What is Limescale?
Limescale is a familiar problem for people who live in certain areas of the UK. It can build up in kitchen utensils like your kettle, stain the porcelain in your bathroom sink where water is dripping and even cause damage to appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers.
In the UK, regions like the South and East tend to be designated as hard water areas while places like Wales and Scotland have ‘softer’ water. If you have a home which is in a hard water location, you could be producing up to 70 kg of limescale each year without even trying.
Why is Hard Water Different?
Basically, it contains higher levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium, a lot more than soft water. Limescale is generally what we notice about this. It appears as a white, chalky substance that gathers at the bottom of your kettle or in pipes and can build up over time if not treated properly. It can cause issues for appliances like washing machines where parts of the piping can get clogged up causing problems with the water supply or issues in draining water off.
Much of this is caused by calcium build up but there are other minerals like magnesium involved. If you’ve ever looked inside your kettle and seen a mass of stuff that has built up around the filament, the chances are you live in a hard water area.
Why is it a Problem?
In small amounts, the build-up of calcium is not a major problem. It can begin to look unsightly if you don’t do anything about it. It can collect around you taps and dull any chrome. In areas like the bathroom, it’s often more noticeable a short while after a hot shower.
If you don’t regularly descale your kettle, bits of limescale can flake off and find their way into your morning cup of tea or coffee.
It’s often the hidden damage that limescale causes, however, which you need to keep some sort of eye on. If you’ve got hot water standing in pipes, for example, limescale deposits can build up when they start to cool. Limescale can also cause problems inside central heating systems such as radiators which regularly heat up and cool down.
When limescale builds up in your dishwasher or washing machine, it may make these appliances less energy efficient or cause issues with the water flow. If your heating element gets covered in limescale it can take more to heat up the water and cost extra money. Left untreated, it can mean the lifespan of your dishwasher, for example, is shortened.
How to Deal with Limescale
What you need is a dedicated limescale remover. Products like Proper Soap are designed to get rid of those tell-tale streaks and discolouration that you find in areas like the shower. It’s an eco-friendly, natural product that not only gets rid of limescale but protects the surface from it afterwards.
Keeping on top of limescale build up is important and it’s always best to have a solution to hand whether its for descaling the kettle or keeping your pipes in tip top condition. Doing this prevents problems further down the line which could well cost you more money to put right.