The Effect of Limescale On Your Health

Here in the UK, we’re lucky because our water supply is regularly tested to make sure that it is safe to drink. When you open your kettle and find a limescale deposit collected around the filament,  however, you might worry that it is harmful to your health.

Limescale forms in hard water areas and, while it looks unsightly, doesn’t present any major risk to your wellbeing. There has been a lot of research done in this area over the years, both here in the UK and around the world.

How Hard Water Forms

You won’t be surprised to learn that our water supply depends on it raining. As water seeps through the ground it gathers minerals and other deposits. In some places where there are high levels of calcium and magnesium, this results in what is called hard water. Limescale develops when this is then brought into the home. It’s seen as a chalky white deposit.

In appliances like kettles, it can build up over time and create a hard layer around the base and the filament. You will certainly spot limescale in areas like the bathroom where it can cause a thin, white layer over tiles and around your taps. The use of a good limescale soap is usually enough to get rid of this and protect your bathroom for a while.

Limescale and Your Health

Calcium and magnesium are important minerals that are good for us when taken in the right doses. The World Health Organisation says that hard water is safe to drink and can even be beneficial especially if your diet is missing in these essential minerals.

There has been quite a bit of research carried out over the years. There may be some indication that living in a hard water area can be good for your cardiovascular health. There needs to be more work research here and the effect may well only be slight, but it is almost undoubtedly due to the magnesium in hard water that has beneficial effects on blood pressure.

If you find a large build of limescale in your kettle, the evidence suggests that it’s not going to cause you much harm. You might find flakes breaking off and this can be less palatable if you are enjoying your morning cup of tea. This is probably as good a reason as any to make sure that you either replace your kettle or get a good limescale remover.

There are some people who say that hard water makes their skin itch more after a shower, but the evidence doesn’t entirely support this. Adding a water softener to your supply is one way to improve things if you are suffering from this kind of problem.

In general, you shouldn’t expect too many issues with limescale when it comes to health. The biggest problem is always down to residue that is left behind in areas like the bathroom or kitchen where water is used most.

Whether it’s making your taps look dull or taking the sheen off your shower cubicle and tiles, finding a good product to get rid of limescale isn’t easy. Limescale Demolition is a new, eco-friendly, non-acid product from Proper Soap that is designed to not only remove stains in areas like showers and bathrooms but provide a protective layer to prevent more build up.

In other words, it keeps your bathroom shining for longer!