If hard water stains are ruining the look of your kitchen sink, then you’ll want to be in on this home remedy trick discovered by Crouton Crackerjacks. With the help of just one ingredient, you’ll be able to bring your dingy, grungy sinks back to their former sparkling glory.
Hard water stains are deposits of minerals (usually calcium) that form on porcelain or metal faucets. These usually occur when there is an abundance of minerals in your drinking water, causing these chalky, white stains that are impossible to get rid of.
So what’s the magic ingredient to make these tough stains disappear? White distilled vinegar. Honestly, is there anything vinegar can’t do?
The only other things you’ll need for this DIY renovation is a rag – cut off a piece of old t-shirt if you don’t have cleaning rags hanging around the house – and an old sponge. You don’t want to use a new sponge because it will scratch up the chrome, so opt for an old, softer sponge.
With your vinegar and your rag in hand, let’s get started on getting your kitchen sink looking good as new!
Materials
Vinegar
Rag
Sponge
Bowl
Step 1: Pour the vinegar into a bowl. Submerge the rag so that it’s completely soaked with vinegar.
Step 2: Wrap the rag around the base of your faucet (or anywhere you have hard water stains.) Let sit for an hour.
Step 3: Remove the rag and use your old sponge to scrub off any buildup that appears to be coming off.
Step 4: Repeat on the same area if need be, or move the rag onto a different part of the faucet to soak for an hour.
Make sure to keep the rag soaked with vinegar to begin; if you have to pour more vinegar onto the rag when it’s already set on the faucet, that’s okay. The more the merrier in this situation.
Also, make sure the faucet is COMPLETELY dry before you begin this process. You don’t want any water diluting the vinegar and taking away some of its strength.
Why is vinegar so great for busting up hard water stains? Here’s a quick science lesson for you!
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is a stronger acid than carbonic acid, found in the hard water stains. In principle, a stronger acid will displace a weaker acid from a salt. Therefore, acetic acid reacts with calcium carbonate to form calcium acetate and the carbonic acid, both of which are soluble in water, and get washed away.
Fancy language for: the acid in the vinegar helps to break down the salts and acids in the hard water stains, making them able to wash away with a scrub and with water.
What do you think of this hard water stain solution? Do you use a different method to nix hard water stains? Share them in the comments section below.
Genius 1-Ingredient Solution To Cleaning Hard Water Stains
