Limescale will wipe clean from shower and tiles using 1 laundry item

Limescale is a substance that is all too familiar in most bathrooms, coating shower heads, taps and bathroom tiles.

It's a problem that is caused simply because bathrooms are the wettest room in the house, so your tiles, shower and taps are in regular contact with water. But how quickly the substance forms can depend on how hard the water is where you live (and of course, how often you clean your bathroom). Hard water is the main culprit of limescale forming as it contains a high proportion of magnesium and calcium. When water containing these minerals evaporates it leaves behind deposits of these on surfaces, including your bathroom tiles.

High temperatures in bathrooms from running your shower can also speed up the evaporation process, meaning limescale builds up more quickly. The chalky deposits can be difficult to remove but according to cleaning experts, one laundry item is all you need to wipe surfaces clean - and that's fabric softener.

Fabric softener contains chemical ingredients like cationic surfactants which can disrupt the bonds between calcium and carbonate ions in limescale, helping to break it down and dissolve the crusty deposits so they're much easier to use.

Simply add a cap of fabric softener to some warm water and apply it to your tiles, shower door and shower head, then leave it to soak for around an hour before rinsing it with hot water.

HG International explains: "Do you ask yourself, how to remove limescale from bathroom tiles? You can remove limescale on the shower door or bathroom tiles with a fabric softener.

"Pour a capful of fabric softener in a bucket of warm water. Use this mixture to wipe off the tiles and leave it to absorb for at least one hour. Then rinse thoroughly with hot water."

If the limescale isn't fully removed, try leaving the solution on your tiles and shower overnight so it can fully soften before wiping it clean. And be sure to rinse the fabric softener off thoroughly as it can leave behind a slippery residue.

To prevent further buildups of limescale, HG International recommends taking a cloth with a bathroom surface cleaner with you when you take a shower so you can clean as you go.

The experts add: "To prevent limescale in the shower, the basin or the bath, we recommend you take a cloth with a cleaning product when you take a shower. It means you can keep the shower walls clean whilst you shower.

"After showering, just rinse with hot water and dry the shower cubicle. HG bathroom cleaner all surfaces is the ideal every-day cleaner, because it removes mild scale and skin grease and soap residues.

"You can also connect a water softener to your water pipe, which is fitted as close as possible after your water meter. With a water softener (and the built-in limescale filter), the water becomes softer and there is less limescale in your water. Unfortunately this is an expensive solution and not financially feasible for everybody."