Removing Limescale

What is it?

Limescale is a build up of calcium carbonate which presents as a chalky white deposit after hard water evaporates. The “harder” the water is in your area, the more limescale you will come across. This will build up in any areas that regularly come in contact with water; the kettle, tap heads, showers etc. Other than being unsightly, it can cause issues in many mechanisms like your tap cartridges. 

Fortunately it’s fairly simple to clean limescale, it just requires a little bit of patience and some simple ingredients. Limescale erodes well when put in contact with citric acid like that found in lemon juice, and acetic acid like that found in vinegar. Please always ensure you use protective gloves when using cleaning products, even vinegar and lemon juice can irritate your skin even though they’re quite mild.

What can I do?

For light build ups you can simply mix some white vinegar or lemon juice with some water in a 1:1 solution and either spray it with a spray bottle, or apply it directly to a cloth and rub at the build up.

For a more stubborn stain you will need to soak it, this can be difficult to ensure the solution stays on taps or angled surfaces but you can soak a cloth in the solution and then wrap it around or lay it on the affected surface for an hour and then gently wipe away. You can also use elastic bands or some cord to secure the cloth to a tap if needed.

Baking soda is another excellent ingredient for cleaning limescale. It has a multitude of uses, but mixed with white vinegar in an even mix it can be gently rubbed into affected areas and left for around 25 minutes. Gently wash away and rub with a cloth to remove the build up. 

For porcelain like in your toilet or basin you can use a brush to help remove tough build ups of limescale.