Hard water stains are common if you have limescale in the water source. A common misconception about limescale buildup is that it is permanent and impossible to remove from the surfaces made of plastic. However, learning how to remove hard water stains from plastic is easier with the proper tools and cleaning agents.
Everyday household products that you regularly use for cleaning also remove white spots on your plastic containers. Popular cleaning agents like white vinegar, baking soda, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide contain the necessary ingredients to break through tough limescale buildup.
In addition to teaching you how to repurpose familiar cleaning products to remove limescale, we also show you how to use unconventional methods like lemon juice. With these limescale removers, you will be able to clean various surfaces, including faucets, shower doors, and food containers.
- Is it Difficult to Remove Hard Water Stains?
- What Causes Hard Water Stains?
- How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Plastic
- Clean Chalky Plastic Lawn Chairs with Baking Soda
- Clean Hard Water Stains from a Plastic Bathtub with Denture Tablets
- Removing Limescale Spots with Lemon Juice
- How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Limescale
- Apple Cider Vinegar is an Excellent Stain Remover
- Creating a Vinegar and Baking Soda Solvent
- How to Remove Old Food Stains from Containers
- Removing Mineral Deposits from Glass Doors
- The Importance of Cleaning Hard Water Stains
- How to Remove Limescale from a Dishwasher
Is it Difficult to Remove Hard Water Stains?
If you have mineral deposits on the surfaces in your home, you do not need to deal with them indefinitely. All that is required to clean hard water stains from a plastic bathtub are the proper cleaners.
Cleaning water spots off your toilet bowl or plastic containers is challenging because the longer calcium buildup remains on a surface, the harder it is to clean.
With the cleaning hacks we provide throughout this article, even the oldest hard water stains are washed away. If you are looking for a cleaning solution to water spots on your showerhead or other surfaces, continue reading to find your perfect limescale remover.
What Causes Hard Water Stains?
Before you learn how to clean plastic shower doors free of limescale buildup, you need to know what causes calcium deposits in the first place. Hard water deposits are caused by water with high iron content. Limescale buildup appears where water is distributed.
If the calcium deposits accumulate too long, faucet heads close due to the chalky white residue. A water softener may prevent hard water deposits. However, there are multiple solutions to help eliminate the stains from hard water.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Plastic
White vinegar is naturally acidic, allowing the solution to cut through tough limescale buildup on any surface it comes in contact with. A great way to clean chalky plastic lawn chairs is to utilize vinegar, which you may already have in your cleaning supplies.
Mix your vinegar and water in a standard spray bottle and swish the liquid around gently. Cover the affected area and let the vinegar sit on the surface for about ten minutes before rinsing the surface with hot water.
Clean Chalky Plastic Lawn Chairs with Baking Soda
The ingredients in baking soda effectively remove limescale buildup and grease, dirt, and other stains. Another benefit of using baking soda as a natural tub cleaner is that it is inexpensive and always found at your local retail store.
Combine baking soda and water in a little dish or container and stir the cleaning solution until it forms a thick paste.
Spread the limescale remover paste on the affected areas and let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water. If the mineral deposits are severe, use an old toothbrush to scrub the stains.
Clean Hard Water Stains from a Plastic Bathtub with Denture Tablets
Denture tablets are designed to remove old food stains from fake teeth. However, the product also makes a fantastic stain remover for calcium deposits and is ideal for cleaning a hard water stain.
To use denture tablets for stain removal, fill a plastic container that has limescale buildup and place a denture tablet inside. Let the tablets fizz for 30 minutes before rinsing the container with warm water.
If you have any stone in your bathroom, you can also use this solution to remove water stains on marble, granite, or other porous materials.
Removing Limescale Spots with Lemon Juice
Like vinegar, lemon juice is acidic. A lemon’s natural acidity cuts through challenging limescale buildup while also disinfecting the surface. Compared to other stain removers, lemon juice does demand a little more elbow grease.
One of the advantages of using lemon juice is that it is an all-natural way to remove mineral deposits and not use harsh chemicals.
Slice a whole lemon in half and scrub the hard water stains for about five minutes. Rinse the plastic containers with warm water to finish the cleaning procedure.
How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Limescale
To clean tough soap scum and mineral deposit buildup, use a hydrogen peroxide solution. When hydrogen peroxide interacts with soap scum, the ingredients destroy cell walls.
Because hydrogen peroxide is so powerful, do not use it on stainless steel as it may stain.
Combine the limescale-removing ingredients in a small dish and stir until the consistency is a thick paste. Using a sponge, spread the paste over the calcium deposits and let it work for 15 minutes before rinsing with hot water.
Apple Cider Vinegar is an Excellent Stain Remover
Like regular white vinegar, apple cider vinegar is acidic, which allows it to cut through tough grease, stains, and calcium deposits. If you have to learn how to remove hard water stains from plastic, using apple cider vinegar is a straightforward solution.
Heat four cups of apple cider vinegar in a microwavable container and soak an old rag in the liquid.
Set the rag over the top of the calcium deposits and soak the affected area for 30 minutes. Rinse the excess apple cider vinegar with warm water to finish the limescale removal.
Put your vinegar in a bucket and use a long handled brush to clean vinyl siding with vinegar. White or apple cider vinegar works.
Creating a Vinegar and Baking Soda Solvent
One fantastic DIY cleaner for fiberglass and other surfaces in your bathroom is a baking soda-vinegar mixture. Utilizing the powerful cleaning effects of both products cuts through the oldest calcium deposits with ease.
Stir the measured vinegar and baking soda in a bowl until both elements are mixed. Spread the solvent over the calcium deposits in your tub, sink, or faucet heads and let the ingredients sit for ten minutes.
Use this mixture to clean plastic outdoor furniture, too. Rinse well.
How to Remove Old Food Stains from Containers
As plastic food storage containers continuously get used, they develop unwanted stains from tomato paste, juices, and other foods.
To restore your food storage containers to their original state, use rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol cuts through tough stains while also disinfecting the container.
Soak cotton swabs or balls in rubbing alcohol and soak the food stains. If the stain is nasty, pour enough rubbing alcohol in the container to cover the affected area. After soaking for 15 minutes, wash your containers with soap and warm water.
Removing Mineral Deposits from Glass Doors
If you have glass shower doors, hard water stains are a common occurrence. It is important to use the proper cleaning tips and solvents when removing calcium deposits from glass to not damage the material.
This limescale remover works best when warm, so heat the liquid before using it on glass doors. To get water spots off glass, cover the water spots and let the vinegar and lemon juice loosen the buildup for five minutes before rinsing with warm water.
The Importance of Cleaning Hard Water Stains
You might be wondering why it’s so critical to clean hard water stains from a plastic bathtub or your washing machine. Although drinking hard water is not a significant health risk, it can cause substantial damage to plumbing fixtures.
An excessive buildup of mineral deposits leads to slow water flow, clogs, stress on pipes and plumbing fixtures, and bacteria accumulation.
Hard water carries several bacteria with it, so when calcium buildups up on a sink, it leads to you consuming those bacteria. Uncovering how to remove hard water stains from plastic and plumbing fixtures is vital to your health and your faucets’ condition.
How to Remove Limescale from a Dishwasher
Due to the heavy amount of water that runs through them, dishwashers are a popular place for accumulating hard water. If you do not clean hard water spots from a dishwasher, the soap dispenser is negatively affected, and your dishes are not cleaned as well.
Fill a medium-sized container or bowl with vinegar and set it on the bottom of an empty dishwasher. Select the hottest water cycle on your dishwasher, and the ingredients in vinegar will break down the tough stains and buildup.
Mineral deposit buildup is a common problem if you have hard water. Some people believe that hard water stains are nearly impossible to get off the surface.
However, several popular household cleaners like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice cut through even the oldest limescale stains. You must clean hard water stains from a plastic tub and reduce the stress on your plumbing fixtures.
If you found out how to remove hard water stains from plastic, share these tricks to clean chalky plastic lawn chairs with your roommates and neighbors on Pinterest or Facebook.