A bathroom can be a sanctuary. Every year, billions of dollars are spent renovating bathrooms all across Canada. Canadian bathrooms have never looked more stylish and provided more luxury. Limescale can bring a bathroom out of luxury mode and into a very unattractive reality in no time. Fight limescale with prevention and some of these great removal tips.

 

What Causes Limescale

That cloudy white film that can build up on faucets, shower stalls, tubs and toilets is caused by hard water. If that telltale lime stain in your bathroom isn’t proof enough, do the hard water test to confirm whether you have hard or soft water. Fill a water bottle with water and little dish shop. Give it a good shake, if a healthy amount of bubbles are created, you likely have soft water and therefore, won’t have to the fight the battle against limescale. If the water in the bottle simply becomes cloudy and the bubbles are weak, you likely have hard water and if you don’t already have to the deal with limescale, you will.

 

Preventing Limescale

Hard water contains plenty of calcium and magnesium. These minerals will leave deposits on everything it touches. This is referred to as limescale and will build up if allowed to. Prevention is key. Correcting the hardness of your water will go a long way in reducing or eliminating your limescale problems. Investing in a water softener will rebalance your water and remove many of the minerals in your water that is causing the limescale. Water softeners are relatively inexpensive.

If limescale is a problem that is ongoing and showing no signs of going away, you will want an array of options to choose from in order to remove and control the build -up of limescale on your bathroom fixtures. It is very hard to scrub limescale away. A cloth and elbow grease just won’t do it. Your best bet in removing limescale is to dissolve the buildup. Minerals are rocks and not easily removed but there are common household ingredients that will do the trick.

 

How to Remove Limescale in Bathroom

Plain old vinegar will beat limescale at its own game. If possible, submerge your taps and faucets in vinegar for at least an hour. If removing taps is not possible, try filling a plastic bag with vinegar and tying it onto the faucet. Let it soak and follow up with a good scrubbing. Time and a light scrub with a toothbrush will remove lime inside and out and is all that is needed to remove this thick build up.

If the finish on your faucet is chrome, you’ll want to avoid vinegar as it is a mild acid.  In this instance, we’d recommend visiting the manufacturer’s website for your faucet and read what they suggest for removing limescale.

Although limescale is not harmful, it doesn’t take much of it to ruin the look of your bathroom. It is unsightly and if it is left to build up too much, can restrict water flow. Don’t let limescale put a damper on your bathroom experience.

 

Remove Limescale from a Toilet

On a toilet, limescale often appears below the rim where fresh water comes out.  Over time, these spouts of water can get clogged with limescale and other mineral buildup.  For preventing Limescale on a toilet you can slowly pour vinegar in the overflow spout of the toilet, which is located in the tank.  The vinegar will come out of the holes in the rim, loosening up any limescale buildup.  From there you can use a stiff brush (not a wire brush which might scratch your toilet) to loosen up the debris even further.

If the limescale is in your toilet, you can also use vinegar.  Vinegar is a natural acid that can help dissolve limescale. Create a solution by mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water. Pour this solution into the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. Scrub the bowl with a brush, and flush to rinse away the limescale. Repeat this process regularly to prevent limescale buildup.

 

Contact Wentworth Plumbing

If you have hard water causing your lime scale build up, you might wish to install a water softener.  At Wentworth Plumbing, we can install one for your business or home.  Our plumbers are also available for any of your other plumbing needs.  Contact us today!