Streaky lines in your loo? Grubby looking shower head? These are hard water stains. Hard water is water that has a high mineral content (like limestone and chalk.) It can cause dry skin, limescale and prevent soap from lathering. Water in your home can be softened with a whole-home water softener but here’s how to remove hard water stains…

Vinegar spray

An easy and cost-effective solution is to mix a half water half vinegar solution and place it in a spray bottle. Spray and scrub the area with a toothbrush or cloth (sponges can scratch certain surfaces.) If the smell of vinegar bothers you, you can add a slice of lemon to your spray. For loo stains, pour vinegar straight into the loo, leave for half an hour, then come back and give it a scrub. The vinegar and lemon mix also works well for getting rid of limescale and stains on your shower door. Use newspaper and glass cleaner to give it a shine after cleaning!

Bi-carb paste

For tougher stains you can mix vinegar and bi-carb and use a tougher cleaning cloth. Again, be mindful of using the rough part of the sponge. Make a paste with the vinegar and bi-carb, rub it onto the surface and leave for 15 minutes. Then wipe/scrub away the stain.

Bleach and laundry detergent for water hard water deposits

For hard water deposit build up in your spa jets – fill your bath with hot water, add 1 cup of bleach (or vinegar) and laundry detergent and run the jets for 15 minutes. Empty the spa, fill it back up with water for 10 minutes and drain again.

Hydrochloric acid

This is a harsh chemical that we’d only recommend using in extreme cases as a last resort. Use in small doses and infrequently. If you do use this chemical make sure you wear gloves and open all doors and windows in the house.

Modern Era Plumbing and Gas Solutions Adelaide

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