a vinegar-based cleaning solution on your shower head every week while getting out of the shower for hassle-free cleaning. After spraying the solution on the shower head, clean the nozzle holes with the brushes to guarantee there's no mineral residue left inside the holes,’ Zhelyazko says.

A bathroom with a shower and a sink

(Image credit: Future PLC/Chris Snook)

Apart from the extremely thin cleaning brushes which can get into most clogged shower head nozzles, the Amazon product also comes with cleaning clog picks made of stainless steel that will most definitely get through even the most severely blocked shower heads. And Amazon’s practical and viral products do have a good track record, whether it’s the Amazon castor wheels for kitchen appliances or mug stackers that create extra space in kitchen cupboards and save mugs from chips and breaks.

But if you’re looking to spend even less than £5 - or no money at all as you should already own this according to my dental hygienist - then you can use interdental brushes, like these TePe ones from Amazon, instead. As many influencers on TikTok have done, too. And it seems to be working just as well.

Content Editor

Sara Hesikova has been a Content Editor at Ideal Home since June 2024, starting at the title as a News Writer in July 2023. Sara brings the Ideal Home’s readership features and news stories from the world of homes and interiors, as well as trend-led pieces, shopping round-ups and more, focusing on all things room decor, specialising in living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, home offices and dining rooms. Graduating from London College of Fashion with a bachelor’s degree in fashion journalism in 2016, she got her start in niche fashion and lifestyle magazines like Glass and Alvar as a writer and editor before making the leap into interiors, working with the likes of 91 Magazine and copywriting for luxury bed linen brand Yves Delorme among others. She feels that fashion and interiors are intrinsically connected – if someone puts an effort into what they wear, they most likely also care about what they surround themselves with.