How to prevent hard water stains?

[hisumesh]

Hi @MitchellMc 

Thank you very much for all your advices and suggestions. They have proven to be invaluable.

Based on previous experience, I’m looking for suggestions as to how I prevent hard water stains from happening at my new home. Any advice?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @hisumesh, 

You might not want to hear this, but the best way to prevent hard water stains is to dry the water off the shower screen, shower head and tiles with a squeegee and cloth after every shower. If the water does not have the chance to evaporate off and leave the minerals behind, hard water stains can't form. Obviously, this can be tedious, but in some parts of the world where they have very hard water, a squeegee is kept in the shower, and it's just an everyday practice to wipe the glass shower screen down when you're done. If you're not prepared to wipe everything down after every shower, and I don't blame you, the next best option is to do regular cleaning with a vinegar or lemon juice solution. These natural acids will help dissolve mild stains and prevent them from occurring. Including a mild acid in your cleaning regime will always be easiest rather than removing built-up stains.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[hisumesh]

Hi @MitchellMc 

Thanks a lot. Due to regular cleaning, are there any acidic or vinegar based solutions that wouldn’t require full PPE to be worn I.e. wouldn’t cause any issues if cleaning is done without gloves or goggles or protective foot wear?

[MitchellMc]

Typically, minimal PPE is needed when using homemade cleaning solutions like a vinegar or lemon solution @hisumesh.  A standard solution would be 1/2 cup of cleaning vinegar to 1 cup of water. You can place this in a spray bottle for ease of application. I'd suggest you wear gloves and pop on some safety glasses, just to be safe. However, this solution is much less acidic and harmful than many other caustic cleaners.

Mitchell