How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Windows?

Some waters have high mineral content, such as magnesium and calcium. This type of water is known as hard water. When hard waters evaporate from any surface, it leaves spots or stains known as limescale or calcium deposits.

At first, the spots or stains may not be visible, but after some time the deposit piles up and there’s a thick glaze on the window surface. This gives your window a rough texture and an unwanted haziness.

At the initial stage, these deposits can be removed easily, but after some time, maybe after the sun must have heated it, they become difficult to remove. Continue reading and I’ll show you how to remove hard water stains from windows in no time.

What you’d need:

• Super-soft white scourer
• Hard water stain removal
• Water and bucket
• Vinegar
• Container for the mixed paste
• Personal protective equipment like gloves
• Cleaning kits like squeegee and washer
• Rags and cloths

General Tips for Cleaning Your Window Glass

Before diving into the tiniest details regarding removing the hard water stains on your windows, it is essential to know the general but helpful tips about cleaning your window glass efficiently. According to experts from Ecoline Windows, most homeowners ignore efficient cleaning and maintenance and afterward face many issues with their new windows, calling local experts to fix the problem due to warranty. 

However, the thing is the warranty doesn’t cover homeowners’ negligence or maintenance ignorance that might lead to breaks. It is also confirmed that most window-related issues that do not stem from installation have something to do with mishandling by the customer. So it is vital to know how to maintain and clean your windows efficiently and correctly, so your units serve you for many years to come.

• As you probably know, glass panes are best cleaned with a mild soap or a vinegar-based cleaner. When cleaning a glass surface, streaks are a considerable concern, so experts recommend using a grit-free cloth, sponge, or even newspaper. You can also face streaks in case ammonia or alcohol-based cleaners are used.

• When cleaning the glass of your windows, go with light circular motions. If you see streaks emerging on the outside of your window, just utilize clean water to rinse them off. Unless you absolutely have to, make sure not to use abrasive cleaners.

• Interior side cleaning of your window glass also requires wiping down the surfaces and frames to avoid water damage or spots.

• The best move when cleaning your home windows is to start from the top floor first. That way, any run-off or water can be dealt with when you’re about to clean your bottom floor windows.

How to Remove Hard Water Stains on Windows

1. Get your equipment ready
2. Wash the window; scrape out any existing debris then use the squeegee and window washer to clean and dry.
3. Apply your hard water stain remover to a scourer. Then scrub the window for at least 3 minutes in all directions. Trust me, it works like magic.
4. Check to see if all the stains are removed after your first scrubs, if not, repeat the procedure.
5. When cleaning, ensure your stain removal solution doesn’t lodge in your window frame. To avoid this, continue to wash your window frame with water.
6. For difficult stains, use a circular pad on a battery drill. Repeat the process up to three times if necessary until your window is spotless.

Note: The above removal method is not a perfect science. Sometimes, the result may be impeccable, other times it may not.

Hard water stains may sometimes cause permanent damage to the window maybe because it was neglected for a very long time. At this point, changing the window is the only feasible option.

Here is another way you can remove hard water stains from your window:

1. In an empty container, mix an equal quantity of water and vinegar
2. Soak or spray a towel with the solution
3. Rub the towel on the stained window and allow for about three minutes. The vinegar acid content will soften the mineral deposit to make it come off easily.
4. Wipe the window thoroughly with the towel until the stains disappear.
5. Wipe the window dry with a rag.

How Hard Water Stains Develop on Windows

Hard water stains can develop on your window in several ways. Here are some of the ways this can happen and how to tackle it immediately and prevent it from causing further damages.

• Water debris left to dry on glass windows or shower screens. Solution: dry the surfaces immediately you notice water debris on it.
• Lime can leach out of cement from building and rest on your glass window. Solution: seal concrete.
• Garden sprinklers can sprinkle hard water on your window. Solution: control your sprinklers.
• Iron stains from the roofing. Solution: incorporate effective guttering.
• Lime can bounce up to your window when you hose concrete paths. Solution: seal concrete.
• Reddish water stain can buildup on your window when you hose your window. Solution: don’t hose your window.

Readymade Product for Water Stains Removal

A good hard water stain removal product and an effective cleaning method are all you need to get your windows sparkling again.

Fab Glass and Mirror have the perfect cleaning product to help you get your desired result.

The Fab Glass and Mirror’s Sparkle cleaner and stain remover is a one-time solution for your hard water stain problems.

This cleaning solution can be used for countless purposes; it takes care of stubborn water stains and also light water stains.

It comes with a flavor that is pleasing to the nose and you can use it anywhere in the house – you name it, from scrubbing the kitchen, scrubbing the floors in the living room, to cleaning all surfaces in the house like windows, doors, and so on.

The Fab Glass and Mirror’s Sparkle cleaner and stain remover is a cleaning product you should always have in-home because of its numerous household benefits.

At Fab Glass and Mirror, the question of how to remove hard water stains from windows has always been a problem for our clients that is why we came up with this cleaning product to help solve all cleaning needs.

Final Thoughts

How to remove hard water stains from windows is not as daunting as most people think. With the above cleaning products and methods, you should be able to do this without much hassle.

In many cases, you can get great results with good quality hard water stain remover and the right cleaning method. By the time you do this more often and gain more experience with different cleaning methods, you can expect to get even better results.

If there are no improvements after several applications of this method, it means the surface is stained beyond repair, and replacing the window is the only option. Mineral stains can be costly, that is why regular and effective cleaning is important.