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.

How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Car Paint

Do you have hard water spots on your newly painted car? Are you looking for a solution, and have still not found one? Is buffing the car paint with hard core chemical compounds the only solution? This article provides you with the answers to all these questions! The methods outlined below help you get rid of the hard water spots on your car, using simple household items, in little time. Get rid of your nightmare, and follow the instructions below.

Put on gloves, wear old clothes, and get ready to remove the hard water stains from your car paint. Before you remove the stains, apply detailing clay on the affected area to get rid of any hard granules that may be present on the surface of the car.

Method One (Using White Vinegar)

Things that you will require:

·      Distilled water

·      White vinegar

·      Bowl

·      Spray bottle

·      Soft, clean cloth

Steps that you will need to take:

1.   To make the cleaning solution for the removal of hard water stains from the car paint, mix 2 parts distilled water and 1 part white vinegar in a bowl.

2.   Pour this solution in a spray bottle.

3.   Now, spray the mixture on the hard water stains.

4.   Rub the hard water stains gently with a soft, clean cloth. The time it takes to get rid of the stains depends on how long the stains have been left in place. Fresh stains may be removed immediately.

5.   Rinse the car with a garden hose, or if it is a small area, use a clean cloth soaked in plain water.

6.   Dry the car completely. Use a dry clean towel to do so.

7.   Repeat the above steps if the stains still remain.

Method Two (Using Baking Soda)

Things that you will require:

·      Baking soda

·      Distilled water

·      White vinegar

·      Sponge or soft, clean cloth

Steps that you will need to take:

1.   The first part involves the making of the cleaning solution for the removal of hard water stains from the car paint. To do so, add 3 parts of baking soda and 1 part distilled water in a bowl. You can also add a few drops of white vinegar for a stronger solution. Make a paste out of all 3 ingredients.

2.   Grab a sponge or a soft, clean cloth, apply the solution on it, and rub the hard water stains with the sponge or cloth gently.

3.   Leave the paste in place for 15 minutes.

4.   The next step is to get rid of the paste from the car paint. To do so, rinse the affected area with clear water. Use a sponge soaked in water if necessary.

5.   Dry the affected area completely. Use a dry towel to do so.

6.   If the hard water stains are still visible, repeat the above steps.

You may also apply a paste of wax to renew your car polish after the removal of hard water stains if necessary.

Related Articles:

How to remove Hard Water Stains from Car

How to remove Hard Water Stains from Car Windows/Mirrors

How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Shower Glass

In an ideal world, you would like your washroom spotless without it requiring too much effort in cleaning. There would be no mold on the grout, no hard water stains on the shower glass, and the washroom would not be filled with dirty clothes. Unfortunately, however, the real world can be quite different to what we would want ideally. One of the main problems in the bathroom that people face today is of white water outlines, also known as hard water stains, on the shower glass. No matter how many times you wipe them with plain water, they just do not disappear. We have a just the right solution for your problem. Try one of the methods outlined below to get rid easily of the hard water stains on the shower glass!

Method One (Using Vinegar)

Things that you will require:

·      Vinegar

·      Bowl

·      Water

·      Soft, clean cloth

Steps that you will need to take:

1.   To make your cleaning solution for the removal of hard water stains from shower glass, add 1 part white vinegar to a bowl, and pour 1 part water to in it. Mix both the ingredients thoroughly.

2.   Dip a soft, clean cloth in the solution, and apply it to the shower glass. Move from one small area to another, rubbing the solution on the stains in a circular motion.

3.   Leave the cleaning solution in place for a few minutes. The vinegar will loosen the minerals from the surface.

4.   Now, rinse the shower glass with plain water.

5.   If the Hard Water Stains are still visible, repeat the above process. Stains that have been present for a long time can take longer to remove.

6.   Let the shower glass dry completely. Leave the door open, and turn the fan on. Use paper towels if necessary.

Method Two (Using Rubbing Alcohol)

Things that you will require:

·      Rubbing alcohol

·      Container

·      Soft, clean cloth

·      Water

Steps that you will need to take:

1.   Rubbing alcohol can be used for various things, including removing hard water stains from shower doors amongst many others. To do so, first, pour some rubbing alcohol in a container.

2.   Dip a soft, clean cloth in the rubbing alcohol, and apply it to the Hard Water Stains on the glass.

3.   Now, leave the alcohol in place for a few minutes so that it is able to treat the stain.

4.   Next, soak another clean cloth in plain water, and wipe the stained area with it. The stains would have come off. If they are still visible, repeat the above steps.

5.   Make sure that you dry the shower glass completely. If left wet, more hard water stains may develop. Turn the fan on, and leave the bathroom door open. Wipe the shower glass with dry paper towels if necessary.

Tip:

1.   Rubbing alcohol works better on fresh stains as opposed to stains that have been left in place for too long.

2.   Once you have removed the hard water stains from the shower glass, you can apply a bit of car wax on the glass to prevent further hard water from settling on the surface. However, do not apply this on the shower floor. You can slip, and injure your back as a result of it!

Related Articles:

How to remove Hard Water Stains from Toilet

How to remove Hard Water Stains from Bath Tub

How to remove Hard Water Stains from Tiles

How to remove Hard Water Stains from Faucet

How to remove Hard Water Stains Glass Shower Doors