Tips to Remove Hard Water Stains

Hard water stains are something that is relatively common in today’s households.

These stains are normally found in the bathroom sink, on your beautiful bathroom vanity basins, on your bathtub and virtually any other location where there is a constant or semi constant stream of water.

How to Remove Hard Water Stains

Depending on the material that they are staining and how long they have been sitting they do not wash right off, though. there are a few different methods that you can use to get rid of the hard water stains that you may have.

What’s Hard Water?

If you are not used to seeing hard water stains, it may surprise you at first. Understand that hard water stains come from the minerals that are picked up when water is running. These stains are only minerals and naturally present in water.

Some minerals present might be Calcium, Magnesium, Lime among other minerals depending on your specific water source. You may even have a high iron level in your water and in that case you probably have rust stains in the tub and toilets too.

Now, the first step is learning how to get rid of them in the first place. Then, you will want to know what regular cleaning you should do to keep them from coming back.

Tips to Remove Hard Water Stains on the Sink

The first thing you need to do is to get the stains gone. There are several methods that you can do this with. Here are some ways that you can work on for getting rid of them.

One solution is to use a vinegar and lemon solution. (Do not try this on marble as the acid with etch the marble surface)

• Mix one cup of vinegar with one tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Apply to the area with a wash cloth and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
• Remove and rinse.

Other chemicals that you can use include phosphoric and sulfuric acid. If you decide to use these chemicals to clean your hard water stains, be sure to call on a professional or at least use the protective measures that the manufacturer suggests.

Here’s a Process to Use

• Mix one cup of white vinegar with one tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Use a terry cloth or other soft, absorbent material to apply the mixture to the hard water stain.
• Rub to remove.
• Insure that you rinse the area well.
• Dry with a clean terry cloth to insure all residue has been removed.
• Repeat if necessary.

Cleaning hard water stains can be done with professional products as well. If you purchase hard water cleaners, insure that they can be used on the type of material that you have. Not all can be used on marble, for example. Second, always use them as directed and fully rinse them away. Although they can help to remove hard water damage, they actually can cause their own too.

Once you get rid of the hard water stain, there is still something to do. That is to protect your water surfaces from additional damage. There is help for that listed right here, down below.

Prevention of Hard Water Stains

Here’s the bottom line. Just because you have successfully removed the hard water stains from your basins does not mean you want to let it go. You need to insure that you use regular cleaning methods to help to maintain this cleanliness and to avoid having additional stains form.

To do this, you will want to insure that you wash down most heavily used areas each day or every other day with a mild detergent. This would include your bathroom and kitchen sinks. It takes only a few minutes to simply wash them down but it will help all of the minerals from leaking onto the marble or the materials.

Also, teach children as well as yourself to dry out the sink or bathtub when they are done. Use warm water to fully rinse down the area. You want to make sure to pay close attention to drains and fill lines as these often have the worst potential for staining. Once rinsed well, dry them with a clean, dry terry cloth to insure that there is no mineral backup.

You may also want to consider the purchase of a water softener as this can help to insure that the hard water stains do come off and do not come back. Or, if you have the option, use distilled or mineral free water in your sinks and basins, especially when the porcelain or marble is of high quality. Continuous mineral deposits such as lime, lye and others can cause damage to the materials eventually.

Hard water stains may only be a nuisance, but they can do more damage if they are left untreated. By working on removing them before they get to a bad point, you will have less worry of them coming off. If you allow them to sit, they are likely to be there for a long time in coming.