Limescale. You have probably seen it around your house.
What does limescale look like?
It is the hard white chalky stains or residue that you see on your taps, faucets, sinks, and bathroom tiles. You can also find it in electric appliances like kettles, boilers, and washing machines. Before finding out how to remove limescale, let’s understand what limescale is. You can check out this guide https://americanhomewater.com/installing-a-water-softener-your-ultimate-guide/ for more information.
So what exactly is limescale?
Limescale is a compound of calcium and carbonate ions.
It is the residue of hard water left behind when the water evaporates. It builds or accumulates overtime on surfaces exposed to hard water, leaving unsightly white residue or stains.
Is limescale dangerous?
No, limescale is not dangerous to your health.
The calcium and magnesium ions in limescale boost your body’s immunity. They are great for teeth, blood, and bones.
On the other hand, daily hard water usage for bathing will lead to dry skin and hair. The salts in the hard water dry out your skin and, in some cases, cause skin irritation to some people.
Below are some of the disadvantages of limescale buildup in your home.
More energy use
Over time, when it builds up in electric appliances like kettles, boilers, water heaters, it reduces their efficiency. This is because the limescale coats the metallic surfaces and heating elements. And this reduces the efficiency of the coils to heat the water. What happens is that more energy/power is used to make the water boil or heat it to its desired temperature. And this increases your electricity bills.
It blocks drainage systems
If left unattended to, limescale deposits accumulate quickly, especially on taps, showerheads, and drainages. And it comes to a point where it blocks the water flow, thereby reducing the efficiency of your showerheads, faucets, and drainages.
As seen above, limescale will only cost you money in the long run. Your only way out is to get rid of it permanently.
How to Remove Limescale Permanently
Below are some of the permanent ways you can use to remove limescale buildup from the faucets, kettles, taps, bathrooms, showerheads, toilet bowls, and general home water supply.
Use a water softener
This method is the most efficient way of getting rid of limescale. The water softener turns your household water into soft water. It does this by removing the ions responsible for water hardness, calcium, and magnesium.
The softener has a resin bed that traps all components of limescale in its filters and pumps soft water into your home. Installing the softener in the main water supply ensures that all your household water is limescale-free.
But before you use a water softener, test your water for the number of hard water components it has. Doing this will guide you on the capacity or size of the water softener to buy and install.
Mix together a half cup of white vinegar with half a cup of water
Using this mixture, you can remove the limescale residue from your kettles and household appliances. Put the solution to boil and leave it in the kettles trans night. This solution will peel the limescale from the surfaces of the kettle.
In the morning, pour out the solution and rinse it away with clean water. If some stubborn limescale residue remains in the kettle, repeat the procedure until your kettle is clean.
You can also wash your appliances with this solution regularly to prevent any limescale buildup.
Use a non-precipitating softener tablet
A softener tablet is the best cure for limescale buildup in washing machines. It has dual roles. It prevents limescale from the coating and blocks the internal pathways of the washing machine. And it also increases the efficiency of the detergent in cleaning your clothes/laundry.
Use lemon juice and vinegar
A lemon and diluted vinegar solution remove limescale buildup from tiles, taps, sinks, bathtubs, and showerheads. Spray it on these surfaces and leave it to soak. Scrubbing your faucets and tiles with this remedy leaves your bathrooms smelling fresh and clean.
You can also use this remedy for showerheads. Simply detach your shower head from the hose and soak it in a container with white vinegar. You can leave it to soak for 30 mins to 1 hour. Rinse it with clean water and then brush it with an old toothbrush when the time is up. Please pay close attention to the nozzle; rinse it again. Dry it with a soft cloth. Reattach it to the hose and turn on the shower to flush out any remaining limescale.
Use a chemical inhibitor
Limescale doesn’t only attack your appliances and bathroom facilities. It can also disturb your central heating system. Adding a chemical inhibitor made specifically for your central heating system will prevent it from building up.
Use a magnetic descaler
Pipes and water are prone to limescale buildup. You can get rid of it permanently in your pipework by inserting or clamping a magnetic descaler onto the outside of your pipework. This device creates a magnetic field that alters the minerals in the water. It makes them lose their ability to attach themselves to the inside of a pipe and form limescale residues.
Use coca cola
Apart from being a refreshing beverage, coca-cola is another excellent way of how to remove limescale buildup in toilet bowls. All you have to do is pour the coke into your toilet bowl and leave it for some time (5 hours). The phosphoric acid in the drink is an excellent remedy against limescale and rust.
You can also spray vinegar into your toilet bowl. Please leave it to soak overnight, scrub and rinse it the next day.
Use rough substances like pumice stones and sandpaper
Some limescale stains are tough to remove, especially those neglected for a long time. When all the acidic methods have failed, scrub the troubled area with a rough surface (sandpaper) to altogether remove the stain.
Conclusion
You can prevent or get rid of limescale using the methods above. The best permanent solution is the use of a water softener.
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