Plastics are an integral part of us. We use plastics in the kitchen mainly for various purposes. Since we cannot evade them, we should learn how to remove hard water stains from them as we mostly wash them using hard water, typically from our taps.
As a passionate DIYer, I have produced this guide to help you go about it. The impression is to help you remove hard water stains from plastics without damaging the plastic surface.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic
- Pour pure white vinegar into a dish.
- Dip a section of a clean rag into the white vinegar
- Rub the rag over the hard water stains
- Dip a toothbrush into the white vinegar and scrub off the stubborn stains
- If the stains persist, soak the plastic in a water-vinegar solution and let it soak for 12 hours. The mixture should be 50/50.
- Wipe the plastic with a clean towel and let it dry once the stain is gone.
What Causes Hard Water Stains?
Hard water refers to water that contains high amounts of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and iron.
Hard water stains result from hard water droplets that dry on plastic surfaces, leaving calcium mineral deposits. This eventually develops the limescale. So, the more you use hard water to clean, the more the limescale build-up on your plastics.
You can use a water softener to prevent limescale build-up. However, there are various solutions that you can use to remove hard water stains from plastics.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic Using Vinegar
White vinegar is acidic, dissolving any limescale on various surfaces, including plastic.
Supplies You Will Need
- Dish
- Clean rag
- Spray bottle
- Vinegar
- Towel
- Old toothbrush
- Gloves
The Steps
Step 1: Mix a dash of white vinegar and water, roughly a 50:50 solution. You can as well use pure white vinegar without water as it dissolves the stains without traces after drying.
Step 2: Dip some section of the clean rag in the solution or pure white vinegar and rub it over the stain in circular motions. You can also pour the solution or pure white vinegar into a spray bottle and spray it over the stain. Let it rest for ten to fifteen minutes.
Letting it rest allows the vinegar to break the stain bonds.
Step 3: Dip an old toothbrush into the solution and scrub the paint if the rag didn’t remove the stains. The rag may not remove some stubborn stains, whereas the toothbrush might scrub them off.
Step 4: Soak the plastics in the vinegar solution for 12 hours if the toothbrush fails to scrub off the stains. You can soak the plastic overnight.
Step 5: Rub the stained plastic using a damp towel once more and allow it to dry.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic Using Baking Soda
Baking soda ingredients efficiently remove limescale build-up and other stains from plastic. Cleaning using baking soda is cheap, and you can acquire it from the retail store near you.
Supplies You Will Need
- Baking soda
- Water
- Dish
- Toothbrush
- Clean rag
- Towel
- Gloves
The Steps
Step 1: Mix ½ a cup of baking soda and two tablespoons of water in a dish or container. Stir until it forms a thick paste. The thick paste weakens the stains.
Step 2: Use a clean rag to spread the thick paste over the hard water stain and let the paste sit for ten to fifteen minutes as the paste softens and weakens the stain.
Step 3: Repeat the process if the stain does not lift off on the first attempt. You may use a toothbrush to scrub off the stubborn stains if the limescale deposits are severe.
Step 4: Once the hard water stain is gone, dampen a clean towel in warm water, rinse the surface then allow it to dry.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic with Lemon Juice
Lemon juice works like vinegar because it’s also acidic. Lemon juice weakens the hard water stain while also disinfecting the surface.
However, lemon juice requires a little elbow grease to remove stains effectively.
Lemon juice is advantageous because it is easily accessible and all-natural as it does not have harmful chemicals.
Supplies You Will Need
- Lemon
- Elbow grease
- Water
- Towel
- Gloves
The Steps
Step 1: Wipe the plastic surface using a clean rag to remove dust particles or debris. A clean surface helps spread the solvent evenly on the surface.
Step 2: Slice a lemon in two halves, rub one-half of the lemon on the stain, and let it rest for five to ten minutes. Add a little bit of elbow grease. Waiting for ten minutes ensures lemon juice softens the stains making them effortless to wipe away.
Step 3: Repeat the process if the stains do not lift off on the first attempt.
Step 4: After wiping off the weakened stains, rinse the surface using warm water. You can also use a damp towel to wipe the surface dry. Dampen the towel in warm water.
Ensure to wear your gloves for skin protection.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic with Hydrogen Peroxide
Ordinary hydrogen peroxide works best on removing hard water stains from plastics. For the best outcome, mix with baking soda and cream of tartar.
Supplies You Will Need
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Cream of tartar
- Sponge
- Warm water
- Dish
- Toothbrush
- Stirring stick
The Steps
Step 1: Mix hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a dish. You can use ½ cup of cream of tartar, ½ cup of baking soda, and one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. Stir the mixture to form a thick paste.
Step 2: Spread the paste over the hard water stains using a sponge.
Step 3: Let the surface rest for fifteen minutes as the calcium deposits weaken.
Step 4: Wipe off the weakened stains using a damp towel
Step 5: Use an old toothbrush to scrub off stubborn stains that might have remained behind.
Step 6: Once you have removed all the stains, rinse the surface using warm/hot water.
Ensure to wear your protective gear such as gloves and face mask/respirator. Based on the concentration, touching and breathing hydrogen peroxide vapors may cause skin burns, breathing complications, eye and throat irritation, and coughing.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic with Denture Tablets
Since denture tablets remove stains from the denture, I thought it could clean my plastics as well. To my surprise, it did.
Supplies You Will Need
- Denture tablets
- Container
- Water
- Towel
The Steps
Step 1: Take two tablets of denture tablet and put them in the plastic container with hard water stains.
Step 2: Add water into the container to form a solution
Step 3: Wait for 30 minutes as the tablets fizzle. It cleans the limescale build-up in the process
Step 4: Once the limescale is gone, pour out the solution and rinse the container with warm water.
Step 5: Dry using a clean towel
How to Remove Hard Water Stains From Plastic with Apple Cider Vinegar
Apart from white vinegar, you can as well use apple cider vinegar to clean hard water stains from plastic.
Supplies You Will Need
- Source of heat, e.g., microwave
- Apple cider vinegar
- Old rag
- Gloves
The Steps
Step 1: Put 4 cups of apple cider vinegar in a microwavable container
Step 2: Heat the solution in a microwave
Step 3: Soak the old rag in the liquid solution
Step 4: Rub the rag on the stained area and let it rest for 30 minutes or more as the stains weaken.
Step 5: Once the stains have loosened, rinse the surface with warm water to remove excess apple cider vinegar.
Importance of Cleaning Hard Water Stains
Excess mineral deposits or hard water stains cause lagged water flow and clogs, which lead to frequent plumbing fixtures.
Hard water contains various bacteria. Therefore, excess calcium build-up on plastic or sink may lead to health risks as you will consume the bacteria.
Note that learning how to remove hard water stains from plastic is essential to your health and the conditions of your plastics.
How to Prevent Hard Water Stains
You can apply two methods to prevent hard water stains from staining your plastics. They are;
- Frequent cleaning
- Using water softener
Hard water stains worsen over time since more minerals accumulate and dry on the plastic surfaces. The lesser you clean them, the worse the stains grow. Once you realize there are stains, make it a routine to clean them. I recommend you do the cleaning once a week. You can use white vinegar or lemon juice because they are readily available.
I prefer using a water softener to prevent the hard water from accessing your plastic items. A water softener removes minerals from the water before it reaches your plastic items.
You can pick any water softener from the store near you to complete the task.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Get Hard Water Off Of Plastic?
Mix water and bleach, ensuring it’s one tablespoon of bleach per cup of water. Immerse the plastic items in the solution for one to two hours. Once the stains are gone, thoroughly rinse using warm water and allow them to dry.
How Do You Remove Hard Water Stains From A Plastic Tub Surround?
- Add white vinegar into a spray bottle.
- Spray the white vinegar on the hard water stains on the plastic stub to weaken the stains.
- Use a nylon scrub to scrub the stains off the surface
- Evaluate the plastic tub, if there are stains;
- Add ¼ cup of baking soda to a dish
- Re-spray the white vinegar on the plastic tub
- Put the nylon scrubber in the baking soda and apply it to the vinegar-dampened plastic tub.
- Continue rubbing until all the stubborn stains lift off
- Rinse the plastic tub with clean water
- Use a clean towel to dry the surface
How Do You Remove Water Spots From Plastic Shower Doors?
Use water and vinegar. Mix water and vinegar, half water and half vinegar, and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the stain and let it rest for ten to fifteen minutes. Wipe it clean using a clean towel. Congratulations, you have spotless plastic shower doors.
Bottom Line
I guess you have learned how to remove hard water stains from this long guide. The techniques I have highlighted are simple but effective once you comprehend how to use them.
You can complete the DIY projects if you have the time and resources. Remember to use the recommended tools required for the method you will choose.
Remember to wear protective gear such as a mask/respirator and gloves.