How to Use Inexpensive Household Items to Remove Mineral Deposits

Many areas of the United States have what is called "hard water". The term basically means water that has an overabundance of minerals such as lime and / or calcium. Hard water affects the citizens that use it in a variety of ways. Soap does not lather as well in hard water making it harder for residents to clean their bodies, their clothes and their homes. This side effect is often not very noticeable and usually represents a small inconvenience except in cases of severely hard water.

The most noticeable side effect of hard water is shower heads, faucets and spigots that become coated with a hard layer of mineral deposits. At first the problem is often merely cosmetic but as mineral deposits build up over time shower heads and faucets can have reduced efficiency or even stop working entirely.

When I moved in to my new home I soon discovered that we had a mineral deposit problem. I hadn't looked inside the bathtub faucet when inspecting my home before moving in; it wasn't until I tried to take a shower and couldn't pull the metal peg up to divert water from the faucet to the shower head that I realized the fixtures were both clogged up with mineral deposits. I could still fill the bathtub but taking a shower was out of the question.

I didn't take it well. A long, hot shower has always been a reward for me for running the gauntlet of being a working mother. I could have just replaced the fixtures but I knew I would have the same problem repeatedly unless I learned how to remove the buildup of minerals.

Over the next few weeks I tried nearly every commercial cleaning product known to man, including ones that promised to get rid of mineral buildup quickly and easily. Many of these products were expensive, smelled awful and barely made a dent in the mineral buildup. In frustration, I began trying different combinations of items I use for other cleaning projects in my home. After making several mixtures that failed I hit the jackpot.

I combined 1/4 of a cup of baking soda with one cup of white vinegar. I applied the mixture to the fixtures the same way I did with other mixtures which was to put the solution in a thick, plastic sandwich bag. Then I put one bag of solution on the bathtub faucet, pulling the bag up enough so that the whole faucet opening was in the solution. Then I used a twist tie to secure it. I repeated the process with the shower head.

When you secure the bag you can use twist ties or duct tape however make sure that you affix the bag loosely to the fixture. You'll want to make sure it's stable. However, if the bag opening is wrapped too tightly the gas from the reaction between the vinegar and baking soda will have nowhere to go. I learned this the hard way, the first time I attempted this method the bags burst.

So attach the bag loosely to the fixture to avoid any accidents. After affixing the bag to the solution leave it on for about two hours. Then carefully remove the bag from the faucet and close it up with the twist tie or tape again in case the initial soaking wasn't enough to completely clean the fixture. The initial soaking removed nearly all of the mineral buildup from my faucets even though they were quite caked with deposits so one soak will most likely be enough.

After removing the bag turn on the water and run it through the faucet or showerhead for several minutes. This will help rinse out any leftover mineral deposits. The vinegar in the mixture and subsequent rinsing will often make fixtures seem brighter and more shiny also. If you still have leftover mineral deposits after the initial soak, repeat the process until all of the mineral buildup has been removed.