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It’s almost painfully ironic—the places where we go to feel squeaky clean get exposed to the most grit and grime. In the bathroom, a place of well-being, limescale blossoms on tiles, pipes and sometimes even mirrors! Here we explain how you can remove limescale in the bathroom with the right products.
Limescale is not bad in itself, but This hard, chalky water in particular has a habit of forming crusty deposits on showerheads and faucets, and tiles and glass get flecked with calcium deposits over time. Psst—we also have tips to clean your bathtub when you’re ready.
For home fixtures, lime is not just a blemish. It can cause buildup in pipes and plumbing fixtures if not cleaned and removed properly. So, removing limescale in the bathroom is just as important for cleanliness and upkeep as taking a regular shower—even if it isn’t as relaxing!
The easiest method is likely hitting the store and picking up some Soft Scrub® Cleanser with Bleach. Apply a small amount of cleaner directly onto the affected area, let it sit for a moment and then scrub with a damp sponge. Repeat this process until clean and shiny.
If you don’t have Soft Scrub® on hand, here are several DIY techniques you can try.
Whether you’re wondering how to remove limescale on fixtures, on floors, in showers, bathtubs or in the toilet—vinegar and citric acid help to remove limescale in the bathroom.
Use undiluted distilled vinegar for stubborn limescale. For light stains, vinegar diluted in water is enough. The same applies to citric acid—undiluted on hard-to-remove limescale or diluted for light dirt.
Soak a sponge or cloth with your DIY cleaning mixture and apply it to the affected areas. Leave it on for several hours and rinse with water the next day. You may need to gently wipe with a sponge until the lime dissolves.
Unscrew shower heads and hoses, and soak them for 1-2 hours in vinegar, then rinse or wipe off the limescale stains.
What if your faucet or shower head cannot be easily removed? You can still remove the calcium deposits easily. Put a balloon filled with water and citric acid or vinegar over it, tie it tight with a rubber band and loosen it again after a few hours. This also makes it easy to wipe off the limescale afterward.
Baking soda is also an insider tip for removing limescale in the bathroom. Mix two or three teaspoons of baking soda with water to make a soft paste, rub it onto the spots and let it take effect. A few hours later you can easily and carefully scrub off the limescale.
If vinegar and citric acid sound too harsh, you can also soak shower heads and hoses in a mixture of water and baking soda and let it soak in. This is a gentler way to get rid of limescale.
Your toilet can also be cleaned with vinegar, citric acid or baking soda—but we prefer real cleaning agents. If you’re set on DIY, apply the solution, let it work and brush it off—that’s it. If you’re in the mood to try something a little more “out there,” cola also helps against urine deposits and limescale. Pour cola into the toilet and over the areas under the rim, and wait a while before rinsing off.
For the serious cleaner, you can always try professional descaling agents for the bathroom instead of the home remedies mentioned above—especially for stubborn stains. This reduces the risk of acids damaging silicone or rubber seals and chrome coatings on fixtures.
With professional cleaners, simply follow the instructions and limescale will no longer stand in the way of you and your clean bathroom.
To prevent limescale from forming in the first place, a few rules can help. If possible, dry bathroom fixtures, floors and walls thoroughly after every shower. Water residue is the precursor to limescale. Airing the bathroom regularly not only reduces humidity, but also prevents limescale and mold.
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