If you live in an area where there is hard water, you likely know all too well how difficult it can be to get rid of limescale — that white, crusty film that you see around faucets, in tubs, in toilets, on appliances, etc. The reason for this film is that hard water leaves alkaline mineral deposits on everything. Over time, a scum will build up and you are left with ugly staining. If you don’t deal with it as soon as possible, limescale can cause chrome to peel off faucets and cause small appliances such as coffee makers to be inefficient. So, here are 10 cleaning hacks to help you remove limescale around your home.
1. Vinegar for Faucets
If there is limescale around your faucets, soak a paper towel in vinegar and wrap it around the faucet. Hold it in place with an elastic band and let the vinegar sit for at least an hour. Then, wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth.
2. Homemade Paste for Faucets
Make a paste with one part water and three parts baking soda. Rub it all over the limescale on the faucet and let it sit for an hour. Then, wipe it clean with a soft cloth.
3. Vinegar for Coffee Makers
Fill your coffee maker with two cups of white vinegar and two cups of water. Run the coffee maker through a complete cycle. Rinse the carafe with warm water, fill with water, and run for another cycle.
4. Vinegar for Your Tea Kettle
Fill the tea kettle with equal parts of water and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn the burner off, and let the kettle sit for a few hours. Rinse with clear water.
5. Denture Tablets for Coffee Makers
You can also clean your coffee maker by filling the water reservoir with hot water and adding two denture tablets or antacid tablets. Let them fizz, run a complete cycle, rinse, and run another cycle with clear water.
6. Combimate
This is a tool your plumber can install that will protect boilers, appliances, faucets, etc. from limescale. Combimate is completely safe to use and made from food-grade natural materials that put an end to limescale buildup.
7. Lemon Juice for Your Tub Taps
Pour pure lemon juice into a spray bottle. Spritz the affected area with a lot of the lemon juice and let it sit for at least half an hour. Re-spray every 15 minutes or so to keep it from drying out. Clean with clear water and a soft cloth. You can also use vinegar for this.
8. Lemon Juice for the Side of Your Tub
If there is limescale on the side of the tub, you can soak a paper towel with lemon juice (vinegar will work just as well) and stick it to the side of the tub. Once the lime scale is dissolved, wipe with a soft cloth or eraser sponge. Rinse with clear water and repeat if necessary.
9. Vinegar for Your Toilet
Pour a lot of vinegar into the bowl and let it soak for at least 30 minutes (if the limescale is really bad, let it soak overnight). Put some vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz under the toilet rim as well. When the limescale has softened, use a toilet brush to scrub it off. Flush a few times to clean it all away.
10. Vinegar for Your Shower Head
Fill a glass bowl with white vinegar. Remove the shower head, place it in the bowl, and let it soak overnight. Rinse with clear water. If the shower head isn’t removable, simply fill a freezer bag half way with vinegar, stick the shower head in, and use an elastic band to hold the bag in place.
