Everyone wants a sparkly bathroom, just like you. After all, everyone wants to ensure that the bathroom is safe and healthy for their family and visitors. Imagine this. As you look at your bathroom and lie your eyes on your shower screen, you notice a greenish or whitish “thing,” definitely limescale. Limescale on glass shower screens or simple limescale build-up is not uncommon. It is a problem counted as a “staple” already among homes hence “how to remove limescale from glass” is a top search. Fortunately, you do not have to search anymore just to deal with this tough problem. If you want to learn this easy technique on how to remove limescale from shower screens, read more below.
Why Is There Limescale Build-up on Shower Screens Anyway?
You are probably wondering how it came to be that there is a limescale build-up on your shower screen. Well, limescale build-up is pretty common and is bound to happen in bathrooms with hard water. The so-called hard water does not pertain to its weight but rather to its composition; in short, it pertains to water that is mineral-rich.
Limescale build-up is caused by hard water that has high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. When hard water comes into contact with soap or other cleaners, these minerals react with the chemicals in the product to form a white chalky substance called limescale. This limescale then attaches itself to surfaces like shower screens, tiles, and faucets, leaving behind an unsightly film.
How to Clean Shower Screen Limescale?
Cleaning glass shower screens can be tough. Be it a black fully framed single panel walk-in shower screen or a chrome frameless L-shape shower screen. You have very limited options to clean calcium off the shower glass. After all, the last thing that you want is to scuff your shower screen. It is not only aesthetically unpleasing but also a problem, as the created spaces can harbor molds and mildew. Hence, you are left with abrasive methods that can cut through the build-up and keep the screen scuff-free.
The best way to clean shower screens without damaging them is through the use of specialized cleaning products like white vinegar. Vinegar is an old familiar cleaning companion good for a lot of things, including cleaning shower screens. So how to clean shower screen with vinegar? Follow the steps below.
Step 1. Prepare.
Get the necessary things that you will need, including your main “weapon,” vinegar. Also, prepare a bowl or pot, rubber gloves, paper towels, a potholder, and distilled water.
Step 2. Bring it to a boil.
Boil one cup of vinegar on your stove or microwave. Afterward, transfer it to a bowl and bring it to your bathroom. Put the bowl containing the vinegar in a potholder and let it cool for some minutes.
Step 3. Put your gloves on.
Once you have ascertained that it is already slightly cool, put your gloves on to ensure safety.
Step 4. Dip it.
Dip the paper towels you prepared into the vinegar and stick them to your shower screen. Let the paper towels stick for half to one hour, with occasional vinegar spraying. Soaking the limescale in vinegar will let it loose due to the acidic property of vinegar.
Step 5. Add baking soda.
Aside from sprinkling vinegar on the paper towels, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda as well. The combination of the two will create an effective cleaning power that can deal with very stubborn limescale on shower screens.
Step 6. Wipe down.
After the specified time, gently wipe down your shower screens. Do not do the wiping vigorously, as it might scratch the glass.
Step 7. Rinse.
Rinse your shower screen with distilled water. If you notice that some limescale remains, do the baking soda scrub until the limescale is gone.
Tips to Prevent Limescale on Shower Screens
You do not need to ask the question, “how to remove limescale from glass?” or “what is the best shower screen cleaner?” if you know how to prevent it in the first place. So here are some tips to prevent limescale build-up on shower screens.
1. Use a water softener.
A water softener will not totally prevent limescale, but it will significantly reduce it. A water softener removes the calcium and magnesium from the water through ion exchange; this, in turn, transforms the water from hard to soft.
2. Use a water filter.
A water filter is a cheap alternative to water softeners. Once the water passes the filter, the magnesium and calcium carbonate will be trapped in the small filter cartridges it has.
3. Clean the pipes regularly.
Cleaning the pipes regularly using baking soda and hot water can help in reducing the limescale that will go on the shower.
Conclusion
How to clean shower screen limescale is a question that “haunted” people who frequently clean their bathrooms and showers. No screen shower is exempted from this, regardless of where you bought it, be it online in MyHomeware or offline at the nearest hardware store to you. Cleaning shower screens and making them sparkle is satisfying. But to have this satisfaction, getting rid of the limescale without damaging the screen is necessary. This can be done by asking a professional or using vinegar to do it at home by yourself. Anyway, I hope you can finally solve the limescale problem and have a great bathroom life.
FAQs About Limescale Removal
Yes, acidic solutions like those with baking soda and white vinegar are great agents when cleaning glass shower screens. These household products create fizzing reactions that activate the acid which breakdowns down limescale.
Yes, Muriatic Acid or Hydrochloric acid can remove limescale and clean calcium off shower glass. However, it is not the best and safest option. Muriatic acid is corrosive which can become a problem. Moreover, it is dangerous as it cannot be inhaled and be in direct contact with the skin, eyes, and other parts of the body.
Cleaning your shower screen daily is ideal but could be demanding of your time; hence cleaning it once a week is already sufficient.
