Limescale is off-white, chalky deposits you see inside cooking pots and kettles, taps and water pipes, and in appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers. They usually appear to be off-white, light brown to orange in color. This is because of the chemicals such as iron, calcium and magnesium, that are present in the water and are left as the water evaporates. Limescale also form when water elements combine with soap, thus leaving soap scum in the surfaces of sinks, bath tubs, and draining pipes.
Limescale can be very unsightly, and getting rid of them is such a pain even with the use of commercial descaling agents. Good thing there are materials readily available at home which could effectively remove those nasty limescales- for example, vinegar. Here are few simple ways of eliminating limescales using the ever-useful vinegar.
Aside from cooking, vinegar is an effective limescale cleaner.
1. To clean your kettles and pots, you will have to make a solution made of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water. Pour this solution inside the pot or kettle, and bring it to a boil. Turn off the stove and leave the solution until it cools down. Dispose of the solution and you can now clean the insides of your utensils with ease.
2. You may also use this solution in cleaning coffeemakers. In place of just pure water, put the vinegar solution in the water compartment. Turn on appliance on so that the solution runs in all its parts of tubes. Do the same thing afterward with pure water to rinse off the coffeemaker.
3. This vinegar solution can also help in removing limescales in washing machines and dishwashers. Just pour in a generous amount of the solution inside the machine and run a normal washing cycle, without clothes and dishes of course. This is best done after you just used the machine in washing your clothes or dishes.
4. To clean your faucet, you need double ply bathroom tissue, sandwich bag and rubber band. Soak the tissue paper in the vinegar solution until it is evenly drenched with vinegar. Attach this paper now in the sandwich bag, then you can now use this to wrap around the faucet. Use the rubber band to keep the bag in place. Leave it overnight for best results. Rinse the faucet afterwards.
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