Your water can be classified as either hard or soft depending on where it is located. Hard water doesn’t feel like it’s “hard,” and water that’s soft doesn’t feel as “soft”. So what’s the difference?
Water hardness (or softness) refers to the number of minerals in your tap water, such as limescale, calcium, and magnesium. Water that comes from your tap travels far to reach your home. It picks up minerals such as limescale, calcium, and magnesium. This causes stains. It can cause damage to plumbing, water heaters and porcelain.
It’s important to know how to clean hard water stains from your kitchen and bathroom if you have hard water. While hard water is not a safety or health issue for you and the family, it can cause problems if you don’t know how to remove them. Follow The Maids’ easy, field-tested processes to learn more about hard water and how to remove it.
What do Hard Water Stains look like?
How can you tell if your water is hard? These indicators may indicate that your water has high levels of minerals.
- Hard water could cause a film to form on your hands or body after you have washed dishes. This is because soap reacts with the calcium in the water to form soap scum.
- After being washed in the dishwasher, hard water can leave marks on silverware, glassware and dishes. Calcium carbonate is the culprit and can stain or even etch glass.
- Hard water minerals may cause unusual stains in your laundry. Minerals can cause excessive wear and tear to clothes because of their abrasiveness.
- Low water pressure can be caused by poor plumbing or a burst pipe in your area. However, it can also be caused due to hard water. Your water pipes can build up mineral deposits, reducing water flow.
- High iron levels in hard water can cause dark red or brown stains on a sink, toilet, or bathtub.
How to Get Rid of Hard Water Stains from Glass
Even if your shower is spotless, it’s still important to learn how to remove hard water stains. Regular cleaning of your shower doors will keep limescale away. However, it is best to check for any new hard water stains early on. This stained glass will not be removed with regular glass cleaners. You’ll need to use a DIY method to remove them.
Salt and Water
- Make a paste by mixing table salt with water.
- Apply the paste to the stains with a microfiber cloth
- Continue to scrub until all cloudiness is gone.
- Use a damp cloth to wipe the stain.
- Use paper towels to dry the glass.
Distilled Lemon Juice and White Vinegar
- Mix equal amounts of lemon juice with distilled vinegar in a spray bottle.
- Spray the lemon juice and vinegar stain remover onto the stain.
- Allow the cleaning solution to work on the stain for approximately five minutes.
- To remove the stain, use a microfiber cloth.
- Use a clean, dry cloth to rinse the area.
- Dry the glass.
Hard water can stain or etch exterior window glass if you water your lawn. Either of the above stain removers can be used, but you will want your windows cleaned first to see the hard water stains.
How to remove hard water stains from sinks and bathtubs
Many sinks and tubs are made of porcelain or iron with an enamel coating. Although they are not very porous, it is common for hard water to stain these finishes. Iron stains are easy to spot on most white finishes. However, other hard water stains may be more difficult to identify. These are some tips to help you get rid of hard water stains. Also, check out our guide for cleaning other bathtub stains.
- It would be best if you started with a clean and tidy bathroom. Here are some tips on removing hard water stains using safe, organic cleaners.
- In a spray bottle, mix half water with half white vinegar.
- Spray the entire tub or sink until it is saturated.
- Allow the vinegar and water to work for 20 minutes on the hard water spots.
- Spray the affected areas with a sprayer and scrub them with an old toothbrush.
- Spray any visible stains and allow it to sit for 20 more minutes.
- To remove any stains, use a magic eraser.
- Rinse the sink or tub with hot water.
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