Limescale is a result of hard water, which is rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium. This chalky residue accumulates on taps, showers, kettles, and toilets when the hard water evaporates, leaving the minerals behind.
In my home, battling limescale stains seems to be an ongoing task, particularly in my bathroom and kitchen where hard water stains seem to materialise overnight. My kitchen tap, specifically, appears to accumulate limescale rapidly due to its frequent use throughout the day.
While many people opt for chemical cleaning sprays to eliminate limescale from their taps, I prefer using white vinegar. Given its high acidity, white vinegar can effectively break down the calcium carbonate that constitutes limescale.
This natural, cost-effective, and straightforward method involves the use of kitchen towel. Initially, I soaked the tap in white vinegar, ensuring every limescale stain was thoroughly covered.
Then, I tore up pieces of kitchen towel and wrapped them around the tap, reports the Express.
After covering the tap, I sprayed additional white vinegar on the kitchen towel until the area was completely saturated. I let the vinegar-soaked kitchen towel sit on the tap for 30 minutes before removing it.
Most of the limescale came off with the kitchen towel, but for any remaining stains, a gentle scrub with a toothbrush or sponge does the trick. Finally, I wiped my tap with a damp cloth and dried it off with a clean microfibre cloth for that extra shine.
Distilled white vinegar is priced at 35p in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, while it costs £1 in Morrisons.