Hard water is water with a high amount of mineral deposits like lime, silica, and calcium. When the water dries, the deposits are left behind, leaving unsightly spots on glass or ceramic surfaces, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens. If you're tired of looking at the brown or white scum that has collected in your living spaces, you can use vinegar or something stronger to clean it up. See Step 1 to learn how to brighten your kitchen and bathroom surfaces in no time.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
Cleaning Light Spots
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Make a vinegar solution. Vinegar - cheap, natural, white vinegar - is the best tool you can use to combat those every day hard water spots that keep your surfaces from gleaming. Prepare a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. [1] X Research source
- If you're using a spray bottle that used to contain chemicals or other ingredients, make sure you wash it out thoroughly before you add the vinegar and water mixture.
- Be sure to use regular white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar and other types of vinegar won't do the trick.
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Spray the vinegar on the scummy surface. Whether it's your glass shower door, the sink or your floor tiles, go ahead and spray those spots with vinegar. Vinegar has a pungent smell but it's completely safe to use on surfaces other than wood. Spray the area thoroughly, making sure you don't miss any spots.Advertisement
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Wipe the surface with a towel. Light hard water stains should come right off. If you'd prefer you can instead pour the vinegar solution into a bowl and soak a rag in the solution, then use that to clean our surfaces.
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Rinse and squeegee the area clean. Then buff dry with a clean cloth. Make sure it's totally dry - otherwise, the water will leave more spots!
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Clean the faucets and shower heads. Remove faucet aerators and shower heads periodically and soak them in vinegar. A brush will help to loosen stubborn deposits.
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Clean the toilet, too. The toilet bowl may also be stained with hard water spots. Vinegar works to clean these stains, too. Pour 1 1/2 cups of vinegar in the toilet bowl. Use the toilet scrubber to scrub the spots until they're gone. Flush the toilet to get rid of the vinegar.Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Getting Rid of Tougher Scum
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Try letting the vinegar sit on the hard water spots. If you let it sit and soak in for a few minutes instead of wiping it off right away, it'll have more time to break down the mineral deposits holding the scum in place. Let it soak in for a good 5 - 10 minutes before you try to wipe it off. Use a scrub brush to loosen thicker deposits.
- You can also soak a towel in the vinegar solution and drape it over the stained surface. This works well for shower floors and bathtubs. [2] X Research source
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Use a cleaner with hydrochloric acid. Look for a bathroom cleaner made for getting rid of hard water stains and soap scum. This should be a last resort, since hydrochloric acid is a harsh chemical. [3] X Research source Make sure the room is well-ventilated - open the windows and turn on the fans - then spray the stained area with the appropriate cleaner. Wipe it away, then rinse the surface with water and dry it.
- Be sure to wear gloves when handles hydrochloric acid.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Preventing Hard Water Spots
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Dry your surfaces after use. After you take a shower or bath, or splash water in your kitchen, use a dry towel to wipe the surfaces. This will mop up the mineral deposits before they can dry out and leave spots. [4] X Research source
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Use water softener powder or liquid. You can add a water softener to your washing machine to prevent calcium deposits from building up. Powder or liquid water softeners are available at hardware stores. [5] X Research source
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Get a water softener system. If your water is extremely hard and you're tired of dealing with the mess it leaves - it's hard on hair and skin as well as bathroom surfaces - consider getting a system installed that will remove the mineral deposits from your water. This is an expensive option, but it might be worth the trouble.Advertisement
Community Q&A
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QuestionMy bathtub has had a hard water stain for a long time. I have tried many methods, but the stain cannot be removed. What can I do?Community AnswerSprinkle powdered orange drink mix on the stain and let it set for 30 minutes. Sometimes, this can work better than store-bought cleansers.
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QuestionHow do I clean a hard water stain on a tub surround?Community AnswerWhat is the material of the tub surround? If it’s marble, avoid vinegar or descaler because it will etch the surface. For anything else, you can use vinegar. Heat it up and pour it over paper towels that are placed on the areas that you want to clean. Make sure that the paper towels are kept drenched with vinegar for hours. Use a non-scratching white nylon scrubber to remove partially dissolved mineral deposits. When you are satisfied, dry and wax the area for future prevention of deposits. Note: This will not work if the area that you want to descale is dirty and has a film of soap scum on it, so clean it first with a cleaner (without bleach in it) before moving on to descaling with vinegar.
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QuestionHow would I remove hard water spots from the exterior of a stainless steel dishwasher?Community AnswerUse Barkeepers Friend. You can find this at Walmart and other stores. Follow their instructions for use.
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Tips
- Use paste car wax after cleaning shower doors, walls and faucet. It will help very much to keep soap scum and hard water spots from building up. [6] X Research source Don't apply the car wax to floors and carpets.Thanks
- In the future, try to watch for water spots and get them as soon as possible because they will be much easier to remove when they are "fresh."Thanks
- Try using a roll of strip cotton to wrap around the taps. This can usually be purchased (and lasts a long time) from a beauty supply. Wrap around for fit (size) and tear off strip. Soak it in the cleaning solution and wrap. It doesn't fall apart as easily as toilet paper does.Thanks
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Warnings
- When working on a car, immediately wash and wax the car afterwards, as the vinegar will remove your wax.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- white vinegar
- towel
- plastic spray bottle
- clean cloth
- small brush
References
- ↑ https://www.maidbrigade.com/house-cleaning-tips/how-to-remove-hard-water-stains/
- ↑ https://www.ocregister.com/2017/01/03/all-you-need-to-clean-hard-water-stains-is-vinegar-and-time/
- ↑ http://www.stylemepretty.com/living/2010/07/23/removing-hard-water-stains/
- ↑ http://www.maidbrigade.com/house-cleaning-tips/how-to-remove-hard-water-stains
- ↑ https://www.lenntech.com/processes/softening/faq/water-softener-faq.htm
- ↑ https://thefrugalgirls.com/2014/06/how-to-prevent-water-spots-on-shower-doors.html
About this article
Article Summary
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To remove hard water spots, prepare a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Next, coat the affected area with the solution, then wipe the surface with a clean towel. If the water spots are particularly stubborn, let the vinegar soak in for 10 minutes before wiping the surface. Rinse and squeegee the area clean, then buff the surface until it's completely dry to prevent new spots from forming! For tips on preventing hard water spots form forming, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I've been buying all sorts of product trying to rid my faucets of hard water buildup. I've heard about vinegar, but never gave it a real try until now. I had to repeat a few times, but love the outcome." ..." more
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"I've been buying all sorts of product trying to rid my faucets of hard water buildup. I've heard about vinegar, but never gave it a real try until now. I had to repeat a few times, but love the outcome."
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"I love solving Rubik's cubes under water, but the springs got covered in hard water! I used this solution and it worked like a dream (although I changed it to a 25-75 ratio instead of 50-50)."
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"We have been attempting to remove water spots that have accumulated on storm windows for decades. Vinegar and steel wool have not worked. Thanks for the suggestion to use hydrochloric acid. "
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"Helpful. I've tried several methods to remove deposits from the windows of my van. This is working."
"I didn't realize how useful vinegar can be for so many things. I need to get some soon. Thanks."
