Multi Purpose Descaler 350ml

Around 60% of the UK is classed as having hard or very hard water, with many areas exhibiting over 200mg of calcium carbonate per litre from a “soft water” baseline of 60mg per litre. If you check out our map of the UK above, you can see if the area you live in has hard water.

There are two primary ways limescale forms:

1. EVAPORATION: Water evaporates leaving the scale-forming minerals behind on surfaces, these then bond to the surfaces and stay there, leaving behind hard white deposits. This is often found on taps, plug holes, shower heads and glass.

2. HEAT: When water is heated, the minerals within the water will rapidly begin to form scale (hard white pieces which float around), which is why limescale commonly builds up quickly in hot appliances like kettles and irons.

The most obvious signs of limescale are:

• What limescale looks like on taps: hard white deposits around your taps, plugholes and sinks.
• What limescale looks like on showers: Your shower pressure might be down, and
  there will be build-up around the nozzles on the showerhead. The shower glass
  may also become cloudy.
• What limescale looks like in a kettle: you might get bits of limescale in your tea
  and see them floating in the kettle, particularly around the heating mechanism
  which may cause it to stop working as efficiently.
• What limescale looks like in an iron: it might be struggling to heat up and leave
  white flakes on your clothes.
• What limescale looks like in a coffee machine: Your steam nozzle may become clogged and the machine may stop working properly
• What limescale looks like in a washing machine: clothes coming out of the washing machine smell bad, and the actual drum may also begin to smell.
• What limescale looks like in a toilet: faecal particles stick to limescale in the toilet bowl, causing the limescale to look like a brown stain underneath the waterline.

If you’re looking to remove limescale on vertical surfaces or in your bathroom, use our Limescale Remover. In your toilet, use our Toilet & Limescale Cleaner. However, if you’re looking to descale any appliances, use our Multi-Purpose Descaler.

Limescale is not dangerous to ingest if you’re only just beginning to notice it in your cup of tea. But, over time limescale build-up can become a breeding ground for bacteria and has been associated with legionaries disease. It can also ruin your treasured appliances.

We might be familiar with the unsightly look of limescale on our kitchen appliances but what’s going on beneath the surface?

• Reduced Heating Efficiency: Limescale build-up on the heating element in your kettle or coffee makers, irons and washing machines will pump the brakes on your morning routine. It directly impacts the temperature, making it take forever to heat water. Time is precious - don't waste it waiting for your cuppa!
• Increased Energy Consumption: More time to heat up equals more energy consumed. Limescale not only slows down the process but also makes your appliances work harder, resulting in higher energy bills.
• Corrosion and Breakage: Limescale isn't just a nuisance; but can impact your appliance's lifespan. Over time, the relentless build-up can lead to corrosion of the heating elements, eventually causing them to break permanently.

So, it’s important to tackle a limescale problem as soon as you notice it.

We’re about to get a bit GCSE science-y, but if you’re interested it’s quite cool to know. Basically, solid limescale has a high pH, it’s alkaline – you need to lower the pH to neutralise the limescale using an acid. The acid level brings the overall pH of the limescale down and when limescale is at a lower pH it’s more soluble (it becomes liquid
again). So, the acid in the Multi-Purpose Descaler dissolves the limescale, making the limescale liquid again and so it can wash down the drain. Our Multi-Purpose Descaler has a pH of 2. Pretty cool, eh?

A lot of conventional descalers use toxic acids (like hydrochloric acid or phosphoric acid), which are not only dangerous for us but also for aquatic life. Our Multi-Purpose Descaler uses citric and formic acid (both plant-derived), and responsibly sourced
plant-based cleaning agents. So, our product is safer for you to use, and safer
for the planet once it goes down the drain.