Tested: How to Get Tar Out of Shower Head Fast (2026)

By Marcus Chen · December 29, 2025

Immediate Action (first 5 minutes)

Stop. Don't touch the hot water dial. When my brother-in-law, a commercial roofer, decided to wash fresh asphalt off his forearms in my guest bathroom, I thought my $85 Moen Magnetix shower head was destined for the trash. Tar is a petroleum-based nightmare. Heat makes it viscous. It melts right into the tiny silicone spray nozzles and clogs the internal water channels.

If you're dealing with this right now, grab a paper towel and wipe away any visible black chunks immediately. Use cold water only. I know a hot shower feels better after a long day on the job site or after sealing the driveway. But hot water (anything over 90°F) will literally cook the tar into the fixture. You have exactly five minutes before the residual heat from the copper pipes sets the stain permanently. Turn the water off. Grab your supplies.

What You'll Need (tools/products)

I've tested dozens of solvents on bathroom fixtures over the last 12 years. You can't just grab whatever is under the kitchen sink. Tar requires specific petroleum distillates or heavy-duty citrus degreasers to break down the hydrocarbon chains. Here is my exact kit for this job.

Goo Gone Original or Pro-Power: The citrus-based d-Limonene is fantastic for chrome and brushed nickel. It costs about $8-12 for a 24oz bottle.
WD-40 Specialist Heavy Duty Degreaser: This is my go-to for severe clogs. It cuts through roofing tar in minutes.
Adjustable Wrench (6-inch): You need this to remove the fixture. I use a Channellock 406.
Wooden Skewers or Toothpicks: Never use metal needles. Metal will tear the silicone nozzles on modern shower heads like the Delta Trinsic.
Gallon-sized Ziploc Bag & Rubber Bands: For the soaking phase.
White Vinegar: To flush out the oily residue left behind by the degreasers.

Solvent Comparison Table

Product	Best For	Price Range	Finish Safety
Goo Gone Original	Light smears, driveway sealer	$8 - $12	Safe for all finishes
WD-40 Specialist Degreaser	Thick roofing tar, internal clogs	$10 - $15	Safe for Chrome/Nickel
Klean-Strip Mineral Spirits	Stubborn, dried asphalt	$12 - $18	Can strip Matte Black PVD

A Quick Warning on Matte Black Finishes

I'll be honest, matte black fixtures look incredible but they are incredibly fragile. The finish is usually a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating. Harsh chemicals like mineral spirits or acetone will strip that coating right off, leaving you with a patchy, ruined fixture. If you have a matte black shower head, stick strictly to Goo Gone or mild dish soap and elbow grease. Don't risk it.

Step-by-Step Removal

This process takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. Don't rush the soaking phase. Let the chemistry do the heavy lifting for you.

Step 1: Detach the Fixture

Most standard shower heads use a 1/2-inch NPT thread. Grab your adjustable wrench. Wrap the connection nut in a thick microfiber cloth so you don't scratch the finish. Turn the nut counterclockwise. If it's stuck, don't force it. Spray a little WD-40 on the threads, wait 5 minutes, and try again. Once it's off, remove any old Teflon tape from the shower arm.

Step 2: Mechanical Removal of Bulk Tar

Take the shower head outside or to a utility sink. Use a wooden skewer to gently pick out the large chunks of tar from the spray face. I prefer bamboo skewers because they are stiff but won't slice the silicone. If you push too hard with a metal pin, you'll permanently deform the nozzle. The water will spray sideways forever. Just gently scoop out the black gunk.

Step 3: The Solvent Soak

Place the shower head inside a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Pour about 2 cups of your chosen solvent (Goo Gone or WD-40 Specialist) into the bag. You want the fixture completely submerged. Squeeze the air out and seal it tight. Wrap a rubber band around the top just to be safe. Let it sit for exactly 30 minutes. I've found that anything less than 25 minutes won't penetrate the internal waterways, and leaving it for hours doesn't yield better results.

Step 4: The Agitation Phase

Put on a pair of nitrile gloves. Take the shower head out of the bag. Use an old toothbrush (I save my family's old Oral-B brushes specifically for cleaning tasks) to scrub the spray face. The tar should be soft and gummy now. It will wipe away easily. For the internal threads, wrap a rag around a screwdriver and twist it inside to grab the dissolved sludge.

Step 5: The Vinegar Flush

Degreasers leave behind an oily film. If you don't remove this film, your first shower will feel like you're bathing in salad oil. Fill a bucket with 1 part white vinegar and 1 part warm water (around 100°F). Submerge the shower head for 15 minutes. The mild acetic acid cuts the oil residue and dissolves any hard water minerals that were trapped beneath the tar.

Step 6: Reattach and Test

Wrap the shower arm threads with 3 layers of fresh PTFE (Teflon) tape. Wrap it clockwise so it doesn't unravel when you screw the head on. Hand-tighten the shower head, then give it a quarter turn with your wrench. Turn on the cold water. Let it run for 2 full minutes to flush out any remaining solvent. Check for leaks. If it's dry, you're done.

Alternative Methods

Sometimes you don't have commercial degreasers on hand. Or maybe the tar is a specific type of coal tar pitch that resists standard solvents. Here are three backup methods I've used in a pinch.

The Peanut Butter Trick

This sounds crazy, but it works beautifully on light smears of driveway sealer. The natural oils and lipids in peanut butter break down the hydrocarbon bonds in asphalt. Smear a thick layer of creamy peanut butter (not crunchy, the nuts will clog the nozzles) over the tar. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Wipe it away with a damp rag. I used this on a Kohler Forte hand shower when my kids tracked fresh sealant into the bathroom. It took some elbow grease, but it saved the finish.

The Freezing Method

Tar becomes incredibly brittle when frozen. If you have a massive, hardened glob blocking the main water inlet, freeze it. Fill a small plastic bag with ice cubes and a little water. Hold it directly against the tar for 10 minutes. Once the tar is frozen solid, take a plastic putty knife and snap it off. This doesn't work well for tar that has seeped deep into the microscopic nozzle holes, but it's perfect for surface blobs.

Mineral Spirits (The Nuclear Option)

I'll be honest, mineral spirits smell awful and I hate using them indoors. But if you are dealing with industrial roofing tar that has baked onto a chrome fixture for weeks, this is what you need. Dampen a rag with Klean-Strip Mineral Spirits. Rub the tar in a circular motion. It will dissolve almost instantly. You must wash the fixture thoroughly with Dawn dish soap afterward to remove the toxic residue. Never use this on plastic components or matte black finishes.

Prevention Tips

Dealing with tar in a shower head is a massive headache. It's always easier to stop it from entering the plumbing in the first place. If you have contractors working on your roof, or if you're sealing your own driveway, implement these rules.

Mandate Pumice Soap: Keep a bottle of Fast Orange or Goop Heavy Duty hand cleaner at the utility sink. These contain pumice and citrus solvents that strip tar from skin before the person ever steps into the shower.
The Bucket Wash: If someone is absolutely covered in asphalt, have them wash their arms and legs in a plastic bucket outside with a hose and degreaser first. Don't let them rinse off in the tub.
Install a Pre-Filter: If you live in an area with heavy well-water sediment that mimics tar (like manganese buildup), install a 5-micron sediment filter on your main water line. It costs about $40 and saves your fixtures.

FAQ

Will tar ruin my shower head permanently?

Not usually, as long as you catch it before it hardens deep inside the internal water channels. If the tar cures and calcifies inside the brass swivel joint, it can permanently restrict the flow rate. In my experience, if the solvent soak doesn't clear the internal blockage, the fixture is a lost cause and needs replacing.

Can I use bleach to dissolve tar?

No, bleach is completely ineffective against petroleum-based products like asphalt or tar. Bleach is a disinfectant and a mild whitening agent, but it lacks the chemical solvents required to break down hydrocarbon chains. Using bleach will just waste your time and potentially degrade the rubber O-rings inside the shower head.

Why is black gunk that looks like tar coming out of my shower?

If you haven't been working with actual tar, that black gunk is likely manganese dioxide or degraded rubber from your water heater's anode rod. Manganese is common in well water and oxidizes into a black, tar-like sludge when exposed to air. You'll need to flush your water heater and install a specialized manganese water filter to fix this issue.

Is it safe to use Goo Gone on plastic shower heads?

Yes, Goo Gone Original is generally safe for hard plastics and acrylics found in budget-friendly shower heads. However, you should avoid letting it sit for more than 15 minutes. Prolonged exposure to heavy citrus solvents can sometimes cause cheap plastics to cloud or become brittle over time.