When using bleach, you might think that your limescale problems are dealt with, but what you're doing is just covering them up, and soon the discolouration will return. To properly dissolve limescale, you need a proper limescale remover. How do you remove stubborn limescale from glass? Before you start, put on some rubber gloves. It’s best to either use disposables or make sure you keep a pair just for toilet cleaning. If the limescale is still there, you can either use the rougher side of the pad or use bicarbonate of soda to do the work for you. Bicarb is a natural abrasive, which means when you apply it to your glass with a damp cloth and wipe it away with a dry one, it should remove any remaining limescale stains. However, if you left the cleaning solution to soak for long enough and gave the toilet bowl a really good scrub, you should be left with a shiny and clean toilet.

If you want a limescale remover with eco credentials, but don’t have the time or patience to make your own from lemon, vinegar or bicarb, then try Ecover. Ecover also never tests its products on animals, and even the bottle is made from recycled and plant plastic. Limescale usually manifests as an unsightly, chalky deposit which might be white, pink, or reddish brown in colour. Hard and engrained, it can be very difficult to remove, which distinguishes it from many other types of stain in your toilet. If you’re looking for one of the strongest toilet cleaners available in the UK today, these five suggestions should certainly be high up on your shortlist.Both vinegar and lemon juice are suitable for getting rid of limescale in your washing machine and dishwasher. To be honest, most toilet cleaning products can get rid of stains when given enough time to work, but there are a few that out-power the rest for very stubborn stains. Don’t forget your rubber gloves for this step. Once the toilet cleaner has been left to soak, and before you flush the toilet, it is time to scrub it. Domestos toilet gels have the iconic Domestos bottle design that easily reaches under the rim, so you can remove stains and limescale from toilet bowls even at tough angles. Our toilet gel has a battle-ready bottle with a multi-jet nozzle to give you full coverage in the bowl and get into even the hardest to reach places. Lemon method: Cut a lemon in half and rub the juice onto the shower head, making sure you cover it fully. Leave the lemon juice to work its magic for an hour or two and then use a toothbrush to scrub the showerhead, including the holes.

Flat surfaces are much easier to remove limescale from, which is why baths, showers, sinks and tiles will only need some lemon juice or vinegar applied and some scrubbing on your part. Spray the affected area with your solution and leave it to sit for 15 minutes (or longer for large limescale build-ups). During our research, we analysed Mumsnet forum posts about which limescale removers worked well and which ones were most popular for shower screens, baths, toilets, sinks, washing machines and kettles. Rust – If your stains are red or brown then rust is the likely culprit. This could be due to corrosion of your pipes, but it could also be the result of iron in your water, which combines with oxygen to produce iron oxide. Harpic claims to be 10x stronger than bleach, at least, its Power Plus range of toilet cleaning products do. But is it?The surface affected by limescale will determine how and what you clean it with. For example, you wouldn’t want to use a strong chemical-based limescale remover in your kettle in case you can't get rid of the chemical smell and taste. Thankfully, specially designed products like the Oust Descaler (recommended above) are at hand to clean your small household appliances.

During our research, we came across several reviewers who said they had stopped buying Cillit Bang because of the strong chemical smell, but tried the miraculous product once again and found that the new formula smelled fresher and cleaner than before.

3. Best toilet limescale remover: Harpic Power Plus

Water evaporation – if a toilet doesn’t get much use (e.g., in a guest room) the standing water in the pipe can evaporate, allowing sewage gases to come through. Just apply under the rim like any other toilet cleaner and leave it to work its magic for five minutes. And don’t forget to open the window or ventilate your bathroom as this product has a strong chemical smell. Vinegar method: Pour a generous amount of vinegar into a food bag and fasten the bag with string around the shower head. Leave the bag on overnight and wipe the shower head clean in the morning. Baths, showers, sinks and tiles