Bathroom limescale can be removed with three inexpensive household items costing as little as £1, according to home improvement expert Brian Toward, CEO of bathroom retailer Wholesale Domestic. The methods use lemon juice and salt, vinegar and baking soda, or Coca-Cola to break down mineral deposits.
Why limescale builds up in bathrooms
Limescale is a common problem in UK homes, particularly in hard water areas. Around 60% of people in the UK live in a hard water area, exposing them to higher levels of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. This makes regular bathroom cleaning more crucial in these regions.
Research from Wholesale Domestic found that households in hard water areas spend an estimated 29 hours and 54 minutes cleaning their bathrooms each year due to limescale, almost four hours more than households in very soft water areas. Roughly 1,300 average monthly Google searches for 'how to remove limescale' are made in the UK.
Brian Toward explained: "Limescale is especially common in bathrooms because of the high water usage. Any lingering droplets left to air dry can leave behind mineral deposits that form limescale over time."
He added: "While it might start as a cosmetic issue, too much limescale can build up in pipes and restrict water flow, leading to decreased water pressure and plumbing issues, which can be costly if left untreated. While limescale itself isn't directly harmful to health, it can also cause the growth of bacteria, compromising water quality."
Lemon juice and salt method
Brian recommends cutting a lemon in half and dipping it in salt to create a natural scrubbing solution. "The citric acid in lemon juice breaks down limescale, while the salt helps lift it off surfaces," he said. Lemons cost as little as 37p at supermarkets like Asda, Tesco, and Sainsbury's, and a 750g bottle of table salt retails for 65p at Aldi.
Vinegar and baking soda method
Another effective fix is mixing equal parts of white vinegar and baking soda to create a paste. Brian advised: "Apply the paste to limescale-affected areas such as taps, showerheads, and tiles and let it sit for a few hours before scrubbing with a brush and rinsing thoroughly." A 568ml bottle of white distilled vinegar costs 35p at Tesco, while 200g of bicarbonate of soda costs 65p at Aldi, Tesco, and Asda.
Coca-Cola method
Coca-Cola can also dissolve limescale due to its phosphoric acid content, which reacts with calcium carbonate. Brian said: "Most people are shocked that Coca-Cola can help dissolve limescale but it can, as it contains phosphoric acid which reacts with calcium carbonate." He advised pouring Coca-Cola onto affected areas, letting it sit for several hours or overnight, then scrubbing with a brush and rinsing. A 330ml can of diet coke costs £1.34 at Asda.
