Top tips for efficient limescale removal

While limescale removal might seem like a chore, a deep clean can breathe a whole new lease of life into your bathroom.

Say goodbye to unsightly limescale with our expert tips for banishing it from tiles, taps, sinks, shower screens, and toilets once and for all.

What is limescale?

Limescale is a chalky substance that can build up around taps, on shower screens, in kettles, and elsewhere in your bathroom and kitchen.

Occurring anywhere where water is heated or left standing, limescale is caused by calcium and magnesium being left behind when hard water evaporates.

Hard water contains a higher mineral count, so if you live in a hard water area, you will experience more limescale build-up than those living in a soft water area.

And, with around 60% of the UK classed as having hard water, it’s safe to say limescale causes problems in bathrooms up and down the country.

Removing limescale from bathroom tiles

Over time, your bathroom tiles can start to look a little worse for wear; it’s not surprising considering what they go through on a daily basis!

Here are our top tips for tackling limescale removal from bathroom tiles:

Grouting

First, clean the grouting. Most of us have white or light grey grouting, meaning it can start to look grubby pretty quickly.

Use an old toothbrush and a suitable cleaning product or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to scrub the grouting.

Once you’ve scrubbed your cleaning solution into every corner, leave it on the grouting for around 30 minutes.

Then rinse off with water and wipe away any residue with a clean cloth.

Wall tiles

Limescale deposits can build up on bathroom tiles, but they are usually relatively easy to tackle on flat surfaces.

The best approach will depend upon the type of tiles you have.

Most bathroom tiles are ceramic, which can be cleaned using a mixture of half water and half white vinegar. Use a water bottle spray to spray all over the tiles. Leave the mixture to work its magic for 5-10 minutes before wiping it off with a clean cloth.

NB. If you have marble tiles, you’ll need something that’s gentler.

Prefer to get some professional help?

Simply put your postcode in the box below to search our leading directory of approved tradespeople.

Limescale removal for a sparkling sink

From face washing to teeth cleaning, your bathroom sink gets a lot of use on a daily basis.

Giving the whole sink area a quick wipe down each day will keep it looking its best for longer. It will also increase the amount of time between deep cleans.

You should also regularly wipe your sink and taps down with a mixture of half vinegar and half water to stop limescale in its tracks.

Taps and fittings

Limescale can easily build up on your taps and other sink fittings. However, there are two simple solutions to help your fittings sparkle again.

The first option is to soak a tea towel or cloth in a solution of half vinegar and half water and wrap it around the tap.

Leave it overnight, then remove the towel and give the tap a gentle scrub before rinsing with water.

Alternatively, cut a lemon in half and squeeze out some of the juice into a container.

Put one half of the lemon on each of the tap spouts. Soak a cloth in the lemon juice and wrap this around the rest of the tap.

Leave for a couple of hours or overnight and rinse in the morning.

A limescale-free shower

Limescale can often be most visible in the shower area, and can also inhibit the flow of water through the showerhead itself.

Let’s look at the best way to remove limescale from your shower area.

Removing limescale from a showerhead

A build-up of limescale on the showerhead can prevent the full flow of water.

Try soaking the showerhead overnight in a mixture of half water and half white wine vinegar.

In the morning, simply rinse off with water and carefully work out any remaining limescale deposits with a needle.

Restore the gleam of your shower glass

Your shower glass, panels, and doors require lots of care and attention if you want to keep them looking clean and flawless.

Mix a solution of vinegar, hot water, and a dash of dishwasher detergent and wash the glass and door panel with a soft cloth.

Leave for 10-15 minutes before rinsing and drying with a soft, clean cloth.

Tip: Wipe down the shower glass with a squeegee after each use to prevent limescale and soapy deposits from building up.

Tackling limescale removal in the toilet

Cleaning the toilet is unlikely to be on your list of favourite household jobs. However, it’s a necessary evil and will be well worth it once your toilet is sparkling clean and limescale-free.

Getting rid of limescale in a toilet

The best way to tackle a build-up of limescale on a ceramic toilet is by gently rubbing affected areas with an old toothbrush or scrubbing brush.

You can also remove the water from the toilet bowl and use a professional, highly concentrated limescale remover. This will help to get rid of the toughest limescale build-ups.

Call in the experts for your bathroom deep clean

Limescale removal is quite straightforward. It often only needs a few basic household supplies and some elbow grease to restore your bathroom’s sparkle.

However, if it’s one of those jobs you’re struggling to get to, or would prefer to hand it over to the experts, you’re in the right place.

• With 47,000 approved tradespeople in our trusted directory, Checkatrade is the place to find the help you need
• The Checkatrade badge is a sign of a job well done*
• Every tradesperson has passed up to 12 checks to be in our directory. You know you’re getting the real deal
• With the Checkatrade guarantee, we’ll help make things right if your job doesn’t go to plan
• With an average review score of 9.77 out of 10, Checkatrade tradespeople are known for high-quality*

Simply enter your postcode below to find trusted and approved professional cleaners in your area.

*Claims are sourced from a survey conducted by Deep Blue Thinking on a nationally representative UK sample in November 2021.