If your tap is looking stained and crusty, then you likely have a limescale problem, but it is incredibly easy to clean as long as you use one simple kitchen ingredient.
Limescale is made up of minerals left behind when water evaporates or is very hot. If your tap is not cleaned regularly, it will form a tough, chalky stain.
Not only does limescale look awful, leaving green marks around your taps, but it can also trap bacteria, making your sink much less hygienic when you are washing your hands.
It can be tricky to remove limescale as it sticks stubbornly to surfaces, but Sabina Green, a household expert and founder of Deep In Mummy Matters, has shared that one way is to use a lemon.
Sabina said: “The acid in lemon is a fantastic ingredient to remove stains or chalky buildup sitting on your kitchen and bathroom taps.
“However, you cannot pour lemon juice as it is on the taps, hoping that the stains will clear magically. You have to follow a procedure to see the results.”
It may sound bizarre, but lemons contain citric acid, a naturally acidic substance that will react to the alkaline limescale and begin to break it down.
The juice inside lemons is tough enough to dissolve limescale and loosen the stains while still being a gentle cleaner.
It is pretty easy to use lemon juice when cleaning, but you need to make sure you give the citric acid time to break down the stains so it works properly.
How to use lemons to clean sink tap stains
You can do this by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing one slice directly on the tap, especially on the stained areas.
Leave the lemon juice on the tap for 10 to 30 minutes to allow the citric acid to break down the stains.
For particularly stubborn stains, you can also leave the lemon juice on the taps overnight.
When the time is up, simply wipe down the tap with a microfibre cloth, and the stains should easily come away.
Rinse with clean water and dry your tap thoroughly to prevent any more limescale buildup in the future.
Your taps should be sparkling clean and shiny without scrubbing them or using a harsh chemical solution.
