What is a Shower Water Filter and How Does it Work?

Dry, itchy skin? Limp, lifeless hair? Soap scum or residue? If these are some of the side effects coming from your shower, then it’s no wonder you’re searching for an answer. For a quick fix, you could try a shower water filter as a simple DIY solution, or you could explore a more permanent, long-term, and professionally installed solution.

How do shower water filters work?

Shower water filters come in a variety of sizes and styles that fit directly onto your showerhead. These DIY solutions effectively reduce chlorine, scale, and sulfur odor, and also help prevent dry skin and chlorine damage to color-treated hair.

Once your shower filter is installed, you’ll likely notice your skin feeling less dry, your hair feeling cleaner and full of bounce, and there will be significantly less scale buildup around your tub and faucet (this means less cleaning, which is another hidden bonus), as your filter will remove a huge amount of minerals and potentially harmful chemical impurities in your water.

Although adding a shower water filter can produce instant relief from hard water and other problems associated with your water supply, it is a somewhat temporary solution. Most shower water filters have a cartridge that needs to be replaced regularly. Depending on its use, you typically need to replace your filter or its cartridge after every six months of regular use.

Is there a more long-term solution? 

Yes, there is! Although a shower water filter is a relatively quick and easy DIY solution to your problem, there are also long-term solutions that may provide a more effective, longer-lasting result in more places throughout your home than your shower alone.

Installing a whole-house water filtration system means cleaner water everywhere, not just in your shower. By reducing particles, contaminants, and imbalances in your water, whole-house filtration addresses hard water problems like soap scum and residue, poor-tasting water, and chemical odors by treating your water directly at the source.

Another way to reduce hard water in your shower and its effects on your entire home is with a water softener. A water softening system is designed to help reduce water contaminants and scale buildup, increase energy efficiency, and extend the life of your appliances – that means spot-free dishware, soft laundry, and more.