Water hardness and limescale
Check the hardness of the water supplied to your area and find out how to reduce hardness and get rid of limescale.
What is hard water?
Hard water has a high mineral content with lots of calcium and magnesium from trickling through layers of limestone, chalk or rock underground.
The good news is that hard water has known health benefits, particularly for bone health. However, it can cause limescale to build up in your home.
Watch this video to learn more about what makes water hard, its health benefits, why we can’t make it soft and how it causes limescale.
Check your water quality and hardness
Use our water quality checker to learn about the quality and hardness of the water in your area.
How to reduce water hardness
You can install a domestic water softener in your home using an approved supplier to reduce water hardness. Because softeners add higher levels of sodium to the water, it is recommended that you leave your kitchen tap unsoftened for drinking water and food preparation.
Water conditioners are also available. These alter the nature of the hardness minerals which form scale when the water is heated. Unlike softeners, they do this without changing the chemical content of the water.
How to remove limescale
Watch this video or follow the advice below to find out how to remove limescale from appliances in your bathroom and kitchen.
You will need something acidic to break down the limescale – we recommend using lemons or vinegar, depending on the appliance.
Descaling solutions are also available online and from most supermarkets and hardware shops.
Kettles
- Squeeze lemon juice into the kettle.
- Chop up the lemon into small chunks and add them in too.
- Fill the kettle with enough water to cover the chunks of lemon.
- Boil the water and then leave it to cool down for a few hours.
- Once cooled, pour away the water and remove the lemon chunks.
- Wipe the inside of the kettle with a soft sponge.
Washing machines
- Spray the rubber gasket and detergent drawer with white vinegar.
- Wipe them thoroughly with a microfibre cloth.
- Pour two cups of white vinegar into the detergent drawer.
- Run the machine on the highest cycle at the hottest possible temperature.
- Once the cycle has ended, pour half a cup of baking soda into the drum.
- Repeat the same cycle on the hottest setting.
- Wipe down the drum, rubber gasket and detergent drawer with a microfibre cloth.
Taps
- Cut a lemon in half and rub it over the end of the taps.
- For stubborn bits of limescale, soak a cloth in white vinegar and place it over the taps.
- Let the lemon juice or vinegar soak for an hour.
- Wipe the taps clean with a damp cloth.
Showerheads
- Pour white vinegar into a plastic bag and cover the showerhead with the bag.
- Tie the bag in place with an elastic band and leave it for four to five hours.
- Remove the bag and scrub the showerhead with a brush.
- Wipe the showerhead clean with a damp cloth.
Shower screens and doors
- Cut a lemon in half and rub the whole screen with the inside of the lemon.
- Get a spray bottle and fill it with half water and half with white vinegar.
- Spray the solution on the screen and leave it to soak for an hour.
- Wipe the screen clean with a damp microfibre cloth and rinse.
Dishwasher advice
Many dishwashers have a built-in softener which uses salt to reduce water hardness. This stops a white film from forming on glassware or crockery and will prolong the life of the appliance. Don’t forget to refill the dishwasher containers with salt and rinse aid when they need it.
Some dishwashers need to be set to a water hardness level to get the best performance – check your appliance manual for instructions and remember to use the correct value which will be given as a degree of hardness.
