Get rid of limescale from taps with a simple and inexpensive tip
We don't always remember to look closely - or rather from below - at our taps. Maybe we clean and polish them quickly every time we clean the home, to eliminate the stains left by splashes of soap, toothpaste or drops of hard water. However, when we are reminded of the other problem that running water in the house causes for any pipe, a moment comes when we finally bend down to see the condition of the tap's dispenser (nozzle) and in this location we almost always find some limescale deposits.
Those greenish gray crusts are not a sign of neglect (unless they have already become small rocks): it is simply the mineral deposits left by the water as it flows in our pipes. However, to prevent the deposits from growing over time - and maybe even ruining the tap - it is good to remember to clear them away periodically, and there is a really popular tip that has become very popular on TikTok.
Tutorial via @vanesamaro91/TikTok
Among the many people who demonstrate this very easy procedure is @vanesamaro91, who in a short clip on the popular social network, illustrates the results achieved in just half an hour.
If you don't already know the tip of using a plastic bag and vinegar, we will describe it here: first of all you need to equip yourself with:
- A plastic bag, like one typically used for food (it does not need to be airtight)
- White vinegar (it can be alcohol vinegar but wine or apple vinegar works too)
- A very strong rubber band
- An old toothbrush
- Some dish washing liquid
How to proceed:
- Fill the bottom of the plastic bag with vinegar.
- Insert the spout of the tap into the bag so that the entire end (and the dispenser) is submerged in vinegar (add more vinegar if you need to).
- Close the bag around the neck of the tap with the help of the elastic band.
- Wait half an hour and you will notice that the limescale deposits slowly crumble and there will be particles suspended in the liquid.
- After half an hour, remove the bag and take the toothbrush, wet it a little and pour a drop of dish washing liquid on it
- Scrub the entire area covered with limestone vigorously - which will have beccome soft by now - until it all falls away completely.
- Scrub inside the tap's spout, if necessary. Attention: if there is an aerator in the end of the tap, it is better to disassemble it and leave it to soak in vinegar (also for about half an hour, and perhaps even inside the same bag as the one wrapped around the tap).
- Turn on the water and rinse everything away, then dry it off with a soft cloth and your tap will be as good as new.
If you haven't done this for a long time, the limescale will probably be more stubborn, and this operation will have to be repeated several times (and perhaps it is even better if you leave vinegar in place to act overnight). Watch Vanessa Amaro's video here to appreciate how effective this simple tip can be.
