How To Deal With Limescale Buildup In Your Home
If you have ever owned or rented a home, its more than likely that you’ve encountered limescale issues with your appliances, or on your shower, sink, or tub. You may not even notice it, but it’s usually no fault of the homeowner, but instead a result of your area’s water supply. Limescale is incredibly common in American homes, in fact, about 90% of residents are living with water that can cause limescale buildup. That’s not to say that limescale and hard water should be ignored – limescale should be dealt with on a regular basis to preserve the looks and feel of your home’s appliances and commonly used utilities.
What Is Limescale?
More or less, limescale is a result of hard water… so what is hard water? Hard water can come from well water or even city water and is a result of the buildup of certain elements like calcium, magnesium, and other minerals during the water cycle. Hard water is not anyone’s fault, but some areas can be more susceptible to hard water because of their region’s topography and natural elements. Because of hard water, that can cause limescale buildup.
If you see a white chalky line around the rim of your toilet bowl, or on the edge of your sink’s spicket, that is most definitely caused by limescale buildup. Over time it can eat away at your appliances and tarnish the chrome/metal plating that a lot of fixtures have. Before it can cause any of that damage, it creates an unpleasant look and can raise your water bills because of your appliances having to work harder to maintain water pressure effected by limescale buildup.
How Do I Remove Limescale?
Thankfully, if the buildup of calcified minerals is mild, limescale is relatively easy to remove. Regardless, even if there is a heavy buildup, it can be dealt with using a little bit of elbow grease. The steps to remove the stains of chalky, discolored buildup from your toilet bowl, rim, shower head, spigot, sink, and more are the following:
- Coat the affected area with vinegar, cleaning product, or baking soda and water mixture (3 parts baking soda, 1 part water)
- Allow to sit for 3-4 hours for the chemicals to activate
- Scrub the appliance clean with warm water
- Repeat as necessary until limescale and stains are gone
What Are Long Term Solutions To Limescale Buildup?
If you want to stop limescale buildup in your home permanently there are some solutions to consider. You can try to clean up buildup as much as you want, but ultimately the quality of your water supply determines everything, and limescale will return eventually. To stop the buildup of limescale permanently, it is in the best interest of your home’s infrastructure to invest in a Culligan whole-house treatment system. Culligan systems filter the water supply that comes into your house before it reaches any of your appliances and filters out any impurities, hard water, and other undesirable elements. If you’re dealing with limescale buildup in your home, consider a more permanent solution – give your local Culligan Water Specialist a call today!
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