Hard water marks from limescale can be a real pain. But according to an online content creator, you can prevent them from appearing using a common household item which costs just 4p
We’ve all been there – you spend ages making your taps sparkly clean, only for stubborn water marks to appear after the first time you use them.
Water marks on taps are inevitable, especially if you live in a hard water area. They are caused by dissolved minerals in water, such as calcium and magnesium, which leave behind deposits after the water evaporates. It’s known as limescale, and often appears on taps, shower heads and even countertops.
Cleaning products will often get rid of them – but you’ll often find they reappear. But one online content creator found a hack that can prevent them returning, using a common household item – a tea light. Beatriz, who posts home and organisational content on her @makelifesimpler_ account on TikTok, recently uploaded a video called “how to prevent water marks on faucets”.
In it, she showed how by just rubbing a tea light over the tap, it creates a barrier which water just slides off – without leaving behind unsightly marks. Explaining how, Beatriz wrote: “Here’s an easy trick to keep your faucets sparkling. Simply rub candle wax over the faucet and polish it with a dry microfibre cloth for a smooth, water-repellent finish. You can also use wax paper for the same effect! Both methods create a barrier that helps prevent those stubborn hard water stains, keeping your faucets looking brand new!”
Hundreds of people commented on the video, and many were impressed. “You’re telling me I just needed candle wax the whole time?” said one person. Another simply said: “Brilliant!” and a third added: “Genius!”
When asked how to remove the candle wax for proper cleaning, Beatriz simply said white vinegar should do the trick.
Many people will already have tea lights in their cupboards at home, but if not, you can pick them up from your local supermarket, or online. Tesco is selling 100 tea lights for just £4, which works out at just 4p per candle.
Looking for another cleaning hack? Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie says lemon is also ‘great’ for tackling limescale and hard water marks. The expert, who featured on ITV’s This Morning, says the cheap fruit has ‘antiseptic properties’ and a ‘sweet scent’ – making it the perfect cleaning product.
For limescale that is on your taps, very simply cut your lemon in half and run the lemon all over the tap where the limescale is present,” she said. “Leave the lemon on the tap for a while so that it can get to work and then rinse away. You may need to repeat this process.”
