Natural anti-scale

The limestone is evident on washable surfaces, such as tiles, sinks, faucets and showers, and inside appliances such as washing and coffee machines, due to the high amount of calcium carbonate, commonly called limestone, present in the water.

From the amount of this substance depends the water hardness degree. In fact, more calcium carbonate is present, the harder is the water. A high concentration of scale in the water can compromise the functioning of household appliances and create deposits on the surfaces of the house. The ideal solution to fight the limestone would be to have a water softener connected to water system.

In the absence of this, we must seek above all to prevent the formation of limestone and then dispose of it effectively. For this purpose, the natural remedies such as vinegar, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water, but also tomato, are very effective. Here's how to use these ingredients to remove scale from both surfaces by household appliances.

Using natural anti-scale

To eliminate the limestone many descaling chemicals are available on the market; these products entail a certain economical expenditure and are especially harmful to the environment. For this reason, also to fight limestone, it is more appropriate to make products for the home DIY with all-natural ingredients.

The advantages of natural anti-limestone products are not just economic or environmental but also in the result.

The natural ingredients used against scale, such as white vinegar, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, allow to obtain a cleaning and a gloss of the surfaces significantly higher than those obtained with chemical detergents.

The most widely used is without any doubt the vinegar, preferably the white one. Vinegar is a perfect remedy for even the most delicate materials, such as marble, since it doesn't affect them and it makes them particularly glossy.

Its action is also very effective on glass surfaces and on the inner surfaces of the refrigerator and oven, as well as on hobs. Regarding the metal surfaces, the vinegar should be avoided on copper and brass. It is also a great rinse aid in washing machines.

For surface cleaning, vinegar is simply dissolved into a bowl, being careful not to exagerate with water which, if poured in excess, could smooth out the cleaning effect. Once dissolved, the vinegar will be applied with a soft sponge and then left to work for a few minutes.

Next, we must rinse with warm water. If the smell of vinegar is too sour and therefore annoying, just leave the windows open for a few minutes to make it disappear. To eliminate and prevent the scale inside the washing machine, you should follow a well-defined procedure.

We must pour a liter of vinegar into the empty drum and run a complete wash cycle at a temperature of sixty degrees minimum and maximum ninety. This operation should be performed at least once a month. With some frequency, however, during normal wash of your clothes, you shouldpour in the softener tank, at least a hundred ml of vinegar.

In this way, a potent anti-scale action will take place and, at the same time, the washing action of the normal detergent will be enhanced. Something to avoid is instead the direct blending of detergent and vinegar, since the acid action of the vinegar and the basic detergent will cancel each other.

The vinegar is useful also to eliminate the scale that is formed inside the espresso machine. The procedure to follow is also in this case very simple. We must first get a container of at least one liter capacity to be placed under the arm of the machine, basically instead of cups.

After removing the arm holder, we will empty the water container, which must be filled with a liter of vinegar. At this point, you will operate the machine like when you make coffee, and you will wait until all the vinegar will come out and the tank will be empty.

This operation must be repeated a second time, using at least another liter of vinegar. To remove any residual it will then be appropriate to proceed in the same way but using a liter of water, again you will have to do this twice. Once you have finished cleaning, the tubes and perforating needles of your coffee machine will be as new.

The anti-scale action of the vinegar is also useful for the sink filters, which will be soaked in water and vinegar for about an hour. For washing machines, as well as vinegar, also baking soda has a strong anti-scale action. Baking soda is a substance completely of mineral origin, it is soluble, it leaves no residue and it is environment friendly. Be careful not to use it on wool or silk.

The procedures to be followed to remove the scale with bicarbonate, are similar to those illustrated for the use of the vinegar, with the difference that the sodium bicarbonate may be joined directly with the detergent. During the washing of your clothes, you add a spoon of bicarbonate, about twenty-five grams, directly in the tub. For descaling the appliance, a hundred and fifty grams will be enough, always to be poured into the tub, vacuum casting a long program.

For cleaning surfaces, however, the baking soda dissolved in water is very effective together with white vinegar, they are to be applied with a sponge and to be rinsed with warm water.

The citric acid has a very acidi nature and a very strong anti-scale effect. This substance is available in natural powder to be dissolved in water. The amount to be used it is about one hundred and eighty/two hundred grams in a liter of water (18-20% solution).

As in the case of vinegar, once dissolved, it should be applied with a sponge and left to work for a few minutes. The rinse should be done always with warm water. Avoid the use of citric acid on delicate surfaces such as marble, wood and terracotta. Finally, the tomato anti-scale. The anti-scaling skills of this vegetable are long known.

The tomato, in fact, cut into small pieces and left to work for a few minutes on the surfaces, remove all traces of scale, especially on sinks. The anti-scale action of the tomato is also very powerful on brass, rubbed with a little ripe tomato pulp and then rinsed and rubbed with a woolen cloth, it will regain all its beauty.