Baking soda Baking soda is also a highly effective household product for fighting limescale. It neutralizes acids, deep cleans, and releases a pleasant scent. To use it, simply sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the bowl, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then scrub with a brush.
The best way to get rid of stubborn limescale deposits is by soaking the affected area in lemon juice or white vinegar. Some fixtures may be harder to clean than others, so we've put together a step-by-step guide to help you achieve scale-free taps, showerheads and plugholes.
Both vinegar and lemon juice will do a great job of removing any limescale deposits and freshening up your machines' innards at the same time. In a washing machine, use a large cup of either liquid in place of your usual detergent and run a normal washing cycle (without clothes).
The best method is to soak a cotton cloth or microfibre cloth in vinegar or citric acid, then rub it on surfaces affected by limescale, such as fittings. Leave it to work for some time or overnight, then rinse thoroughly with clean, cold water. Then dry everything with a clean cloth.
The scientific answer is that limescale is a build-up of a hard deposit with a chalk-like appearance which mainly consists of calcium carbonate. It is usually left behind by hard water when it evaporates - water that has a high mineral count.
HG limescale remover concentrate is the ideal strong limescale remover for removing stubborn limescale. This heavy duty limescale remover also removes rust and urine stains as well as verdigris.
Limescale can be easily dissolved using a mild acid solution, such as diluted white vinegar. For example, when descaling a kettle, simply fill the kettle with equal parts vinegar and water and leave for an hour before boiling and then letting stand for another 20 minutes.
Pour Vinegar Into The Toilet: It may sound strange, but vinegar is a great solution for limescale because of its acidic chemical properties that eat away at calcified limescale. Make sure to coat the entire bowl and any surfaces affected by vinegar.
Citric acid is particularly effective in removing limescale, deposits and rust. It is therefore ideal for cleaning kettles, coffee machines, washing machines and dishwashers. Its simple formula without added chemicals makes it safe to use regularly.
Vinegar essence is therefore a better choice for harder-to-treat limescale – but it should always be diluted with water. Always wear gloves when cleaning with vinegar to protect your skin from the acid. A special tip: Coca Cola – this fizzy drink contains phosphoric acid which also removes limescale and urine scale.
#1 White Vinegar
White vinegar is the best CLR substitute. It's great for the environment and it's super effective at breaking down rust and limescale.
Lemon juice and vinegar are both acidic, meaning that they can break down the calcium carbonate that limescale is made from. Here's how you can use these green cleaners to your advantage. It's worth noting that we're talking about distilled white vinegar here, not malt vinegar.
White Vinegar and warm water – areas of limescale on your tap can be cleaned with a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm water. Depending on how stubborn the limescale is you may only need to wipe the tap over with the solution or you may need to lay a cloth to soak on it for a few hours.
Viakal Classic Limescale Remover Spray is your number one against limescale ally: it quickly eliminates limescale and hard water marks, together with the dirt and bacteria trapped inside of them.
White vinegar
The mild acid can dissolve limescale and disinfect. All you need to do is pour a generous amount of white vinegar down your toilet bowl, let it soak in overnight, then scrub with a brush.
In areas such as bathrooms and kitchens where limescale is easily accumulated on sanitary fittings, Hydrogen Peroxide can act as a cleaning agent that sweeps the surface clean and disinfects the surface thoroughly for any after-effects.
Let the acid of the vinegar do its magic for 30 minutes; the vinegar will dissolve the calcium. Then flush.
The first step in getting rid of limescale is to remove as much of it as possible from the surface. This can often be done by using a scrubbing brush or an abrasive cleaner such as vinegar or baking soda and a bit of elbow grease. For tougher deposits, you may need to use a chemical cleaner such as Viakal.
Lemon juice is considered the best and it comes with the added bonus of leaving a lovely lemon smell behind.
White vinegar has good descaling properties. It is also easy to use; you just need to spread it undiluted onto your surface using a soft sponge, leave it for a few minutes, then rinse well. For even more descaling power, start by heating up the white vinegar in a pot. Then, apply it using a sponge or soft cloth.