How to get rid of hard scale around the tap where the water comes out.

Brilliant ideas. Thank you all so much.

I find that Bar Keepers Friend is brilliant for removing limescale.

Another vote for Viakal.

To remove hard scale, try soaking a cloth in white vinegar and wrapping it around the affected area of the tap. Secure it with a rubber band or tape and leave it for a few hours or overnight. The acidity in vinegar should help dissolve the scale. Afterward, gently scrub with a toothbrush or non-abrasive pad and rinse thoroughly. Repeat if necessary. For stubborn stains, you might also try using a baking soda and vinegar paste.

CIF Cream on a old toothbrush

Try citric acid. You can get it from Amazon for around £5 a pouch. I use it on my taps, sink and draining board which is black composite and in the kettle. Works for me.

I use one of these. Just fill the rounded end with limescale remover and pop over the end of the tap.

I find Steradent works well. just put a damp tablet in the scale and leave it overnight. The tablets work well cleaning loos too! Dead easy!

Good luck!

Yes, that’s what I do too

I have very hard water- I have to replace taps and kettles every few years so I am grateful for the tips here- especially the lemon left overnight one! I shall try this.

I now use a water filter for my kettle and it seems to work better.

Depending on what metal your taps are I wouldn't use vinegar as it is very acidic and could corrode the metal if used too frequently...

The HG limescale remover is good stuff. I also recently bought a sonic scrubber - which has also been great.

Our water is very hard, I use white vinegar in the finger of an old rubber glove put on the end of the tap overnight secure with an elastic band

Viakal liquid is great but not the spray. The spray stays in the air and makes you cough - can’t be good.

One advice to do with taps is not to use any household cleaner which has beach in it, as that will itself take the coating off the tap. I wondered why I had to renew my taps which had so much green stuff around the base but found it was the cleaner I used which had stripped the coating off the tap. The plumber tells me he sees it so often on his rounds.

If you live anywhere near a Turkish shop or shop online then try Porcoz, it's the best product I've ever used. As soon as it touches limescale it starts to fizz and you can see it dissolving straight wasy.

KILROCK Descaler is absolutely magic, have been using it for years and would use no other. They do different ones for different appliances / uses!

Soak a sheet of kitchen roll in white vinegar and wrap it around the tap. Repeat as it may take a few times to work.
Clean taps and sink with vinegar washing up liquid and water mixture to prevent build up in future

My best advice s to invest in a water softener. If the scale round your taps is that bad, Just imagine how much scale is built up in your pipe work and central heating system, which you cannot see, doing untold damage over the years! You could take away my washing machine and my dishwasher, but I would not part with my water softener!

Jane43

I have found Viakal to be the best cleaning product for lime scale.

Me too. I use it in both kitchen and bathroom.

I also use Nancy Birtwhistle's tip to use half a lemon attached to the tap. I leave it about half an hour and it comes up lovely and clean. May have to leave it on a bit longer if the limescale is very heavy.

Well I now have a shiny 2p piece and it has taken a lot of the scale off. It looks a lot better. The date is 1989! I will try a 1p piece and lemon tied to tap tonight. I also have white vinegar and WD 40 and bicarbonate of soda. Thank you all for your great ideas. I will continue to try them all. Thank you all so much.

1p coins are the same - but have more copper by weight than 2p.

I suppose try to find a new one?

2p coins are only plated now.
They are largely steel.

I meant calcium!

Take a pence and gently rub it on the scale. The chemical reaction between the copper and lime removes the scale.