Since over 80% of American households have trouble with hard water, it is high time people learn how to deal with limescale removal.
Limescale is the silent appliance killer that builds up from hard mineral found in water. If left unchecked long enough, limescale can cause severe harm to your appliances and make your bathroom, sinks, and faucets look unclean.
Fortunately, you can remove limescale deposits by using common household items that you probably already have. Later down the line, we’ll also give you tips on how to prevent limescale buildup in the future so that you won’t have to work this hard anymore.
Household Limescale Removers
For most intents and purposes, vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and borax will do just fine if you want to remove limescale deposits.
Of course, you could also get branded limescale removing agents. But why should you pay extra for something that you can do at home?
Removing Limescale From Taps and Other Bathroom Fittings
Pour 50% water and 50% vinegar into a spraying bottle and spray the solution everywhere you see hard mineral stains.
Let the solution sit on the fixtures for about five minutes then scrape it all off with a non-scratch sponge or a clean and soft cloth.
Repeat this process until you finally manage to remove all the stains completely. However, don’t use this method on plated taps, especially if we’re talking about gold. The vinegar’s acidic properties will damage its finish.
Instead, you can sprinkle a little lemon juice on gold-finished taps and gently wipe off with a clean cloth until the white spots disappear.
Removing Limescale From Kettles and Coffee Machines
Fill the kettle with the same half-half combination of water and vinegar. Leave the mixture to sit overnight and then the limescale should easily come off in the morning. Rinse thoroughly to get the smell out afterward.
As for modern coffee machines, you can either use the descaling agent offered by the brand maker, or you could fill the water tank with the previous solution we mentioned. Now run the machine through the process of making coffee (without adding coffee, of course). Then just repeat the process two times but only using water.
Removing Limescale From Washing Machines and Dishwashers
Washing machines and dishwashers are the most prone to limescale deposits because their lifespan is directly affected by said buildup.
Fortunately, you can remove the existing limescale deposits by placing vinegar in the detergent dispenser and running a regular wash cycle without any clothes.
As for the dishwasher, you’ll have to pour the vinegar onto the base of the machine and run a regular wash cycle without any dishes. Either way, there should be significantly less limescale on your appliances’ critical components.
How to Prevent Limescale Buildup
If you want to completely remove water hardness problems, we recommend going with a water softener or a water descaler system.
These utilities work wonders and will greatly improve the lifespan of all your water-based appliances for only a small investment.
Final Thoughts
Removing limescale isn’t necessarily hard, but it’s quite tedious. You’re far better off preventing it altogether by using a descaler or other water softening method.
