Cleaning the sink is important for keeping it in good condition and for maintaining hygiene.
It is incredibly satisfying to clean your sink and get rid of all tfhe stains that are present, but it can also be very difficult if there are stains that just won’t budge.
What should you do to get rid of stains that are difficult to clean and how can you remove them?
Water stains can be very difficult to clean as the more soap you use to get rid of the stains, the worse they can become.
This can make it very hard to get rid of them, but what can you to do remove them and keep your sink looking clean and shiny?
This article will inform you of the ways to get rid of hard water stains from your sink to make sure that it is clean and hygienic to use.
Find out more about getting rid of these tough stains below.
What Are Hard Water Stains?
Hard water stains are the stains that you find on your sink when the water contains a high amount of minerals.
This can make the water stains difficult to clean and remove as they contain mineral and calcium deposits, which can be tough to get rid of.
You can tell if the stains in your sink are hard water by assessing what they look like.
Soap scum is when you see a white layer over the faucet and around the sink, limescale makes your sink look cloudy and foggy, and chemical stains are usually a rusty (see also ‘Rusty Hot Water – What To Do‘) color.
All of these stains can be hard to remove, but how can you effectively get rid of them?
White Vinegar And Baking Soda
When you first spot that your sink has hard water stains, it is important to treat them right away to prevent them from worsening.
The longer the hard water stains are left, the more likely that they will begin to corrode your sink.
When corrosion happens, your sink will be permanently damaged, so make sure that you treat it quickly.
White vinegar and baking soda are popular solutions to use to get rid of hard water stains as the acid helps to remove the tough stains.
To begin, you will need a spray bottle, a clean cloth, a toothbrush, rubber gloves, white vinegar, baking soda, and a lemon.
Soak The Stains
White vinegar is popular to use to remove stubborn stains as it is very acidic, meaning that it can lift lots of tough stains and clean your sink.
Begin to soak the stains by creating a solution of one part white vinegar and one part water, and then add the solution to the spray bottle.
Spray the solution on the stains and leave them to soak for about 15 minutes.
Scrub The Stains
After the stains have soaked for 15 minutes, use a toothbrush to scrub the stains.
You should begin to see that the stains are lifting off the surface of the sink and you can begin to see them washing away.
Once you have finished scrubbing the stains and they have completely disappeared, wipe down the surface with a clean cloth.
What To Do If The Water Stains Are Too Stubborn
If using the mixture of white vinegar and water is not strong enough for the water stains on your sink, there are other things that you can do to try to remove the stains.
This can help to clean the sink and lift the stains from the surface.
Add Baking Soda
Adding white vinegar to baking soda can create a paste that can dissolve hard water stains.
These stains are very difficult to remove, so creating a paste can make it easier to scrub away the stains on the sink.
It is important to make sure that you do not make the paste too dry or too liquid, so gradually add the white vinegar for the perfect paste texture.
Add More Acid
When the stains are too strong to be lifted just by white vinegar, you may find that adding more acid can remove the stains more efficiently.
If white vinegar is not strong enough, use cleaning vinegar as this is a stronger solution and might be better for lifting the tough stains from the sink.
If the vinegar doesn’t work on its own, use the juice from a lemon to remove the stains.
Add lemon to the vinegar solution to make the solution more acidic as this might be more effective at getting rid of the hard water stains.
Let The Stains Soak For Longer
Leaving the stains to soak for 5 minutes might not be enough time, so you can increase the time that they soak.
Let the stains soak for up to an hour to try to remove them from the surface of the sink. This will allow the stains to soak up the solution and weaken.
Use A Sink Cleaner
Using a sink cleaner can be very effective, but you need to make sure that it can be used on a stainless steel sink.
This can help to lift the stains that are on your sink as they are very strong, but make sure that you follow the instructions on how to use the sink cleaner.
How To Prevent Water Stains From Forming
As water stains are incredibly difficult to get rid of, it can be hard to remove them from your sink.
Once they have been removed, you want to try to prevent them from forming again so that you can avoid having to clean them off again, but how?
Use A Filter To Soften The Water
Softening the water can help to prevent hard water stains from forming as the filter can reduce the concentration of minerals in the water.
This is what causes the hard water stains, so using a filter to soften the water can help to prevent them from forming in your sink.
Magnetic Water Softener
This type of water softener is very popular as it works very well at preventing hard water stains and they are cheap to buy.
The magnets work by getting rid of any hard water (see also ‘Hard Water Treatment’) properties and making the water soft, so there is less chance of hard water stains forming.Â
Salt-Free Water Softener
Salt-free water softeners are also popular to use, but they work by changing how the minerals react instead of removing them.
They work to make sure that the minerals do not stick to the surface, reducing the chance of hard water stains appearing.
Use Sink Water Repellent
After making sure that the sink water repellent is suitable to be used on stainless steel sinks, the repellent can be used to protect the surface of the sink from hard water stains.
It creates a barrier to avoid the stains from sticking and makes cleaning the sink easier.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, hard water stains can be very difficult to remove, but there are effective ways to remove them from the surface of the sink.
Using vinegar, baking soda, and lemon to target the stains can help to make sure that the stains are lifted from the surface, leaving your sink clean, shiny, and hygienic!
