Get rid of scale from taps in just 30 minutes with ‘brilliant’ cleaning tips
Limescale deposits on faucets and other appliances can be a nuisance, especially for people who live in areas served by hard water. But according to professional cleaner Lindsay Turford, you don’t need to buy expensive products to get rid of stubborn limescale deposits on your bathroom and kitchen tap.
Lindsay, who regularly shares cleaning tips and tricks with an audience of 78.4k on her Instagram page @dazlincleaning, has a clever hack that doesn’t require the use of harsh chemicals.
“Limescale is a problem many households face,” she explained. “If you have a build-up of limescale around the base of your faucets or spout, soak a cloth in white vinegar and wrap it around the troubled area.”
Lime is an unsightly hard deposit with a chalk-like appearance that is mainly composed of calcium carbonate. It is usually left behind by hard water when it evaporates and worsened by water that has a high mineral count.
Given the acidic nature of vinegar, the liquid is able to break down the calcium carbonate that forms limescale.
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When cleaning your kitchen faucets, Lindsay also has an “easy and quick” method for faucets with filters attached to the end.
She explained: “Did you know you can unscrew most of the ends on kitchen taps? Makes descaling so much easier and sometimes you’ll also be surprised what ‘bites’ the filter catches that can affect the flow of water.
“Just use some cheap white vinegar, let it sit for about 10 minutes, and all the limescale will be removed. This is perfectly safe for stainless steel and black faucets. I haven’t tried brass, but I’ve heard it can tarnish brass, so please use it with care.”
Once your faucets are free of limescale, Lindsay recommends giving them a quick polish with a microfiber cloth, such as Marigold Let It Shine On & On! Microfibre cloths, which can be bought for £3.59.
A guide to cleaning limescale with white vinegar
When cleaning limescale from your faucets, focus on both the body of the faucet as well as the spout or spout.
To clean the spout, fill a cap with white vinegar and secure it over the end of the outlet with a rubber band or tape. Depending on how much limescale you need to clean, this can soak for anywhere from 10 minutes to overnight.
For the upper parts of your faucet, soak cotton wool or a cloth in white vinegar and wrap it around the faucets. For extra support, secure it in place with an elastic band. Leave it for a couple of hours or overnight, depending on the amount of limescale and squeeze out occasionally to release more vinegar.
When you’re done, simply wipe away the limescale and then give the faucets a quick polish with a microfiber cloth.
