How to Remove Hard Water Stains

Hard water stains, often referred to as lime scale, can develop around your bathroom over time. Thus, your once bright tub or shining shower may now be dingy and stained, and you may scrub it all you want, but it takes much more than that to get rid of hard water stains.

As estimated 85% of American homes have hard water, meaning that tubs, dishwashers, faucets, and showerheads are plagued with coarse mineral deposits. Hard water stains appear as a chalky white deposit of minerals that arise as a result of alkaline build up. Hard water also contains lime and has the tendency to clog shower heads.

Here are some techniques and products you can use to remove hard water, as well as some preventative measures to avoid the development of hard water stains.

How to Remove Hard Water

There are various limescale removers readily available today. However, as they contain hazardous and toxic chemicals, they pose a health danger to you and your children. Ecover, Lime Out, and Earth Friendly offer you limescale removers that are organic and pose significantly lower hazards to you and your family.

Safety First

When using limescale removers, make sure that you are wearing safety gloves and a face mask. Another thing to consider is proper ventilation, turn on the fan and open the window, if there is one. As these chemical removers release emissions, you have to make sure that there is sufficient ventilation that gives these emissions a route to leave your home’s indoor environment.

 

Go Natural

Natural and household ingredients are also effective in removing hard water. For instance, you can use the following ingredients to remove hard water from:

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    Always wear gloves when using chemicals to remove hard water stains.

    Faucets – Rub lemon rind on chrome faucets and subsequently, soak paper towels in vinegar. Drape vinegar on the faucets and after 1 to 2 hours, remove the paper towels and rinse the now crystal clear faucet.

  • Showerheads – Remove the showerheads and soak them in plain white vinegar for at least 2 to 4 hours. Rinse the showerheads and then scrub with baking soda. Finally, rinse them in plain water and reinstall.
  • Shower Doors – Streaky hard water stains can quickly develop on shower doors. Try spraying white vinegar and then wipe the shower doors to remove hard water stains. Another technique, you may want to try, for removing hard water buildup is a glass of white wine which can be quite effective in giving your shower doors a squeaky clean shine.
  • Bath Mat – You can easily disinfect your bath mats by coating them with vinegar. Let the mats soak for an hour or two and then scrub then thoroughly using a scoring pad. This will completely remove any hard water buildup on the bathtub mat. Rinse the mats in mild warm water and place it where it can dry completely.
  • Toilet – If you don’t like vinegar and you aren’t afraid to use name brand household cleaning chemicals, such as Lysol, I have found that a hard water stain can be removed with a good soak in Lysol toilet bowl cleaner. Just squeeze it on, completely covering the stain, and wait a couple of hours. Come back and scrub it with the brush and viola! Just like new! If your toilet ring is worse than that, try a pumice stone, but be careful to follow the instructions so you don’t damage the surfaces you are trying to clean.

Prevention Is Always Better

Now that you know how to remove hard water stains in your home, it’s time we reflect upon what matters more. While you can always wipe off the mineral deposits, it is better to practice regular maintenance. This ensures that your faucets, showerheads, and other utilities are in mint condition and offer long term durability as you once anticipated.

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Clean your bathroom regularly and avoid having to use elbow grease.

There are various chemicals and toxins available to prevent hard water stains from building up. That being said; it is always better to rely on professional services when using such products. The health hazard they pose and the emissions they release; require you to be technically astute regarding the whole process. Another reason why we don’t encourage toxic chemical use is that it can lead to surface damage with spills or emissions.

Hard water stains can make your décor rich home look rather dull and gritty. However, you can always use home based ingredients to prevent hard water stains from developing. This allows you to effectively clean your home utilities without worrying about any health hazards or adverse effects.

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