How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Plastic

You might have come across these terrible stains on your water jugs, water containers, shower heads and bath tubs. These hard water stains are excessively gruesome and to top it off they are difficult to remove as well. Merely scrubbing these stains won’t get you rid of them.

This is because hard water has a high mineral content. This not only makes it unfit for drinking but since these minerals, particularly calcium and potassium are deposited at the bottom of their containers, therefore they leave behind stubborn stains as well.

Although treating these hard water stains is difficult, yet removing them is not entirely impossible. To prevent this difficulty from becoming impossibility and in order to aid it to become a possibility, we provide you with the following home remedies.

                               Method One (Using Vinegar)

Vinegar is a renowned cleaning agent which helps in the removal of a multitude of stains. Owing to this very trait, the following method deploys vinegar to get rid of these hard water stains. This method works amazingly well for treating hard water stains incurred by your plastic jugs or containers.

Things that you will require:

· One part vinegar

· One part water

· Scrub

· Clean water

Steps that you need to take:

1.    Primarily, make a cleaning solution by combining one part vinegar with one part water.

2.   Pour this cleaning solution into the plastic container, discolored with hard water stains.

3.   Allow it to sit in for some time, approximately 15 to 20 minutes, so that vinegar can react with the minerals and loosen the lime deposits.

4.   Next, taking a scrubbing sponge, start working onto this hard water stain. As vinegar will have formerly loosened the lime particles, therefore they would come off easily with a little scrubbing.

5.   Eventually, just rinse the container with clean water and you will get rid of these annoying hard water stains from plastic.

Method Two (Using Lemon)

Lemon is another astringent whose stain lifting powers are acknowledged and made use of across the globe. Therefore, owing to this very reason the following method makes use of lemon or lemon juice. The citric acid present in lemon would react with the minerals left over by hard water and as a corollary help in their removal. Moreover, this method is particularly useful for hard water stains accumulated on plastic shower heads or bath tubs. Follow the steps below for successful removal of stains.

Things that you will require:

· Lemon

· Clean water

Steps that you need to take:

1.   This method is simple enough. All you have to do is take a lemon and cut it into half.

2.   Using this half lemon start scrubbing the hard water stained surface. Depending upon the extent of stain, you can make use of more lemon halves.

3.   The citric acid present in lemons would cut through the stain and help in their removal.

4.   Continue this process until you are sure that the stain has gone satisfactorily.

5.   Finally, rinse the surface with soft, clean water and voila hard water stains would be nowhere to be seen.

Method Three (Using Baking Soda)

Baking Soda is an effective cleaning agent and scouring material. Therefore it can help you get rid of hard water stains satisfactorily. Follow the steps below for successful removal of stains.

Things that you will require:

· ½ cup of baking soda

· Hot water

· Old tooth brush

· Clean water

· Lemon juice

Steps that you need to take:

1.   To treat these hard water stains, primarily you need to make a cleaning solution. To make this solution, mix ½ cup of baking soda with a little hot water. This solution should be of the consistency of a tooth paste.

2.   Apply this paste onto the stained area with the help of an old tooth brush. Make sure that hard water stains are adequately covered with this paste.

3.   Leave it on for some time, approximately 10 minutes, until it starts bubbling.

4.   Finally, rinse the bucket with the help of clean water making sure that all the traces of cleaning agents are effectively washed away. Miraculously, you will end up with your plastic container, entirely devoid of any hard water stains.

5.   Moreover, if these mineral deposits have left behind a particular odor then you can also treat this odor by mixing some lemon juice with baking soda. This lemon juice will effectively take care of this odor.

Tips and warnings:

1.    For tougher stains, you can also consider soaking the plastic substance into white vinegar overnight and then scrub off the water stains next morning.

2.    Although there is no such difference between citric acid (lemon juice) and acetic acid ( white vinegar) when it comes to the treatment of hard water stains, yet lemons are sweet smelling and can treat any unpleasant odors left behind.

3.    Make sure that you make use of a soft bristled tooth brush so that it doesn’t damage the plastic surface.