How to Remove Hard Water for Window Washing

Hard water stains occur when water evaporates leaving behind mineral deposits. Hard water stains are the white buildup that you see after you've washed your windows. Windows that your sprinklers hit are especially prone to hard water buildup. Regular window washing often isn't enough to remove the hard water stains. Here's how to remove hard water when window washing.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• White vinegar
• Kitchen sponge
• Dish washing liquid
• Extra fine steel wool
• Cleaner containing sulfuric acid
• Window cleaning blade

1. Wash your window to remove any excess dirt and debris.

2. Start with white vinegar applied to the window with the scrubby side of a kitchen sponge. Rub the vinegar in and then let it sit on the window for a few minutes so it can break down the mineral deposits.

3. Try steel wool and soapy water if there are spots the vinegar didn't get off. Mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid with water and apply to your window. Scrub with extra fine steel wool. Steel wool comes in different grades of coarseness; clean your windows with a #000 or #0000 grade steel wool to avoid scratching.

4. Use a lime and mineral deposit remover that contains sulfuric acid and a window-cleaning blade for the extremely stubborn hard water spots. Use a blade specifically designed for window washing to avoid scratching your windows.

5. Rinse off the cleaners and rewash your windows to remove the rest of the hard water build-up. Dry with a clean cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to tightly seal any leftover cleaner, and store out of the reach of children.
• Antibacterial dishwashing liquid leaves streaks on windows, so do not use them to clean windows.
• Never use any type of blade on tempered glass, as it will scratch.