Few things can ruin the look of your clean home like unsightly water spots and stains on your shower, mirror, fixtures or toilet. These spots are a result of hard water and mineral buildup over time, so they take a lot of work to remove.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to get rid of hard water spots and stains once and for all.
Use Vinegar and Water in a Spray Bottle
Soap scum is more than just unsightly—it can also harbor dangerous bacteria. To get rid of soap scum that built up in your shower and bathtub, mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and water into a spray bottle and spray all the areas affected by soap scum. Leave this solution on for a few minutes before wiping it off to remove all the residue.
The acid in the vinegar breaks down the alkaline minerals in the soap scum, which makes it easier to remove and disinfects as it cleans.
Remove Chalky Residue on Fixtures with Vinegar
Chalky residue can build up around your fixtures and inside of your sink from hard water. Like cleaning soap scum, vinegar is the best way to cut through this buildup and get your fixtures sparkling again.
Soak paper towels in vinegar and leave them on the fixtures and in the sink for an hour or two, then you can simply wipe away the residue and rinse with plain water.
Remove Toilet Stains with Vinegar and Baking Soda
The combination of vinegar and baking soda cause a chemical reaction that can clean stains inside your toilet from hard water.
Mix a cup of white vinegar with a cup of baking soda and pour it directly into the toilet bowl and let the chemical reaction do its job. After a few minutes, you can easily scrub away all those unsightly hard water stains.
Clean Grout and Tile with Vinegar and Baking Soda
Grout and ceramic tile can develop a stubborn buildup of hard water stains that are difficult to clean, but the vinegar and baking soda mixture help in this instance as well.
For these stubborn stains, mix less vinegar into the baking soda to make it a paste that will stick to your grout and tile. Spread it on the affected areas and wait a few minutes to scrub it away. Repeat as necessary.
Remove Mineral Deposits from Your Showerhead with Pure Vinegar
If you’re experiencing low water pressure, you could have a buildup of mineral deposits inside your shower head from hard water that are impeding the flow.
To fix this problem, you can remove the shower head and soak it in a bowl of pure white vinegar overnight and scrub the mineral deposits away. If you prefer not to remove your shower head, you can mix vinegar with baking soda in a bag and tie it over the shower head overnight to let it soak.
Learn More About Water Softeners at EcoWater Systems
While the vinegar and baking soda solutions are great for removing existing spots and stains, you’ll continue to have these problems if you have hard water. A water softener is a long-term solution for preventing hard water stains from accumulating in your home.
If you’d like to learn more about installing a water softener in your home, call or visit EcoWater Systems. We’ll be happy to discuss your water quality and determine the right water softener for your specific needs. Contact us today to get started!