If your taps have gone cloudy, your kettle has a crust on the element, or your shower screen looks permanently foggy, you have limescale. It is the chalky white (sometimes rusty) deposit that hard water leaves behind every time it dries.

Horsham and the surrounding RH postcodes sit in a hard-water area, so limescale here is not a one-off — it comes back. The good news is that getting rid of it is simple once you know the trick, and the trick is almost always the same: give it time to dissolve before you scrub.

The short version

Limescale is alkaline, so a mild acid dissolves it. Let a limescale remover or plain white vinegar sit on it for 30 to 60 minutes, then wipe. Scrubbing dry limescale just polishes it — the soak is what does the work.

What you'll need

A dedicated limescale remover for the tough spots. Viakal → Amazon is the fastest we've found for taps and screens.
White vinegar for kettles and a cheap everyday option.
A gentle abrasive for baked-on deposits. Bar Keepers Friend → Amazon lifts limescale and water staining without scratching chrome.
A few microfibre cloths → Amazon, an old toothbrush, and a non-scratch sponge.

⚠️

Acid and natural stone don't mix. Never use vinegar or limescale remover on marble, granite or limestone surfaces — it will etch them. Stick to a dedicated stone-safe cleaner there.

How to remove limescale from taps and showerheads

This is where the soak matters most, because the build-up clogs the little holes water comes out of.

Soak a microfibre cloth in limescale remover or white vinegar.
Wrap it around the tap or showerhead so the deposit stays in contact with it. For a showerhead, a sandwich bag of vinegar held on with an elastic band works brilliantly.
Leave it for 30 to 60 minutes.
Scrub the nozzles and crevices with an old toothbrush, rinse with warm water, and buff dry with a clean cloth.

Drying afterwards is the bit most people skip, and it's what gives you that streak-free shine rather than a fresh set of water spots.

How to descale a kettle

Fill the kettle with equal parts water and white vinegar (enough to cover the element).
Boil it, then switch off and leave to stand for an hour.
Tip the solution away and rinse two or three times.
Boil once more with fresh water and tip that away too, so there's no vinegar taste in your next cuppa.

Glass shower screens and tiles

Spray the screen with limescale remover, leave it a few minutes, then work in small circles with a non-scratch sponge. For a screen that's been neglected for a while, a thin layer of The Pink Stuff → Amazon paste cuts through the cloudiness. Rinse well and squeegee dry.

For grout and tight corners, an electric spin scrubber → Amazon saves a lot of elbow grease.

Toilet limescale (the waterline ring)

That stubborn ring under the waterline is limescale, not dirt, which is why bleach alone never shifts it. Pour limescale remover or white vinegar around the bowl and under the rim, leave it overnight, then scrub the waterline with a stiff brush in the morning and flush.

How to stop limescale coming back

You can't change the water, but you can stop deposits building up:

Keep a squeegee in the shower and give the screen a quick pass after each use.
Dry around taps and plugholes after washing up.
Wipe wet-room surfaces down once a week, before the build-up sets in.

Limescale forms when hard water sits and dries. Don't give it the chance and the heavy scrubbing largely disappears.

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Don't fancy spending your Saturday on the shower screen? A regular cleaner keeps limescale in check before it ever builds up. You can post a request and choose a vetted local cleaner in Horsham in a few minutes.