6 DIY Home Remedies for Limescale: Vinegar, Citric Acid & More

DIY Limescale Removal

There are plenty of DIY limescale solutions that promise to remove scale and scum, such as:

1. Vinegar
2. Lemon juice
3. Bicarbonate of soda
4. Citric acid
5. Bicard of Soda Mixed with Vinegar
6. Shop Bought Descalers

1. White Wine Vinegar

White vinegar is one of those things that seems to be good for everything, and something we are sure you have seen your grandparents using time and time again. For limescale, it's one of the most common and well-known home remedies. Why? Well the acidity helps dissolve hard mineral deposits that leave those annoying white marks around your taps, sinks and shower.

How to use Vinegar

For small areas, soak the affected area in vinegar using a cloth and leave it for a 5-10 minutes. Then simply wipe away the loosened deposits, then rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry the surface.

The Drawbacks

Vinegar can work for minor and thin layers of limescale - but for stubborn build-up its not something we recommend to be effective. And you may find yourself repeating the process over and over again.

No only that - but vinegar is acidic! And leaving vinegar on your surface and fixtures over time can cause errosion, it can also damage natural stone and delicate finishes.

Natural vinegar based limescale removers also have other drawbacks including:

• Time-consuming and labour intensive 
• Require frequent, repeated use - you could find yourself doing this every day
• Only remove surface deposits — not the source of the problem
• Don’t stop limescale from coming back

2. Lemon Juice

Another option that sits in the acidic category is lemon juice! You may have heard of people trying to remove other stains with lemon juice and it is also thought to help with light limescale deposits.

How to use Lemon Juice for Limescale

Squeeze a lemon or some lemons and apply a little lemon juice to a limescale stained surface, leave it briefly, then wipe clean and rinse well.

The Drawbacks

Sounds so simple and too good to be true? That's because it is. Lemon juice won't shift thick or long-standing deposits, and despite its fresh citrus smell, lemon juice is still acidic. That means corrision can occur and also discolouration. Avoid using it on marble, limestone or other acid-sensitive materials.

3. Citric Acid

You could be sensing a theme here - acid based liquids are popular at home for stain removal. And citric acid is no exception. Citric acid is a form of vitamin C and is used in many descaling products. On forums some homeowners claim to use it on kettles and small components VS surfaces. 

How to use Citric Acid for Limescale

Dissolve citric acid powder in water according to the product instructions, apply it to the affected area or soak components and rinse thoroughly afterwards..

The Drawbacks

As with vinegar and lemon juice, don't assume it's safe for every surface. Citric acid is really better for things like food and colour stains than surfaces. 

Over time acidity can cause discolouration and it really is only suitable for light scale build up. Remember these acidic remedies don't stop scale building up - so you'll need to use it multple times a week, leading the risk of corrosion to be even higher.

4. Bicard of Soda

Bicarbonate of soda is a popular household cleaning ingredient, another pantry product that you parent and grandparents have probably used for years. But it works very  differently from vinegar and citric acid. It's mildly abrasive and can help with general cleaning, although it isn't particularly effective at dissolving heavy limescale by itself.

How to use Bicarbonate of Soda 

But it's worth a try right? To use it, you can make a small amount into a paste with water and gently apply it to a suitable surface using a soft cloth. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.

The Drawbacks

Again - be careful with polished or easily scratched finishes! One thing you'll already know is that limescale needs to be scrubbed in order to really remove it - but with bicarb it can actually damage your fixtures and fittinga, so as experts in limescale - we recommend avoiding vigorous scrubbing!

For established scale and scum, an appropriate descaling product is generally a better choice.

5. Bicard of Soda and Vinegar Together

Now this is thought to be the ultimate combination recommended for all sorts of homes cleaning jobs. When vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are mixed, they fizz as they react with each other.

How to use Bicarbonate of Soda 

Mix a portion of vinegar with the bicarb in an open container with high walls. Soak your surface or fixture and fitting in the mixture and leave. 

The Drawbacks

Although the bubbling can look impressive, the reaction also neutralises much of the vinegar's acidity. This means ... in reality, the mixture isn't necessarily more effective at dissolving limescale than using a suitable limescale cleaner on its own.

If you want to try this combination for general cleaning, avoid mixing it in a sealed container, as the reaction releases gas. This method generally isn't one of the best for removing hard water scale.

6. Shop Bought Descalers

In our experience, household remedies won't shif long term deposits, and therefore you might want to jump straight to a purpose-made limescale remover like Vikal. These products are designed to tackle mineral build-up, but it's still important to choose one that's suitable for the surface.

How to use Descalers

You can buy a handy spray to use on surface or you can also buy descaler solutions designed for soaking purpsoes. Follow the label carefully and the individual prduct instructions.

The Drawbacks

These descalers contain chemicals that are toxic. In particular, never mix acidic cleaners such as vinegar or citric acid with bleach, as this can release dangerous chlorine gas.

For very thick deposits, you will also need several careful applications of descalers - and you wll have to clean your surfaces daily. This is both time consuming and costly - descalers are not cheap.

Do These Remedies Stop Limescale Coming Back?

In short - no. As you have read, all of these DIY methods require constant cleaning. So while they offer short-term results, they do nothing to prevent new scale from forming. You’ll be stuck in a cycle of cleaning, scrubbing, and replacing damaged items. They also won't help if you are having skin or hair issues such as dry skin, acne and hair loss or damage.

Hard water will always leave limescale behind unless it’s treated at the source.