In this article, we’ll be looking at what the mysterious term descale means and how you can implement it in your home.
Descaling is when you remove the buildup of certain substances, usually from a metal surface.
Substances that build up can be limescale, rust, calcium, water, mud and other deposits that are not soluble in water.
This will be important as if you do not remove these substances from your household appliances, then it can severely impede their functioning.
So how can you best go about descaling substances on your appliances? What are the differences between removing limescale and calcium?
How much will it cost you to remove these substances? Well, if you are keen to descale devices in your home, then you should keep reading.
Where Does This Scale Build Up?
Scale will build up on most surfaces where water is commonly in contact – such as showers, coffee machines and stainless steel sinks. in something like a kettle. This is because when you boil water, the minerals that do not evaporate attach themselves to the side of your kettle through a process of oxidation.
This is also from salts in the water that automatically do not dissolve when you are boiling water or leaving it to sit for a long time. You can often get scale in boilers or water pipes, which have to be checked frequently.
The amount of scale that develops on your metal surfaces will all depend on the temperature, the Ph level and pressure.
Limescale will also build up on your kitchen taps and shower faucets. This will certainly affect the amount of water that can come from the showerhead. You might have noticed this after a few weeks.
How Can You Remove Limescale?
If you are looking to get rid of limescale from your showerheads or other kitchen appliances, then we would certainly recommend that you clean it yourself. It is fairly easy to do this all by yourself.
If you apply some lemon juice or vinegar to a cloth and then attach it with an elastic band around your taps or showerhead.
Press the sponge occasionally to ensure that the acid drips regularly onto the area with the limescale. After a few hours, remove the cloth and wipe away the excess limescale.
If the limescale still isn’t coming off, then apply the lemon directly to the affected area. After leaving this for an hour or so, you should notice that the limescale has decreased dramatically.
If there is still some limescale left after this, then we would recommend that you scrub it away with a scouring pad. We also have another great DIY stainless steel cleaner that will work beautifully for many of your scale problems
How To Descale Your Kettle
You’ll need to make sure that you unplug your kettle first, as this can be a major safety issue, especially when you are putting substances other than water in your kettle.
You should remove any grime or dirt from the base or around the lip of the kettle with warm water and dish soap.
This will be the first level of cleaning. You should avoid using scouring pads, as this will damage the surface of your kettle.
You should try and avoid exposing the electrical elements of your kettle directly to water, as this will definitely compromise the functioning of the kettle.
Fill the kettle with a mixture of water and white vinegar or lemon juice.
Once you have done this, then plug your kettle in and bring it to a boil. You can also do this with a stovetop kettle.
Once it is boiled, then leave it for around 30 minutes. Once this has been done, then pour it out.
If you are still finding it difficult to get rid of the limescale or calcium from your kettle, then keep repeating this process over and over again.
In between boiling, try and wipe away the limescale areas with a sponge.
How To Descale A Shower Head
This is usually a tougher object to clean, although you should have little issue with doing it with the right tools.
Take a carrier bag and half fill it with white vinegar. Put the showerhead in the vinegar until the nozzles are completely soaked.
Once this is done, tie the bag around the showerhead with a sturdy piece of string. Try not to get the string wet, as this will cause it to fray and possibly come loose over time.
You should then leave to bag to soak for anywhere between 30 minutes and 24 hours, depending on how bad the limescale buildup is.
If the showerhead is made from brass, then you should remove the bag after 30 minutes, as this will damage the sheen of the brass.
Once you have removed the back, then turn on the shower and rinse away any excess limescale.
Then you should take an old toothbrush and use this to get in the finer nooks and crannies of the showerhead.
Cleaning in between the nozzles should be done delicately so that it does not compromise the integrity of the showerhead.
Once this is done, then you should dry the showerhead thoroughly.
How To Remove Limescale Without Vinegar
One other good substance to use to get rid of your limescale will be baking soda. This is an antibacterial solution that is very effective in getting rid of limescale.
It is also natural, so contains no harmful ingredients. It will also not leave a chemical aftertaste.
You can also use cola to get rid of your limescale. This stuff is quite corrosive and, alarmingly, the stuff that we drink can also dissolve mild layers of limescale.
If you want to remove limescale from your shower head, then we would recommend filling a spray bottle or a bucket and either spraying or soaking the shower head in the coke.
Cola is not as acidic as some of the other materials that we’ve mentioned, so you might need to leave it for a lot longer to soak.
Conclusion
We hope that our guide to descaling has helped you to decide which is the best method for removing the limescale that has built up in your kettle, showerhead or your taps.
