Hard Water- What to do about it?

The water in England may be harder than you are used to. This means it may make it difficult for you to keep limescale from building up. Local cleansers are suited to handle this issue and are worth the money to save your time and effort.

First, the laundry detergents that you have onbase are not suitable for the water here but the British laundry detergents that you get in the local grocery stores are made to handle the hard water. I use Persil which cleans very good and there is no need for additional fabric softeners as they are included in the detergent.

The same thing goes for shampoos and conditioners. The British versions are made to handle hard water.

You will also notice a lot of limescale building up around the faucets and perhaps in the toilet bowl. Harpic is a great toilet bowl cleaner that handles this problem easily. There are also other cleaners like Cillit Bang for the rest of your kitchen and bathroom. However if you would like a nature friendly cleaner try Ecover’s Limescale Remover.

If you prefer the natural approach, use vinegar or lemon juice. You can also make your own by using 1 part white vinegar to 5 parts water. Soak a towel or rag in vinegar and wrap around the faucet and let it sit for a few hours wrapped in a plastic bag. It should be easily remove. For toilets, you can empty a can of coke and leave for an hour and then flush.

You can try to fight hard water but it is a lot easier to deal with it and stay on top of it.

All the Best!

American to Britain