Hard water stains occur when your home water contains large amounts of limestone, calcium, and magnesium. These minerals scale up your fixtures, your pipes, and your appliances. Scale inside a tank is one of the quiet reasons a heater needs water heater repair years early, and it stiffens the cartridges behind every faucet and toilet in the house. Over time stains can form on a number of items in your home, including:
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Dishes
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Glasses
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Clothes
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Showers
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Sinks
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Toilets
In fact, the most common place homeowners will find hard water stains is in their bathroom since most water usage occurs there. The damage you cannot see matters more, which we cover in how hard water could be harming your home.
Prevent Hard Water Stains Through Regular Cleaning
Hard water stains are unsightly, and if you do not regularly clean them, they can be tough to remove. The best way to get control of your stain situation is to reserve one day a week to clean and spray your shower glass. By doing this, you are performing preventative maintenance, which is always better than waiting until the problem has already established itself.
However, if you already have a buildup of hard water stains and spots, here are five proven cleaning methods to reduce or remove the stains entirely:
#1 - Vinegar (All-Natural Method)
Fill a spray bottle with 50% vinegar and 50% water. Spray this solution all over the shower glass and spread it with a damp sponge. Make sure the glass stays wet for at least 5 minutes by reapplying solution continuously. Rinse the solution off the door with warm water.
For extremely bad stains, you may need to repeat the treatment several times until the hard water stains have been removed.
#2 - Lemon Juice (All-Natural Method)
Use lemon juice in a spray bottle, spray the shower glass, and wipe clean.
#3 - Rubbing Alcohol
Spray the glass door with rubbing alcohol and wipe immediately.
#4 - Oven Cleaner
Bad build up can be removed by spraying oven cleaner on the area. Spray and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse the area with warm water and use a squeegee to remove the buildup. The same buildup on chrome and porcelain responds to the methods in our guide to removing rust and mineral deposit stains.
#5 - CLR
CLR is only for tough stains and is a toxic chemical cleaner, so use caution when going this route. CLR stands for calcium, lime, and rust remover. Read the directions carefully and watch out for pets and children when using this cleaner.
Installing a Water Softening System in Your Home Will Get Rid of Minerals in Your Water
Have you considered permanently removing hard water stains from your shower glass? The best method for being rid of them altogether is to invest in a water softening system. A water softener pulls the calcium and magnesium out before they reach your pipes and fixtures. If you would rather not add sodium, a salt free water conditioner changes the minerals so they stop sticking instead of removing them, and a whole house filtration system handles sediment, chlorine, and taste at the same time. Our comparison of water softeners vs whole house filtration systems explains which job each one does.
There are several benefits you get from a water softening system. They include:
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Saves money
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Saves time cleaning hard water stains
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Saves your household appliances and pipes from mineral buildup, which delays a full repiping
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Prevents future repairs, replacements, or renovations that can come from mineral buildup, and cuts down on the sink maintenance you would otherwise be doing
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Improves the taste at the tap when paired with under sink filtration
Get a free consultation on a water softening system.
True Plumbers & AC installs water softening systems throughout Lakeland, Plant City, and Winter Haven. Contact us at (863) 667-6364 for a free consultation. Protect your home and save yourself from hours of cleaning hard water stains off your shower glass.
