Remove Hard Water Stains with Non-toxic Cleaners

If you have hard water in your home, you will eventually run into hard water stains. Tackling these spots doesn't have to be difficult if you include them as part of your household cleaning ritual. As a matter of fact, you may have the keys to removing these stubborn hard water stains right in your pantry, ready to go.

The same versatile, non-toxic cleaning products you've used on other projects in your house can be used for these blemishes as well. What are those ingredients? Vinegar, baking soda, and lemon. Follow these simple hints and watch those stains disappear. 

How To Remove Hard Water Stains From Glass

While the inside of your windows may be pristine and sparkly, the outside of glass is often a different story, thanks to the rain and snow. Fortunately, with a little vinegar, baking soda, or a lemon, you can remove those hard water stains and make the outside just as clean as the inside.

Vinegar: In a spray bottle, mix a solution of equal parts water and white distilled vinegar. Saturate the areas with hard water buildup and allow the solution to sit for two minutes. Scrub the glass with a damp cloth and then dry the window with a paper towel. Repeat if necessary.

Baking soda: Create a paste of baking soda and water. Apply the paste to the window and scrub with a cloth. Rinse the glass and spray with non-toxic glass cleaner for a sparkly shine.

Lemon: Cut a lemon in half. Take the lemon and use it as a sponge to scrub the window. Use a soft cloth to wipe up the remaining lemon and watch the window come clean. Spray on a non-toxic glass cleaner and wipe with newspaper to remove streaks from the window.

These handy non-toxic cleaning products will have your windows shining in the sun in no time at all.

How To Remove Hard Water Stains From Your Toilet

Removing hard water stains from your toilet can be as easy as 1-2-3 as long as you save a little baking soda and vinegar from your window cleaning project. 

• Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the toilet. Swish it around with the toilet brush and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
• Add 1 cup of baking soda and another cup of vinegar and watch it fizz. Let this mix sit for 10 minutes for the fizzing action to work on the hard water spots.
• Use the toilet brush to swish the mixture around the toilet bowl to get any spots above the waterline. Then let it sit for another 30 minutes.
• Scrub the toilet with your toilet brush and flush to rinse.

How To Remove Hard Water Stains From Tiles

Don't put that vinegar away quite yet. It's time to tackle your tiles next with a simple vinegar soak. To remove these hard water stains, simply pour some vinegar over the tiles and let it soak for up to 10 minutes. Scrub with a brush and rinse with water. 

If that doesn't work, you may have to break out the baking soda again. 

• Make a paste from baking soda and vinegar. Be prepared again for the fizz. 
• Apply the paste to the affected tiles and let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Scrub the tiles with a brush.
• Rinse with water. 

With either method, be sure to dry your tiles afterward to avoid new hard water stains.