As the heart of the home, your kitchen relies on several appliances to make daily chores like cooking, washing, and cleaning a breeze. Keeping your kitchen appliances in tip-top condition is, therefore, the key to a well-functioning kitchen.

As items like coffee makers, washing machines, and dishwashers aren’t cheap, regular cleaning and maintenance are vital to preventing the costly repairs and replacements that can cause chaos for the entire household.

Limescale is a big problem in many kitchens and bathrooms throughout the UK. This seemingly innocent chalky build-up – which is the remnants of evaporated calcium and magnesium found in tap water – can be seen on showerheads, shower screens, tiles, and taps.

While hidden build-ups are likely to be found in kettles, coffee machines, radiators, boilers, water pipes, washing machines, and dishwashers.

As well as leaving its mark on your daily cup of tea or coffee, limescale build-ups can cause significant damage to appliances.

Appliances with limescale build-ups also require extra cleaning and are prone to clogging that can lower efficiency and subsequently increase your energy bills.

As anyone who has tried to remove limescale will tell you, prevention is certainly better than cure. Thankfully there are a few steps you can take to prevent limescale build-ups from occurring in the first place as we’ll discover in this blog post.

Maintain your appliances regularly

Regular maintenance is the key to managing limescale and preventing troublesome build-ups. All appliances that use or carry water should be cleaned regularly to ensure limescale doesn’t have the chance to cling to its surfaces.

Whilst giving your kettle a quick clean-up is relatively straightforward, conducting regular maintenance on appliances like your washing machine and dishwasher isn’t so easy. Refer to your manufacturer’s instructions for details on appliance cleaning.

Keeping your appliance dry when it’s not in use will also prevent the short term formation of limescale, so dry thoroughly after cleaning and be sure to empty your kettle after every use.

Use water softener for long term success

People who live in hard water areas are more likely to have limescale build-ups within their homes due to the higher concentration of minerals in their tap water.

Hard water contains lots of limescale causing calcium and magnesium, which will find its way onto your taps and showerheads as well as deep inside your washing machine and other larger appliances.

Reducing the hardness of your water is easier than many think. Choosing a water softener will make your water softer and work wonders for your home life as Best Spy details:

“Soft water helps with hard water deposits and stains on tubs and showers, makes household cleaning easier and quicker, leaves less spotting on dishes and glassware, reduces your energy bills due to improved water efficiency, reduces soap usage due to better lather, results in brighter and softer clothes, and extends the lifespan of appliances that use water.”

It is important to note that most water softeners use sodium (salt) to soften the water supply. This means that water softeners should not be used in households with babies or young children, or by people on low-sodium diets.

Browse our range of water softeners today to discover the benefits of softer water for yourself. You can also find further advice on improving your home’s water quality here.