Cure Calcium Buildup in the Bathroom

Q: I have a calcium buildup in the bathtub under the overflow plate. I have used vinegar and baking soda, limeaway, softscrub the tough strength one. Nothing gets rid of it. What can I use? Help? - Kim

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Hi Kim,

Thank you for your e-mail.

According to Cara Smusiak, Naturally Savvy's Green Expert, the following natural cleaning product for removing calcium buildup in the bathroom:

Vinegar is my go-to for getting rid of calcium or lime deposits. The only problem is, you can't just drop the overflow plate in a bucket of diluted vinegar. Instead, try putting vinegar in a spray bottle, then spraying up into that area at regular intervals. Here is my recipe for success:

1. Spray the area with vinegar.
2. After 30 minutes, use an old toothbrush to scrub away the calcium that has started to disintegrate with the vinegar. This will get rid of the loose calcium and expose a new layer of calcium.
3. Repeat until calcium is gone.

Note: If you don't have a full day at home where you can come back at regular intervals, do this once a day, and you'll gradually get rid of the calcium. It is labor intensive, but it's an all-natural solution.

Melissa Maker, Naturally Savvy's Green Cleaning Expert, recommends a product that should be on the market soon:

A company I like, Siamons (soon to be Planet People), is creating a Calcium-Lime-Rust product that is very green and very good, but it is not on the market yet. They are well known for their non-toxic mold removing product.

Melissa

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Feel free to e-mail us again in a month or so and we will see if Melissa can get you some more information on the CLR product that is launching. In the meantime, perhaps you can try Cara's vinegar suggestion.

Good luck!