Calcium build up on your otherwise beautiful, shiny kitchen taps is a common but irritating occurrence which most people have to deal with at some time. If your kitchen is a brand new, sparkly model then this won’t be a concern but many people find that the pesky issue of calcium build up becomes an issue quite quickly.
If you live in a hard water area then you will probably find that you suffer rather more than those who live in areas with soft water. Hard water will mean that you find that ugly build up sooner than otherwise…and once it has a grip on your otherwise perfect kitchen, calcium build up is an irritant that needs to be removed as soon as possible!
There are a number of ways to safely remove the build up of calcium on your taps; one of the most popular is simply to purchase a good quality commercial remover which can then be applied to the taps and will quickly begin to degrade the build up.
If however you prefer not to use chemicals then there are other, more environmentally friendly routes which you can take to begin the battle against the build up. Using chemicals is not only bad for the environment but can be expensive too!
An effective recipe for removing calcium build up from around your taps involves some basic ingredients which many people will find in their store cupboards. Lemon juice, white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are excellent at removing all kinds of problematic stains and build ups and calcium build up is one of them! These ingredients are cheap and readily available and of course many keen bakers will already have them at home too.
Using an old cup or jar begin by mixing up lemon juice, white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to form a thick paste; if your paste is too thin, it will appear runny and if too thick, it will appear dry and crumbly. The perfect consistency is rather like icing; stiff but malleable.
Smear the paste thickly over the problem area and then leave overnight to work. Once the paste has done its magic you should find that the calcium build up is significantly looser and can be chipped away easily…use an old, blunt knife but be careful not to damage your metalwork and then buff off the remainder with a cotton cloth and some soapy water.
Of course, prevention is better than cure and so the best way to avoid calcium build-up on your taps, especially if you live in an area with hard water is to keep the metal as dry as possible. After use, wipe over your taps right down to the base to protect them for as long as possible. This might be a fussy habit for some people but it will keep your kitchen shiny and clean for much longer than if you simply allow the calcium to build up through the constant presecence of damp. If you have invested in a lovely kitchen or if you just want to protect the kitchen you have then take care of it daily and avoid the problems before they arise!
By Ant Langston