Mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and water, and spray the solution all over your shower and tub. Pay particular attention to the worst of your hard water stains. Let the solution sit for 10–15 minutes so it has a chance to really work on them. Then, using a rag, wipe away the solution.
Mix half water and half white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the entire sink or tub until it's saturated. Let the vinegar and water work on the hard water stains for 20 minutes. Respray the stained areas and scrub them with an old toothbrush.
Cleaning Toilets, Sinks, Tubs, and Showers
To remove hard water deposits from these surfaces, apply vinegar or a mixture of vinegar and Borax, then scrub with the most effective sponge, pad, or scrub brush that won't scratch the finish.
The acidity in white vinegar eats away at the mineral deposits. The trick is to let the vinegar sit on the hard water long enough to work its magic. Grab a spray bottle and mix equal parts water and vinegar (you can also add a teaspoon of Dawn dish soap for more clinging power).
Clean the grime off your tub, shower or tiles
Use Dawn and some hot water and a cloth or sponge to get into those nooks and crannies where grime and scale tend to build up. You can also combine Dawn with vinegar for stronger cleaning power, especially when tackling hard water stains.
Hard water can be softened by adding sodium carbonate (washing soda) or by passing the water through an ion-exchange column.
Permanent Hardness of Water
We can remove this hardness by treating the water with washing soda. Insoluble carbonates are formed when washing soda reacts with the sulphide and chloride salts of magnesium and calcium, and thus, hard water is converted to soft water.
Professional window cleaners like Window Genie are trained and experienced in this battle. Window Genie uses a polishing paste specifically designed to fight the minerals that create these stains. The paste is applied to a non-abrasive cleaning pad and the window is lightly scrubbed.
But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either. Unlike the bleach-ammonia mixture, combining soda and vinegar won't hurt anyone — but don't expect the mixture to do a good job cleaning, either.
Use Vinegar & Baking Soda
White vinegar is a natural solution that can be utilized to dissolve calcium buildup. Sitting overnight, you will be able to remove lime buildup from the drain while avoiding the harsh chemicals in traditional drain cleaners. Avoid putting any store-bought chemicals down the drain.
White Vinegar, Baking Soda & Lemon
It's also helpful when addressing hard water stains or calcium buildup. Use a spray bottle or cloth damp with vinegar to wet the area. An old toothbrush can also be used to scrub in the hard-to-reach places for a better, cleaner faucet.
Soften your kitchen water by boiling: Boiling will make the salts in water sink to the bottom of the boiler. You can then scoop out this water or pour the water in another pot leaving the deposits in the end. Install an ion-exchange filter to your kitchen faucet or use a water pitcher filter.
Na2CO3. 10H2O commonly known as washing soda is used for removing permanent hardness of water .
An Epsom salt solution can help restore the original appearance of your faucet, shower, or toilet, regardless of what is discolored on them. Epsom salt also perfumes the water and releases sodium and potassium ions that replace magnesium and calcium ions which cause water hardness.
Water softening is achieved either by adding chemicals that form insoluble precipitates or by ion exchange. On a small scale, chemicals used for softening include ammonia, borax, calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), or trisodium phosphate, usually in conjunction with sodium carbonate (soda ash).
The minerals in hard water often react with most soaps to create a "soap scum," which is an insoluble substance that can temporarily adhere to your hands or the shower walls.
Hard contains calcium and magnesium ions. When soaps are dissolved in hard water, these ions displace sodium or potassium from their salts and form insoluble calcium or magnesium salts of fatty acids. These insoluble salts separate as scum. This is the reason why donot work in hard water.
With new & unique Mineral Shield Technology, Dove Hard Water Defense Shampoo creates a durable shield on hair fibers, preventing harsh hard water minerals from depositing.
“Vinegar is a good cleaner because it's acidic, but when you add dishwashing liquid/dish soap to it (which is a base or neutral) - you neutralise the vinegar. You take away the very thing that makes it work well. “The dishwashing liquid works that well on its own. Adding the vinegar is a pointless step.”
They're both excellent at breaking down tough grease and grime, but vinegar alone will simply run off of most surfaces, and dish soap is too thick to use on its own. But when you combine the two, you get an effective, sprayable miracle cleaner that clings to surfaces.