How To Remove Limescale From Toilet Below Waterline

How to remove limescale from a bath

Posted on Monday 20th Jan 2022

Limescale is an unfortunate by-production in bathrooms which looks unsightly and unhygienic, so how do you make clean it?

The main reason people choose to remove limescale is that information technology can look terrible, particularly if left and neglected for a long time, resulting in heavily stained appliances.

We've made this guide to help y'all understand what limescale is, whether it's dangerous, and how to remove information technology.

Read on to discover out how to clean limescale from your bath and what you lot can do to prevent information technology from edifice up in futurity...

What is limescale?

The scientific answer is that limescale is a build-upwardly of a hard deposit with a chalk-like advent which mainly consists of calcium carbonate. Information technology is normally left backside by hard water when it evaporates - h2o that has a high mineral count.

In most cases, you'll observe limescale inside kettles, hot h2o boilers, and pipes. Traditionally, it is plant wherever there is warm h2o. When information technology comes to bathrooms, this will include taps, shower heads, and plugs.

The harder the water in your surface area, the more likely you are to find limescale.

You tin can also have a build-up of limescale from soap suds not existence cleaned abroad. This means basins, mirrors and tiles tin be at risk, but also your toilet.

Is limescale unsafe?

Limescale tin cause diverse amounts of harm to your dwelling, from minor issues to major problems - such every bit pipage blockages or cracks.

On a smaller calibration, limescale deposits can build-upward on any surfaces that hard water is in contact with and can accumulate quickly. This includes your taps and shower heads. The limescale, if not cleaned away, restricts the flow of water from them and reduces their efficiency.

Restricted water flow could force you to apply appliances for longer than necessary, increasing utility bills.

A restriction in water menses means that your appliances won't function equally normal, such as your toilet potentially not flushing properly. This could impact the hygiene of your home. In short, it's non the limescale that is dangerous, it'south what it can pb to that's dangerous.

Is limescale bad for you?

While limescale may exist cruddy in your bathroom, it isn't bad for y'all in small doses. As it's built-up calcium, you shouldn't suffer any wellness issues as a event of running a tap or shower through it. Limescale tin dry your skin, so if you live in a hard water area, you should consider this issue and use a moisturising lather.

How to clean limescale

There are diverse ways to remove limescale, these involve specially-made products or home-made solutions. And then, if you don't desire to smell chemicals or desire to exist kinder to the environment, you tin can still remove limescale hands.

As y'all are often cleaning yourself in your bathroom, you may need to consider using natural products to remove limescale, such as vinegar or lemon.

What will I need to remove limescale?

As always when cleaning your bath, you'll demand gloves, simply you may also need the following:

• Lemon juice or full lemons
• White vinegar
• Bathroom cleaner
• Rubberband bands
• Cotton wool
• Old and clean cloths
• Cup
• Baking soda
• Spray canteen

When using lemon juice, always article of clothing gloves equally it is citric acid.

Wherever the limescale is located in your bathroom - in sight or not - it is easier to clean than you may retrieve…

How to remove limescale from your pipes

Just because the limescale is not within sight, and you lot tin't reach it, doesn't mean information technology tin't be cleaned.

Similar you would with unclogging a drain, you lot will need to set aside fourth dimension for this task - make the bathroom off-limits.

To go rid of limescale build-up in your pipes, you can use set up-fabricated cleaning products available from most shops. An alternative, however, is to utilise a vinegar and blistering soda solution. This is chemical-free, which is especially useful if you take pets or children effectually, or even if you lot accept certain allergies.

For this, y'all volition demand to mix viii litres of white vinegar with 1 cup of baking soda per drain - you can also use this on your bowl and bathroom. Empty the pipes before using the solution, making sure they're as articulate equally possible from the most recent use of the bathroom.

Get-go, put the blistering soda into each drain - if you can remove the plug from your bowl, this will exist much easier. Then, slowly pour in the vinegar and leave it for 3-iv hours. Just to be sure, and to remove any grease, soap or leftover calcium, pour boiling water quickly downward the bleed later on.

How to remove limescale from taps

When it comes to cleaning taps to remove limescale, vinegar or lemon work best outside of a chemic cleaner.

Removing limescale from taps comes in two parts - the levers and body as well as the water outlet. These are the areas most likely to come across limescale form. For each i, they need to exist in constant contact with a cleaner.

To remove limescale from the water outlet or spout, fill a cap with lemon juice or vinegar and position information technology over the spout. Ensure the outlet is submerged in it completely and fix the cap in place with either record or an elastic ring - then leave it overnight.

Lemon juice is best for tackling thicker, more stubborn limescale.

For the upper parts of your tap, soak cotton wool or a cloth in either white vinegar or lemon juice and wrap it effectually the taps. If you want to be sure, secure it in place with an elastic ring. Leave information technology for a couple of hours or overnight, depending on the amount of limescale.

You may need to lightly scrub the taps afterwards to remove all the residue.

When using vinegar or lemon juice, bear in mind the blazon of tap you lot have. For plated taps - such as chrome or aureate - don't use vinegar equally information technology can damage the stop.

A handy play a trick on is to cut a lemon in half and attach information technology to the tap spout - it could fifty-fifty stick in identify on its ain. Once you're done with the cleaning, rub the taps down with a clean cloth for extra shine.

How to remove limescale from the toilet

There are mainstream methods for removing limescale from your toilet with chemical cleaners, however, vinegar works just every bit well.

If you use a commercial cleaner, recall that these are bleach-based, so you will need to have enough of ventilation when using them. Likewise, avoid getting any on your peel. A commercial cleaner can exist handy for cleaning under the rim, with many featuring shaped bottles to access this area. These cleaners will normally need xxx minutes to piece of work.

To remove limescale stains from the toilet basin with vinegar, you can do this in a number of ways - depending on the thickness or amount of limescale. For smaller areas of limescale, mix vinegar with water in a spray bottle, spraying the mixture onto the built-up stain and brushing it away.

For a more heavy-duty arroyo, you can cascade an entire canteen of white vinegar over and effectually the bowl, remembering to embrace all of it. And so, go out the vinegar to work for a few hours or overnight. Utilise your toilet brush to scrub any leftover limescale deposits away the next solar day. For the rim, spray the mixture onto it and rub with a castor.

If there are stubborn areas of limescale on the bowl, use sandpaper to remove or wear-down the stain. Don't press besides hard with the paper every bit yous may damage the bowl. Affluent any residue abroad and then clean it equally you would above.

How to remove limescale from a shower head

You will know that your shower handset is clogged with limescale equally the water squirts out in every direction but down. You can clean your shower with bootleg solutions of vinegar or lemon juice.

Read more than: The Best Ways to Make clean Whatever Shower

To make clean your shower with either vinegar or lemon juice, you will need to remove the shower head from the shower installation and place it in a basin, saucepan or pan. Then, fill it with warm water - enough to submerge the shower head.

Make a solution of h2o with vinegar or lemon juice in the container - preferably from freshly squeezed lemons rather than shop-bought juice. Identify the shower head in the container and exit it to soak for 20-30 minutes. Lemon will exist stronger and require less time than vinegar. Vinegar may need multiple 30-minute stints of soaking.

Remove the shower head and rinse information technology in h2o, brushing off whatsoever leftover limescale. Your shower head should at present be completely clean. As with taps, lemon juice volition work all-time with a chrome shower handset.

When it comes to cleaning other bathroom surfaces, such as tiles, shower screens and bathtubs, pour vinegar or lemon juice into a bottle, mix it with warm water, and spray the affected area. A ratio of 1:3 of vinegar to water is all-time.

Leave it for up to 30 minutes and scrub the balance off and wipe the surface with a soft cloth.

How to prevent limescale from forming

The higher up cleaning methods are all preventative measures that will finish limescale from forming, and so regular cleaning may mean deposits don't come back.

Since limescale forms in a difficult h2o surroundings, one step you could take is to add together a water softener to your water supply.

You can buy a limescale preventer from Plumbworld which stops the build-up of limescale through hot and cold h2o systems.

An easier alternative to prevent limescale from building upwardly is to wipe surfaces down when moisture, with a cloth or shower squeegee just as you would to prevent mould. On glass surfaces, like glass shower screens, wipe them completely dry out afterwards showering.

Ollie Lyon

Ollie is a self-trained DIY expert who particularly enjoys kitchen and bathroom renovations. In his spare time, Ollie enjoys cycling and hiking.

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Source: https://plumbworld.co.uk/blog/how-to-remove-limescale

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