What is “hard water staining”?
Have you ever noticed water spotting on your shower or window glass? If so and you have ever tried to clean these spots with a standard household cleaner (e.g., Windex), you’ve likely experienced the challenges of removing hard water stains.
Hard water stains are caused due to the repeated exposure of glass to ground water with a high mineral content or water runoff from a roof or exterior wall. When the water evaporates, minerals such as magnesium and calcium can leave deposits in the shape of water droplets on glass or other smooth surfaces.
On the outside of the home, we often see hard water stains on first floor windows that are adjacent to irrigation water sources. Water hits the glass each day and is allowed to evaporate in the sun.
How to fix hard water staining?
A regular window cleaning service with a mop and squeegee or water-fed pole will do very little to remove hard water stains, as some degree of chemical solution and mild abrasive scrubbing will be needed to remove the silicates chemically adhered to your glass.
Several household remedies are known to work in removing low-level hard water stains including:
- Baking soda + water paste
- Vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
Use of these DIY methods should include a gentle application with either a wet towel or a spray bottle, a dwelling time of 10-15 minutes, and a light abrasive scrubbing with a towel or wet sponge.
At Spotless, for larger scale hard water stain removal jobs that involve heavy hard water staining over larger surface areas, we use a product caused Sorbo, which is a mild acid-based powder especially formulated for safely and effectively removing hard water stains from most surfaces, including glass and aluminum.
Fix it before it gets worse!
With hard water stains, the best practice is to remove them before the mineral build-up becomes a bigger and more time-consuming problem. Hard water build-up is a cumulative process, and the longer you wait to do something about it, the more challenging will be the fix to restore your glass.
If you see hard water stains on your windows and need help removing them, give us a call, and we’d be happy to come take a look.