Easily Remove Stubborn Limescale and Water Stains With This Household Ingredient
Make your faucets shine like new.
Areas like the faucets in your home never look truly clean unless you can essentially see your reflection in them. Unfortunately, water stains and limescale buildup can get in the way of that, and make your faucets look hazy and dirty. Luckily, you don’t have to resort to using costly, chemical-laden products to help you nix the grime. In fact, the best way to remove limescale around your home is with vinegar.
What is the cause of limescale?
Water stains on your faucets and sinks come from minerals that are in your water. “Hard” water leaves stains because it contains high levels of a particular mineral called calcium carbonate. Deposits of calcium build up to create limescale, which not only makes your sinks look foggy and yucky, but can also be tough to clean.
How do you remove limescale?
The experts over at Real Homes say, however, that limescale buildup and water stains can be easily removed with distilled white vinegar. The reason is that limescale buildup made predominantly of calcium is very alkaline and has a high pH. Vinegar, with a pH of around 2.4, is very acidic, so it neutralizes and breaks down the limescale, making it easy to remove.
The hack is simple. If you’re using vinegar to clean limescale around your bathroom, just fill a spray bottle with one part white distilled vinegar to one part water. Spray the mixture onto any areas as you would with regular cleaning spray, and allow it to sit for a few minutes before wiping or scrubbing away.
If you’re cleaning a buildup of limescale on a faucet, soak a hand towel or wash cloth in a mixture of one part water and one part white vinegar. Wring the towel out, and wrap the damp towel around your dirty faucet. Allow the towel to sit for a few hours, or overnight. When done, scrub away any limescale with a cleaning brush or old toothbrush.
Click through for other ways to clean limescale from faucets.
That’s it! We hope this is one of those simple cleaning hacks you keep in your arsenal for the long haul. It’s cheap, resourceful, and environmentally friendly — what more could you want?
