Limescale is chalk left behind by hard water, and it comes off with acid rather than with scrubbing. But the acid that clears a kettle can etch natural stone and spoil some tap finishes and screen coatings, so this starts with what the scale is on.
The instructions from whoever made the thing outrank anything here, and so does the label on the product you use. Use one product at a time and never mix them. Don't know what the surface or finish is? Find out first.
The white or crusty layer on the element or the bottom of an electric kettle, and the flakes in the water.
What to use
A descaler made for kettles, used exactly as its label says (De'Longhi, Russell Hobbs).
Or, without one: one part white vinegar to two parts water (De'Longhi), or lemon and water (Russell Hobbs).
How
Fill the kettle with the solution and bring it nearly to the boil, then switch it off (De'Longhi).
Leave it to work — longer the worse the scale is, and overnight if it has been a while (De'Longhi).
Empty it, refill with fresh water, boil, pour that away, and do it once more before you make a drink with it (De'Longhi).
Keep off it
- A proprietary descaler used any way but its own instructions say — some can damage the kettle's finish (De'Longhi)
- Making a drink before it has been refilled, boiled and poured away (Russell Hobbs, De'Longhi)
Depends on the maker: Kettle makers differ on what goes in theirs, and some warn that a proprietary descaler can damage the surface finish (De'Longhi). Your kettle's own instructions come first. White vinegar leaves a strong smell for a while (Russell Hobbs).
It comes back, so it is a chore here: “Descale the kettle”, every 60 days (why that often). Keep it on a list
From: De'Longhi: how do I descale my kettle? · Russell Hobbs: why de-scale your kettle?
Blocked or crusted nozzles, and spray going sideways or thinning out.
What to use
White distilled vinegar — malt vinegar does not do much, and brown vinegar can stain (Mira).
Or a mild citric acid cleaner (hansgrohe).
How
Handheld: unscrew it from the hose, keeping hold of the rubber washer, and soak it in a container of white vinegar for at least 30 minutes, ideally about an hour (Mira).
Fixed: half-fill a plastic bag with vinegar, tie it over the head so the head is under, and leave it the same time (Mira).
Rinse it, brush off what is left with an old toothbrush — the nozzles especially — then refit it and run the shower to flush the rest out (Mira). Repeat if it is still there.
Keep off it
- More than 30 minutes in vinegar for a brass shower head (Mira)
- Cleaners with hydrochloric acid, formic acid, acetic acid or chlorine bleach (hansgrohe)
- Spraying cleaner straight at it — put it on a cloth instead (hansgrohe)
Depends on the maker: Makers differ: Mira suggests white vinegar, and hansgrohe a mild citric acid cleaner while ruling out acetic acid, which is what vinegar is. Your shower's own instructions come first.
It comes back, so it is a chore here: “Clean the shower head”, every three months (why that often). Keep it on a list
From: Mira Showers: how to clean and descale your shower head · hansgrohe: product cleaning tips
White marks and crust round the spout, the base and the handles of bathroom and kitchen taps.
What to use
The tap maker's own limescale cleaner, made for its finish — GROHE's is GrohClean (GROHE).
hansgrohe allows a mild citric acid cleaner (hansgrohe).
How
Put the cleaner on a soft cloth, never sprayed straight on the tap (hansgrohe).
Wipe it over, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and dry it with a soft cloth (GROHE, hansgrohe).
Dry the tap after use from now on: it is the easiest way to stop the scale coming back (GROHE).
Keep off it
- Cleaners with solvents or acids, limescale removers, vinegar and acetic acid on GROHE taps (GROHE)
- Hydrochloric acid, formic acid, chlorine bleach or acetic acid on hansgrohe taps (hansgrohe)
- Abrasive sponges and scouring agents (GROHE)
Depends on the maker: Chrome is vulnerable to acid attack (Merlyn). A plated, brushed or coloured finish — black, gold, nickel and the rest — is more particular still: keep acid off fittings with special coatings (Sprinz), and use only what the maker of your tap says suits that finish. Not sure what the finish is? See "Not sure" below.
From: GROHE: care instructions · hansgrohe: product cleaning tips · Merlyn: what is the best way to clean my Merlyn products? · Sprinz: care tips for showers
Cloudy water marks and white spots on a shower door, screen or enclosure — plain or coated glass.
What to use
Soapy water for the regular clean (Merlyn).
For water marks and scale: half water, half vinegar (Merlyn), or a vinegar cleaner of no more than four percent (Sprinz).
How
Wipe the glass with the solution and a soft cloth.
Rinse off every trace of the vinegar (Merlyn).
After every shower from now on, take the water off the glass — a rubber squeegee, then a soft cloth (Sprinz, Merlyn) — and limescale never gets to build up (Merlyn).
Keep off it
- Abrasive products and scouring sponges, powders or creams — they scratch (Merlyn, Sprinz)
- Vinegar essence, chlorine or bleach cleaners, steel wool and sharp tools (Sprinz)
- Vinegar on the metal frame, hinges or seals — chrome and coated fittings are vulnerable to acid (Merlyn, Sprinz)
Depends on the maker: Coated "easy-clean" glass is made to resist scale, and each coating has its own care instructions — check what came with the enclosure before using anything but soapy water on it.
It comes back, so it is a chore here: “Wipe the shower screen”, every 3 days (why that often). Keep it on a list
From: Merlyn: what is the best way to clean my Merlyn products? · Sprinz: care tips for showers
The brown or white ring at the waterline, and crust under the rim.
What to use
A limescale remover made for toilets, exactly as its bottle says.
Or vinegar and lemon (Roca).
How
Put it on and leave it exactly as the bottle says.
Brush it into every corner — a small brush gets the cleaner where it needs to go (Roca) — then flush.
Keep off it
- Bleach, or any other cleaner, in the same bowl at the same time or straight after — bleach and an acid give off chlorine gas, and toilet cleaners are among the acids (Washington State Department of Health)
Depends on the maker: Toilet cleaners are acids (Washington State Department of Health). The bottle says which surfaces each one is for: keep it to those, and wear gloves if it says to.
From: Roca: how to clean your bathroom · Washington State Department of Health: bleach mixing dangers
White marks and crust in a stainless steel or ceramic sink, round the plughole and the drainer.
What to use
Ceramic: vinegar or a lemon-juice-based cleaner — the harder the water, the longer it needs (Franke).
Stainless steel: the sink maker's own stainless cleaner (Franke). The marks are deposits from the water, never from the steel itself (Franke).
How
Use one product, as its label says, then rinse it off.
Dry the sink thoroughly after cleaning, and wipe it every day (Franke).
Keep off it
- On stainless steel: bleach, scourers, wire wool and abrasive cleaners, and salt, vinegar or citrus juice left sitting on it (Franke)
- On ceramic: concentrated drain cleaners, abrasive cleaners, and fluoride products such as rust removers and toothpaste (Franke)
- Mixing cleaning products (Franke)
Depends on the maker: Sink makers sell cleaners made for their own surfaces, and a composite, granite-effect or enamel sink is not covered here — follow its maker's care instructions.
From: Franke: how to clean ceramic sinks · Franke: cleaning and care for stainless steel sinks
Scale on the heater and inside the drum or tub; white film on glasses in a dishwasher.
What to use
A descaler made for that kind of machine, used as its packaging says (Bosch, AEG).
The machine's own cleaning programme, if it has one — Machine Care on some dishwashers removes limescale (AEG, Bosch).
How
Washing machine: empty the drum, add the descaler, run a 60°C programme without pre-wash, then run the same programme again without the descaler (Bosch).
Dishwasher: run the Machine Care programme, or the hottest one if there is none (Bosch).
Dishwasher: use dishwasher salt every time, even with all-in-one tablets, and set the water hardness to match your tap water — your water supplier can tell you what that is (AEG).
Keep off it
- Anything the manual does not name for the job
- Abrasive cleaners or wire wool on a stainless steel drum (AEG)
Depends on the maker: Programmes, temperatures and how often differ by model — Bosch suggests a washing machine every three to six months and a dishwasher at least once a year; AEG a dishwasher every two months. Your machine's manual comes first.
From: Bosch: descaling a washing machine · Bosch: descaling a dishwasher · AEG: how to prevent limescale build-up in the dishwasher · AEG: how to prevent build-up of limescale in the washing machine
White flakes or brown water spitting from the soleplate, and steam that has dried up.
What to use
The iron's own descaling function — Calc-Clean on a Philips (Philips), self-clean or the anti-scale valve on a Tefal (Tefal).
How
Follow the descaling steps in your iron's manual: they differ by model (Philips).
Philips: run Calc-Clean and shake the iron gently until it is empty — water, steam and scale come out of the vents (Philips).
Tefal, where it has one: take the anti-scale valve out and soak it, as the manual says (Tefal).
Keep off it
- Vinegar or descaling agents in the water tank (Philips, Tefal)
- Perfumed water, tumble-dryer water, starch and water with additives (Philips, Tefal)
Depends on the maker: Irons are built differently and makers do not agree. Philips and Tefal both say to keep descaling products out of the tank, and a manual for an older or different model may say something else. In hard water, both suggest mixing in distilled or demineralised water. Your iron's manual comes first.
From: Philips: how do I descale my steam iron? · Philips: what type of water can I use in my steam iron? · Tefal: Express Steam iron user manual and FAQs
Water marks on a stone worktop, vanity, shower wall, tile or basin.
Use instead
A neutral cleaner, a stone soap, or a little mild washing-up liquid in warm water (NSI).
How
Clean it gently with that, rinse, and dry it.
In the shower, squeegee the stone after every use, so the water does not stay to leave marks (NSI).
Marks that an ordinary clean does not shift are for your stone supplier, installer or a restoration specialist (NSI).
Keep off it
- Limescale removers, descalers, vinegar, lemon and any other acid — they dull or etch these stones (NSI)
- Scouring powders and creams (NSI)
Depends on the maker: This is the one surface where the usual limescale answer does the damage: these stones are calcium carbonate, the same as the scale. Whether it is polished, honed or sealed changes what it will take — ask whoever supplied or fitted it.
From: Natural Stone Institute: cleaning products for natural stone