Descaling the shower head for undiluted water enjoyment

A high-quality shower head by hansgrohe ensures pure enjoyment in the bathroom. How do you stop limescale from clouding your joy? By cleaning your shower head properly. It’s so easy: Use the following care tips and cleaning recommendations to maintain the beautiful look and flawless functionality of your shower.

With many hansgrohe overhead showers, you can easily remove the spray disc, which is often dishwasher-safe. This turns cleaning into a tiny detail, one you can sort out with an elegant solution.

Want to see which tips apply specifically to your overhead shower, hand shower or body spray? Refer to the relevant installation manual, which you can view and download from the respective product page. 

Vanquish limescale, avoid damage: Here’s how

Incorrect cleaning methods and products can damage your shower head. This is not covered by the warranty, so please follow the recommendations below.

The right cleaning tools:

• Always use a soft, clean cloth and never abrasive materials such as scrub sponges or microfiber cloths.
• Don’t use steam cleaners because high temperatures can damage the shower.

The right cleaning product:

• Only use gentle cleaning products, for example ones containing citric acid.
• Do not use any cleaning products containing hydrochloric acid, formic acid, chlorine bleach or acetic acid, as they may cause significant damage. Cleaners containing phosphoric acid can only be used to a certain extent. Never mix cleaning products!
• Never spray cleaning products directly on showers because the spray mist can penetrate into the shower and cause damage.
• It’s best to spray the cleaning product on a soft cloth and then use it to wipe the surfaces.
• After cleaning, rinse your shower thoroughly with clear water and rinse the shower through completely.

Regular cleaning: 

In addition to choosing the right cleaning products and tools, how often you descale your shower head plays a key role in its care. The frequency very much depends on the water hardness in your local area. Cleaning needs to be more regular in areas where the lime content is higher. One of the early signs of limescale buildup is when the water sprays no longer exit the nozzles cleanly. 

Why is limescale on the shower head a problem?

Limescale deposits on shower heads should not be underestimated, as they present various difficulties. Firstly, too much limescale can negatively impact the water flow, which leads to uneven water or water spurting everywhere. Not only is this annoying, but it can reduce the efficiency of your shower. Limescale deposits also cause an aesthetic problem: They are unsightly and can quickly put your carefully designed bathroom in the wrong light.

Another, often overlooked, aspect is hygiene. Bacteria and germs find it easier to breed on the uneven surfaces of limescale deposits. This negatively impacts the cleanliness of your faucets and poses a health risk.

What causes limescale on the shower head and faucet?

To effectively crack down on limescale deposits, it is important to start by understanding how they are caused. Hard water with high lime content is mainly found in regions with limestone or sandstone. The lime comes away from the stone, and the water transports it into the plumbing system. The water hardness is usually measured in °dH, or degrees of hardness. If water now flows through the faucets and is heated or evaporated, these minerals get left behind. Over time, they form the typical white, crusty deposits we call limescale. The rule of thumb here: The harder the water, the faster the limescale buildup on the faucet and shower. 

How temperature influences limescale formation

Increased limescale buildup at higher temperatures: Calcium ions dissolve easier in cold water. When the water is heated, this solubility decreases. This means when water is heated, the dissolved minerals do not remain in the water vapor, forming limescale deposits instead.

Accelerated evaporation: Warm water evaporates faster than cold water. In this process, the dissolved minerals get left behind and form limescale deposits, particularly in places where water is regularly heated and evaporated, for example kitchens and bathrooms.

With this in mind, you are welcome to loosen up your faucet by running “cooler” water with CoolStart technology, which will also save energy. CoolStart faucets allow only cold water to flow when the handle is in the middle position, whereas standard faucets in the middle position immediately dispense mixed water, thus consuming energy. The result: CoolStart helps you to reduce your CO2e emissions, while also reducing your energy costs in the long term. Find out how much you could potentially save by reading our water and energy savings calculator guide.

• Reduced water pressure: One of the early signs of limescale deposits is a significantly reduced water flow. This happens when limescale has built up in the faucet’s nozzles, narrowing the channel the water can flow through. This ends up causing a weaker or uneven water spray.
• Spurting or uneven water: If the water spurts out of your shower head or is in an uneven pattern instead of an even flow, this could be a sign of limescale deposits in the nozzles.
• White or greenish deposits: White or greenish deposits around the faucet’s aerator are often visible signs of limescale. These deposits can also appear at the base or other parts of the faucet as well as on the shower head.
• The faucet becomes hard to use: Limescale can also take hold in the faucet’s mechanisms, which can make the faucet hard to use or the handles and buttons feel stiff.
• Noises when the water flows: Sometimes, too much limescale in faucets can cause unusual sounds, such as cracking or whistling, especially when turning the faucet on or off.