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How to Get Rid of Hard Water Stains
February 13th, 2007 by admin
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What is Hard Water?
The term “hard water” is used to describe water that is high in certain minerals, usually calcium and magnesium. A high enough concentration of these metals in your water can cause white lime scales on surfaces which the water comes into contact with. This can be anything from your showerhead to your tea pot or coffee maker. The scales build up over time and can become a real eye-sore, in the case of showerheads and spray-nozzles, they can even clog the small holes and reduce their efficiency.
Hard Water Stain Removal
Hard water stains are nearly impossible to remove with ordinary cleaners – but are amazingly easy with the right approach. Regular soaps are worthless against lime scale, but the right acid will dissolve those pesky deposits without any scrubbing at all. Following are some simple instructions for the most common hard water stain victims. In the following sets of instructions I’ve specified the use of vinegar, but if you don’t have any handy, lemon juice will also work.
Showerheads
Removable Showerheads:
- Remove the showerhead.
- In a pot large enough to submerge the showerhead, bring equal parts white vinegar and water to a rolling boil.
- Place the shower head into the pot and simmer it for 15-20 minutes.
- Allow the shower head to soak in the mixture for a few hours (or overnight).
- Replace the showerhead.
Fixed Showerheads:
- Fill a plastic bag large enough to cover the shower head with equal parts white vinegar and water.
- Secure the bag over the showerhead with rubber bands, duct tape, hardware clamps, whatever is around the house that will hold it well.
- Let the showerhead soak in the solution overnight.
- Remove the bag, repeat as necessary.
Faucets
- Fill a plastic bag large enough to submerge the faucet with equal parts white vinegar and water.
- Secure the bag over the faucet with rubber bands, duct tape, hardware clamps; whatever is around the house that will hold it well.
- Let the faucet soak in the solution overnight.
- Remove the bag, repeat as necessary.
For level areas, such as the base around the edge of the sink, you can use a towel soaked in the vinegar solution to dissolve any hard water stains. Stubborn stains can be scrubbed with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda (just enough vinegar to make a paste).
Sinks, Bath Tubs and Toilet Bowls
- Fill the basin as high as you can with water.
- For sinks, add 1 cup of vinegar. Tubs, 1 liter. Toilets, 1 cup.
- Let the solution soak in the basin overnight.
- Drain and rinse.
- For extra-stubborn stains, make a paste from baking soda and white vinegar and scrub. Continue nightly soaks until they’re gone.
Be aware that not all hard water stains can be removed. Mineral deposits can be dissolved, but sometimes the metals in the water bond with surfaces (most commonly glass) and leave permanent white stains.
Cookware, Glasses and Tea Pots
Lime scale on metal or glassware can be soaked away using a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Glasses and bowls should only require 15 minutes to an hour of soaking while cookware like pots and pans may require longer (Try heating up the solution on the stove if your cookware isn’t coming clean).
Coffee Makers
- Fill the reservoir with white vinegar.
- Run the coffee maker through a brewing cycle and allow the vinegar to run through the system.
- Follow up with one or two brewing cycles using regular water to remove remaining vinegar.
Sponsored Links for: Hard Water Stains [What's This?]
i tried the vinegar and no results. what will take this soap scum off my shower doors? it’s pretty bad.
how do you remove a water stain from a suede headliner of a boat?
IS using vinegar frequently hard on pipes?
I have an antique pourous clay flower pot. It has a raised flower design on it and several colors decorating it. Does anyone know how I can get rid of the brown and cream scuzzy stuff that accumulated on the outside presumably from overwatering. I am worried about hurting the colors. Thank you.
Being a professional window cleainnig company, we have found that most stains require a polishing compound and some good old fashioned elbow grease. The best product we have found to date is a product called The Simple Cleaning Solution. Man this stuff really works. We have cleaned windows professionally for over 37 years and we have great success with this product.
You can sometimes find it at small hardware stores like Ace Hardware or True Value.
Probably the easiest way to buy it is online at their website http://www.HardWaterStain.com The stuff really works like the munufacturer says. I rarely run across a water stained window or shower door that can’t be made to look clean and clear.
I’ve tried CLR with moderate results. However, CLR creates nasty smelling fumes. The Simple Cleaning Solution has no smell (it’s a powder) and I don’t neeed to wear gloves to use it.
Try Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I tried every too. I’ve used this product all over the house with things that no other cleaner has gotten. Thought I’d give it a try and it really did work!
I’m trying to get rid of some hard water stains in my 55 gallon aquarium. We bought it used and it had sat for quite a while. Green scratch pad did nothing. Tried toilet bowl cleaner on the outside, did nothing. Going to use some of these tips with vinegar on the aquarium.
How do you get rid of a thick brown hard-water (iron) build up on the tube and walls?
water stains on bare wood
What can I do for stains on my car (glass and body)caused from a sprinkler?
to remove baked on food inside pots or pans. cover staianed andbaked on goods with water, then put a dryer sheet inside the water and leave soak overnight. next morning, all the residue will wipe right out.
For tubs,sinks and shower doors try a product called the works tub and shower it is in a green and white bottle.Get the pour spout,cause the spray will sufficate you.Make sure you wear gloves.You made need to use a none scratch scrub pad.Take a rag wipe all over the surface [some areas you may need to pour directly on].Then rinse well with water.For glass your may need to use glass cleaner after you rinse,so that the glass will not streak.Then after you use the tub or shower squeegy the walls or spray a daily shower cleaner or vinegar to keep the hardwter build up from returning.I own a cleaning co. a this one of the best products to remove hardwater build up.NOTE: DO NOT USE ON ANY NATURAL STONE SURFACE IT WILL DO MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD>YOU WON’T HAVE HARDWATER BUILD UP,BUT YOUR STONE WILL BE DISCOLORED.For stone surfaces try vinegar or a product called Mira Soap,it is for stone.You can find it at a stone surface supplier or try your hardware store.They might be able to order it for you.
What about water stains on a stall shower (no tub) floor and wall? This was a tub shower that was removed/replaced w/ a stall shower. Vinyl, maybe? Whatever, I know the stains are from the shower/water but nothing gets rid of them. CLR did nothing. Thx!
On flat surfaces I place cotton balls first - then pour the vinegar. The cotton will absorb the vinegar (not go down your drain) - let it sit for 2 plus hours - wipe clean with cotton balls - stains are gone!
i have found that using dryer sheets (not used), works very good. But you do have to rinse off…
about the shower door:
remove the shower door then,
soak a towel in the vinegar mixture and then lay the towel on the shower door.
what about water stains that have leaked from a window unit air conditioner on to a brand new box spring mattress?
What about glass shower doors? Be kinda hard to soak them in pot…