Soap scum/lime scale - resists all known treatments

[me here]

I have a build-up of soap scum / lime scale on the shower screen. previously this has been dealt with by steam cleaning once it got too much for proprietary shower sprays to deal with. Then a combination of meths and/or lime-scale remover followed by steam cleaning seemed to be necessary. Now I cannot remove the damn stuff at all.

Done vinegar too, btw. We spray after each shower with whatever that shower-spray stuff is, which does prevent it getting worse; but there's still this residual blemish that nothing seems to shift.

Any suggestions?

[The Medway Handyman]

Angle Grinder.

[BigGirlsBlouse]

There is definitely a product available from morrisons which does the job... Viakal Just dont get your hands on it..use rubber gloves.

[The Medway Handyman]

Since glass is pretty inert it can't have soaked in, it must be on the surface.

Limescale dissolves in acids, no question - so you need a stronger descaler.

Soap scum probably also contains body fat. Both respond to alkali cleaners - but you need a stronger one.

Look up 'Janitorial Suppliers' in your local YP & pay one a visit. You can get really good products at surprisingly low prices.

[Dave Osborne]

LimeLite active gel is the dogs nuts for this kind of scum. Failing that your best option is brick acid!

[John]

don't damage surfaces and make them prone to staining due to excessive cleaning.

[Andrew Gabriel]

and don't get it on aluminium, or in an enamel bath, or on stainless steel...

[martin_pentreath]

I find Cillit Bang works well on that sort of stuff. However, don't pay whatever outrageous price they charge for the real stuff. Your local pound shop will have "Sonic Boom" which as far as I can tell is exactly the same stuff for =A31.

[Lobster]

Ozkleen - brilliant stuff for exactly this:

David

[Ian French]

On occasions I have used Harpic limescale toilet cleaner to remove limescale on baths, taps, basins etc.

When applied it fizzes up a treat, but I don't leave it unattended on chrome plated taps, or plugholes, because it strips off the chrome in no time ! Don't ask me how I found this out !! I rinse thoughly with warm water when finished, and I don't let the kids get their hands on it.

And, before all the naysayers pipe up, I know it says on the container, " Do not use on anything other than Toilet bowls", but I don't care.

Viakal is good as well, but it's got nowhere near the power of Harpic.

This information is provided with no warrantees, so don't blame me if it dissolves your shower screen.

Ian.

[Lobster]

Oh you rebel, you...

[The Medway Handyman]

Where do you get that from? From the P&G web site;

Viakal can safely be used on:

Chrome fixtures, stainless steel and fibreglass surfaces, ceramic tiles, porcelain (sink, shower tray, WC, bidet), glass/plastic (shower doors, plastic baths, vases), aluminium. Viakal is also safe for septic tanks.

[Al]

I always use Kilrock for limescale. Works on everything IME.

However, wear rubber gloves or it will suck every drop of oil out of your hands, and use in a well ventilated space or the fumes will rip your lungs out.

Al.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Maybe it's not as strong as it was 8 years ago, when it stained my stainless steel sink.

[Stephen Howard]

I wonder who the guy is that comes up with these strange names for cleaning products - and if he has any children, I wonder what he called them??

Regards,

[meow2222]

Most of whats suggested so far will work but you'll be 80 by the time it does. Just use brick acid, which is hydrochloric acid, and waste time no more. _Dont_ get any drops on metalwork though, or tile grout, or concrete, or eyeballs. Why people want to tt about with feeble overpriced commercial products I've no idea.

NT

PS only use it if you know the basics of how to handle acids. If clueless, leave it.

[PeterC]

It contains hydrochloric acid! Many years ago I worked in the lab. of a big plating firm and we used HCl to test chrome plate by timing how long it took to get down to the nickel. It'll also go for stainless steel and brass - you can clean your basin back to the ceramic!

[PeterC]

We had a very good one at work, based on sulphuric acid - doesn't go for chrome. Can't unforget what it was called as it was about half a megafortnight ago.

[Lobster]

Well, the presence of large areas of tile grout and metalwork in my shower answers that question...

David

[The Medway Handyman]

The Yanks are the best at this sort of thing. Used to deal with Butcher Polish in the USA.

Floor cleaners included Hot Springs & Sundance, floor polish strippers/removers called Jackhammer and Crowbar, polish called High Noon, Iron Stone & Lightspeed, spray cleaners called Overdrive.

All the Yank chemical companies are the same.