How to Clean a Delta Handheld Shower Head

On this page (10 sections)

1. Why does a Delta handheld shower head lose its spray?
2. What supplies do you need for a Delta handheld shower cleaning?
3. How to clean a Delta handheld shower head in six steps
4. How do you soak the head without taking it apart?
5. What are Touch-Clean holes and how do you clear them?
6. How do you clean the hose and handle?
7. How do you keep the spray strong between deep cleans?
8. Which Delta handheld shower heads are easiest to keep clean?
9. When should you replace rather than clean?
10. The short version on cleaning a Delta handheld shower head

To clean a Delta handheld shower head, soak the spray face in a half-and-half mix of white vinegar and water for about an hour, then rub each Touch-Clean hole with your thumb. Rinse it, run it hot for a minute, and the blocked streams should open up again.

A weak or crooked spray almost always means calcium and lime have crusted over the small holes. The job takes about an hour of soaking and a few minutes of work, and it needs no special tools.

Why does a Delta handheld shower head lose its spray?

Mineral buildup is the usual cause. Every gallon of water leaves a little calcium and lime behind, and those deposits harden on the spray face and narrow the holes.

Delta's Touch-Clean design puts soft rubber in each hole. Delta says you can wipe the residue away with a finger, so you rarely need to scrub or use chemical cleaners.

Even so, deposits grow fastest in hard water and wherever the head sits wet between showers.

Low pressure can have other causes, such as a clogged hose washer or a partly closed valve. If the whole shower is weak, check those before blaming the head.

Our guide to cleaning a shower head covers the full set of causes and fixes.

What supplies do you need for a Delta handheld shower cleaning?

White vinegar, warm water, a shallow bowl, and an old toothbrush cover almost every job. Add a soft cloth for drying the finish and a pin only if a hole stays blocked after soaking.

• White vinegar loosens calcium and lime.
• A bowl deep enough to cover the spray face.
• A toothbrush for the seam between the face and the body.
• A soft cloth to dry the brushed nickel or stainless finish.

Don't reach for bleach or a strong bathroom cleaner. Delta's Touch-Clean holes are made to be wiped with a finger or soaked in vinegar and water, and harsh products can dull a brushed finish over time.

How to clean a Delta handheld shower head in six steps

Soak, wipe, rinse, flush, dry, and repeat if needed. That order handles most buildup without taking anything apart.

1. Turn the handle to pause, or shut the water off at the valve.
2. Fill a bowl with equal parts white vinegar and warm water.
3. Lower the spray face into the mix and let it sit for about an hour.
4. Rub each Touch-Clean hole with your thumb and brush the seam.
5. Rinse the head and run hot water through every setting for a minute.
6. Dry the face and the finish with a soft cloth.

Repeat the soak once if streams still split. Most heads come back after one round, and a second round handles heavier crust.

How do you soak the head without taking it apart?

Hang the handheld low enough to dip its face in a bowl, or twist it off the hose. Both work, and the choice depends on how much buildup you see.

If you leave the head on the hose, loop the hose so the bowl sits steady under the face. Pick a bowl wide enough to clear the spray face and deep enough that the water covers the holes.

For a deeper clean, unscrew the head from the hose after the water is off. Soak it fully in the bowl, rinse it under the tap, then screw it back on finger-tight so the washer seals.

How long should you leave it in vinegar?

About an hour is enough for normal buildup. For a head that has gone months without cleaning, leave it two hours, or soak it overnight if the finish allows.

Don't leave it in vinegar for days. Long soaks can dull some finishes, and the acid does its work in the first couple of hours.

Check the face partway through and rub the holes while they're soft.

What are Touch-Clean holes and how do you clear them?

Touch-Clean holes are soft rubber nozzles that you press with your thumb. Delta says this wipes away calcium and lime in a touch, so the spray face needs no soaking or chemical cleaners in light cases.

Work across the face in rows and press each nozzle firmly. You'll feel the rubber flex and any crust crack away.

Rinse the head after each pass so the loosened minerals don't settle back into the holes.

If one hole stays blocked after the soak, a pin can clear it. Push gently and don't enlarge the opening, since a stretched hole sprays in a fan instead of a stream.

How do you clean the hose and handle?

Run warm water and vinegar through the hose, then rinse it well. The hose collects water between showers, and that standing water leaves deposits on the inside.

Fill the hose with a vinegar and water mix, cover both ends, and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse it through, then reattach the head and run the shower on full body spray to clear the loosened material.

Wipe the handle and slide bar with a damp cloth. A brushed nickel or stainless finish only needs a soft cloth and mild soap, then a dry buff to keep water spots down.

How do you keep the spray strong between deep cleans?

Wipe the face after each shower and shake the head dry. That one habit removes the water film that turns into crust, and it takes only a few seconds.

Run every spray setting once a week so all the holes get flow. Leave the head hanging free rather than face-down in a puddle on a shelf.

In hard water, a monthly vinegar soak keeps the holes clear without a long job.

Which Delta handheld shower heads are easiest to keep clean?

The ones with Touch-Clean rubber holes are the easiest to maintain. The two Delta heads here use that design, so a finger wipe handles light buildup and a vinegar soak handles the rest.

The Moen head relies on its own design and needs the same vinegar soak when deposits build up.

Best for a full shower upgrade: Delta slide bar handheld shower, brushed nickel

This Delta slide bar set earns an 8.7 because it brings the hose, slide bar, and handheld together in one wall-mounted package. The head has four spray options, including full body spray and massage spray, plus a pause setting for shaving and lathering.

The brass handle and wall-mount slide bar suit a shower where you want the head to slide to different heights. The pause setting also helps during cleaning, since you can stop the flow while you wipe the face.

Best for cleaning the shower while you shower: Delta In2ition 6-setting 2-in-1 shower head with handheld

The In2ition scores 8.6 for its dual design. The hand shower docks in the center of the main head or works separately on its hose, and both can run at once.

Delta says the ProClean spray cleans surfaces at least twice as fast as standard sprays. That makes this a practical pick if you want to rinse down the walls while you're already in the shower.

The six settings include a pause, and the Touch-Clean holes take the same finger wipe.

Best for easy docking: Moen Engage handheld shower head, brushed nickel

The Moen Engage is the top scorer here at 8.9, and its Magnetix dock is the reason. The hand shower releases easily and snaps back into place with a magnet rather than a bracket slot.

It offers six spray settings, a 5-1/2 inch spray face, and a 60 inch metal hose. The Spot Resist brushed nickel finish resists fingerprints and water spots, so the head looks cleaner between deep cleans.

It fits standard 1/2 inch IPS shower connections.

If you're comparing whole systems, our roundup of the best rain shower head with handheld covers heads that pair a rainfall face with a detachable hand shower. For a broader look at the category, see the shower head with handheld buyer's guide.

When should you replace rather than clean?

Replace the head when the spray face is cracked, the finish is flaking, or a soak no longer restores the flow. Cleaning fixes buildup, but it can't repair worn rubber or a split seam.

Signs it's time for a new head include water leaking around the face, a hose that stays kinked after straightening, or a handle that no longer holds its spray setting. A head that still sprays unevenly after two vinegar soaks is usually worn out.

If you're sticking with Delta, our roundup of the best Delta shower head with handheld combo compares the models worth the upgrade.

The short version on cleaning a Delta handheld shower head

Soak the face in equal parts vinegar and water for about an hour, rub the Touch-Clean holes, rinse, and flush with hot water. That routine clears the calcium and lime that choke a handheld's spray.

Wipe the face after showers and run every setting weekly to slow the buildup. In hard water, plan a monthly soak and the spray should stay strong for years.

If the head is past saving, the best Delta shower head with handheld combo picks up where cleaning leaves off.

Our score weighs specs, features and how well each head fits the cleaning job.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I clean a Delta handheld shower head?

Clean the spray face about once a month in soft water and every two to three weeks in hard water. Wipe the holes with your thumb whenever streams start to fan out, and do a full vinegar soak when several holes stop flowing.

Can I use bleach or a chemical cleaner on the spray holes?

Skip bleach and harsh chemical cleaners. Delta's Touch-Clean holes are made to be wiped with a finger or soaked in vinegar and water, and strong cleaners can dull the brushed finish.

A mild vinegar soak loosens calcium and lime without scrubbing.

Why is my Delta handheld shower head spraying sideways?

Sideways spray usually means mineral buildup has blocked part of a hole. Soak the face in vinegar and water for about an hour, rub the affected holes, and flush the head with hot water.

If one stream still splits, repeat the soak once more.

Do I need to remove the handheld shower head to clean it?

No. You can soak the head while it hangs from the holder or slide bar, or twist it off the hose for a deeper soak.

Unscrew it only after the water is off, and put it back finger-tight so the washer seals.

Does the pause setting help while cleaning?

Yes. Delta's pause setting stops the flow so you can wipe or scrub the face without water spraying your arm.

Turn the handle to pause, clean the holes, then switch back to full body spray to flush the loosened minerals out.