How do I remove mineral deposits and stains from ceramic bath tubs and cultured marble vanities?
If you have hard water, you probably have more than your share of scum, film, and lime deposits on a number of household surfaces. These unattractive deposits can appear on china, porcelain, enamel, tile, stainless steel, fiberglass, chrome, and glass surfaces. Hard water increases films and stains from soaps, minerals, and other substances. Bathroom fixtures, sinks, dishes, and other surfaces need more frequent cleaning. Calcium and magnesium in water leave hard deposits — called lime scales — on fixtures and equipment. These minerals make cleaning products less effective. To clean away lime scale, you need a cleaning product with “sequestrants.” Sequestrants capture and deactivate minerals in water. (Calgon is one example of a product with sequestrants.) The deactivated minerals then cannot react with other materials to form scum, film, or lime scale. You may also have problems from manganese, iron, brass, or copper. Manganese leaves brownish or blackish stains. Bacteria that thriv
