Limescale is a white residue build up that usually appears on surfaces in prolonged contact with hard water. It has magnesium and calcium, and those can easily build up on the bathtub surface. It’s not difficult to remove it, however, and the most difficult thing is the scrubbing.
For cleaning limescale, you will need some vinegar, some citric acid, some CLR, a spray bottle, some paper towels, some water, a scrub brush and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
1. First, clean the area as you normally would when you want to remove dirt and other build up. This will let you take care directly of the limescale later. Also, crack open a window, because the smell of the cleaning solutions can be very strong.
2. Decide what you’re going to be cleaning with. You probably have vinegar at home, and you can either use it pure or diluted with some water. You can find citric acid in some specialty stores and it can be mixed with water to achieve the desired strength.
3. Pour the cleaning solution in a spray bottle so you can apply it easier.
4. Soak the area where the limescale is with either vinegar or citric acid and let it sit from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how much limescale there is. Don’t let the area dry out, and spray it again every 15 minutes.
5. If there’s limescale on the wall of the bath tub, put a paper towel on the area and stick it to the spot by spraying on it with the cleaning solution.
6. When the cleaner has soaked enough to loosen the limescale, it’s scrubbing time. Put on a pair of rubber gloves.
7. Scrub the area with a soft cloth or a scrub brush. You will need to push hard if you want to remove the limescale but don’t use an abrasive scrubber as it will damage the bathtub’s surface. You can also clean with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser after that, for extra cleaning power. If you’re going to use it, don’t apply pressure as it’s somewhat abrasive.
8. Repeat if you have to.
9. If the method above doesn’t remove the limescale, try using a commercial cleaner like CLR. Apply in the same way as in the previous method, with the paper towel. Read the label to know how long you have to let it soak.
10. When you’ve removed the lime scale, clean the tub as you normally would in order to get rid of the cleaning products’ residue.