I've been dealing with hard water issues from my community well, and it's really giving me a headache. I've got this stubborn hard water scale building up in my shower and toilet bowl. The scale makes a crusty ring at the water line in the toilet that I have to chip away because it won't scrub off, and it keeps coming back every few months. I'm planning on doing a deep clean on my tiled shower and fixing some grout before resealing it. Is there an easy-to-use product out there that can help me tackle this scale? Also, the shower doors are glass, so I need something that won't scratch them.
5 Answers
CLR is great, but another option is using a pumice stone. It really worked wonders for me on the toilet bowl scale, but be careful with glass or certain tiles—pumice can scratch those.
Consider investing in a water softener. I live in a place with super hard water, and it really helped reduce scale buildup. I got an electronic water conditioner for around $100, and it only costs about $2 a year to run.
Have you tried using Barkeeper's Friend? It's also effective on hard water stains!
If you're looking for something more natural, I've had success draining the toilet and filling it up with vinegar, letting rags soaked in vinegar sit around the ring for a couple of days. Then I scrub it with a semi-abrasive pad. Just be careful with timing if you have only one toilet!
I've read that vinegar is good, but citric acid might be better for lime scale. Or sticking with CLR could be the simplest fix.
You should definitely try CLR (Calcium Lime and Rust remover). You can find it pretty much anywhere, even at dollar stores under different labels. It comes in spray bottles and larger containers, so just pick the size that suits you best! Make sure to read the instructions, but usually, you can let it sit for a bit before scrubbing. Just a heads up, I've heard it can be a bit strong for grout, so test a small area first.
Do you have to let it sit for a while or just scrub it right away?
Is it safe to use on grout? I found a half bottle at a garage sale.
I don’t think using pumice on glass shower doors is a good idea, though. What about the stainless steel tiles in there?