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. 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. Phos-Clean finds its place in various settings, serving different sectors with exceptional results. No matter the industry, Phos-Clean is the go-to solution for maintaining cleanliness, combating limescale, and ensuring the longevity of expensive systems. The limescale disappears before your eyes to leave your kettle bright and shiny. It will also stop the limescale scum you get when you pour tea or coffee, meaning you’ll get a more delicious drink every time. Seriously, Cillit Bang lime and grime. Totally works. I've cleaned away horrendous limescale in about 30 minutes with stuff.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user Happycow)

Kettles and coffee machines can also use vinegar or lemon juice to remove limescale. Fill the kettle or coffee machine a quarter full with either liquid and leave to sit for an hour. Then top the kettle or coffee machine up with water and boil it or run the coffee machine as normal. Pour away the water and vinegar/lemon juice liquid and rinse it with cold water a few times to remove the smell and taste. What is the strongest limescale remover? You can use this cleaner in various places around your home as it’s suitable for ceramic basins and toilets, acrylic baths and showers, tiles, plastic, chrome and stainless steel and grout. Pros Whether you buy a limescale remover or create your own, you need to regularly break down the deposits to prevent unwanted limescale build-ups, which can cause problems with your pipes. Vinegar method: Pour vinegar into a spray bottle and coat your taps in it (ensuring all the limescale affected parts are covered). Leave the solution to sit for 30 minutes and then use a sponge to scrub it clean. Not only is this versatile paste budget-friendly, but it also uses 99% natural ingredients, is non-toxic and suitable for vegans. However, you need to be careful when applying this formula to glass, plastic, ceramic, acrylic, steel and ceramic hobs as it may scratch the surface if you apply too much pressure. We recommend you do a patch test first.

NCH Maintenance Solutions

Ecover also never tests its products on animals, and even the bottle is made from recycled and plant plastic.

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. All of our recommendations for limescale removers came from Mumsnet users themselves - because we believe that the best way to find highly-rated products is to ask real people who’ve used them time and time again in their homes. Spray the affected area with your solution and leave it to sit for 15 minutes (or longer for large limescale build-ups). I also find Viakal very good for limescale around taps, for e.g. Have to use it regularly since we’re in a hard water area.” (Rated by Mumsnet user GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER)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 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. Your taps will get the chance to soak, and the limescale will vanish or loosen enough for you to chip it away. Mumsnet users rate the Tap Head Cleaners because they’re easy to use, easy to clean and come with a three-year guarantee. Pros

Washing machine: Dettol Spray Cleaner Antibacterial Mould & Mildew Remover. Once clean, be sure to leave the door open for a day every now and again - means everything dries out and so slows down things like mould. Also, using powder (vs gel tabs) reduces mould and bacterial growth.” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user SpinachIsAGatewayDrug) 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. Yeah, [The] Pink [Stuff] Paste is the key. It'll bring anything up like new!” (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user DonLewis) To remove limescale from your toilet, you need to use vinegar. Pour vinegar (straight from the bottle) into the toilet bowl and leave it to sit for three hours or longer. Then scrub the bowl with a toilet brush to wipe off the limescale residue and flush. Taps But with this nifty product, all you need to do is fill it up with a limescale remover then loop the Tap Head Cleaner over your tap and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. Lakeland sells an accompanying Limey Tap Descaler that you can use with the Limey, but you can also choose a different limescale remover or even opt for a natural one such as white vinegar or citric acid.

8. Best eco-friendly limescale remover: Ecover Limescale Remover

Using a shower squeegee after you have a shower might also help you keep on top of your limescale build-ups. How do you get rid of limescale naturally? One Mumsnet user, Laila747, says, “White vinegar in a spray bottle, add some Fairy Liquid and spray all over shower screen, leave for 15 minutes then rinse. Perfect streak-free shower screen every time!” It’s almost impossible to see a Cillit Bang product without uttering their slogan “Bang! And the dirt is gone!” but that’s exactly what happens when you use their limescale remover. Some limescale removers have high concentrations of acid, which may damage chrome taps. Before using any limescale remover, we recommend that you read the label and follow the instructions on the bottle.