The black shower heads not only give an unappealing appearance to your bathroom but also cause many illnesses when you inhale the contaminated water during showering.
Why Is My Shower Head Black? The shower head can turn black because of black molds, iron accumulation, damaged paints, oxidized manganese, bacterial growth, broken or cracked plumbing pipes, and the use of silicone and oily cleaners.
It is necessary to frequently clean the shower heads to maintain the water pressure and increase hygienic measures. The bacteria and molds can enter the air when you turn on the faucet, and people can inhale these airborne particles.
| Causes | Solutions |
| Black molds | White vinegar |
| Iron accumulation | Use PVC pipes |
| Damaged paint | Home-based degreasing agents |
| Oxidized manganese | Water softeners |
| Bacterial growth | Baking soda and vinegar |
| Broken or cracked plumbing pipes | Avoid using ammonia and bleach-based cleaners |
| Use of silicone and oily cleaners | Use Teflon tape and oil-free cleaners |
Black molds
Molds and mildews preferably grow in cold and humid places because water is the primary ingredient for their rapid growth. The shower head remains humid, and water in their tiny holes allows molds to grow there.
You can see blackening in these regions because of the growth of brown and black molds. The issue mainly occurs in bathrooms in high-traffic areas, and people use them to take baths frequently.
In addition, poor ventilation of the interior spaces and the absence of windows cause the water to remain in the small holes. However, many do not install a proper ventilation system in the bathroom to save the billing cost.
You cannot completely remove the moisture from the interior without using exhaust fans, vent pipes, and dehumidifiers. However, molds can also grow in areas not in frequent use.
You can commonly see them in the guest bathrooms because of their non-frequent use. You can remove the molds from the affected area using a vinegar solution.
Add the vinegar solution to the plastic bag and tie the bag on the shower head and ensure their proper dispersion in the vinegar solution.
Leave it for a whole night because white vinegar has disinfectant properties and will kill molds and mildews.
Iron accumulation
Many people live in areas where the mineral content in water is high. When it moves through inlets, the water with high minerals can damage them.
You can see blackening of the inlets because mineral residues remain on the shower heads when you turn on the water supply for bathing.
The iron can also come through inlets when plumbing pipes are corroded. Many people prefer steel pipes for plumbing because of their durability.
The steel pipes erode over time because of long-term water exposure. In addition, rusting occurs when the protective coating and paint layer on the inside walls of plumbing pipes comes off. This can also affect its faucet, and it becomes hard to turn.
The steel metal mixes with oxygen and causes an oxidation reaction. Therefore, replacing the steel plumbing system with PVC ones is better to decrease the leaching of galvanized steel through inlets.
Damaged paint
The steel or metal shower heads are coated with paints and another protective layer to prevent metal exposure to environmental oxygen.
The exterior coating comes off because of frequent use and aging. In addition, the damaged protective finishing coating also allows rust to come on steel and metal surfaces.
The use of harsh degreasers and cleaning agents can damage the finishing coat, and the shower head can turn black. As a result, many people use bathroom cleaning items to make them clean and stain-free.
These cleaners can erode their finishing code because of harsh chemicals. Avoid using harsh toilet cleaners for the cleaning of shower heads.
Using home-based degreasing agents like vinegar and baking soda to remove soap scum and body lotion residues from their surface is better.
Oxidized manganese
The high manganese content is present in normal water you use in your home for drinking and showering. This is because the manganese from the water reacts with oxygen in the surrounding environment, leaving the black residues behind.
You can see the brownish-black spots on the affected area because of manganese oxidation. The water remains in the nozzles for some hours when you turn off the water supply after showering.
The stay time of moisture in the nozzles increases because of poor ventilation in the interior. The problem comes when the manganese content in water is high.
The issue also comes because of hard water in the tank of your home. Therefore, checking the mineral content in your home’s water is better.
It is better to use water softeners if it is hard water and calcium, iron, manganese, and chorine content is high in them.
Bacterial growth
Many people complain about the black slime on shower heads from bacterial growth. However, these fixtures are the favorite places for their growth because of the low temperature and cold and moist environment.
The bacterial slime is harmful because it can cause illnesses in humans and also cause skin infections when it comes on your skin with running water.
These bacteria also come on shower heads because of mineral buildup. Metals, including iron, manganese, and chlorine, are the favorite food of bacteria for their nourishment and growth.
These come on these fixtures because of oxidized iron and manganese. Make the solution in a bottle by mixing baking soda and vinegar.
Spray the solution on the water nozzle and rub it with a harsh sponge. Flush the clean water after applying this solution to clear out its residues.
Broken or cracked plumbing pipes
The broken and cracked steel plumbing pipes allow the leaching of copper into the water. The mixed copper water, when it passes through water inlets, leaves the copper residues behind.
The copper is oxidized with environmental oxygen, and your shower head will turn black. The crack in these lines come from old age and poor cleaning.
The contaminated water can also increase the risk of corrosion in these pipes and cause their breaking. Moreover, the flushing of harsh cleaning agents for their cleaning can also erode their exterior layer.
Avoid using harsh cleaners that contain ammonia and bleach for cleaning steel plumbing pipes because it can damage the exterior copper layer.
Use of silicone and oily cleaners
Many people use silicone sealant to create a waterproof seal on shower heads. The silicone is the lubricating agent, increasing the accumulation of dirt, grime, and contaminants in the surrounding environment.
Moreover, it also invites bacteria, fungi, and molds into these places. These contaminants, bacteria, and grimy can leave black spots on the metal fixtures because of their poor cleaning and maintenance.
The issue also comes when you use oil-based cleaners to remove the shower products from the water nozzles on them during bathing.
The oily cleaners leave grimy residues behind that attract dust, contaminants, and bacterial species. Use Teflon and plumbing take to make sealing instead of silicone sealants.
Using cleaners other than oil bases is better because they leave oily residues on metal surfaces.
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