Hard water stains and paint removal

[Elite Aqua Cleaning]

Hello, anyone got any tips on removing hard water stains? And paint, I guess for paint you'd use a scraper, magic sponge or bronze wool)? As for hard water stains I have noooo idea. 

Would this be something you would look to remove during a first clean? Or give the customer an option and ask if they want it removed? Some might not be bothered about it being removed. If they do I guess you price this according for the time it takes to remove? 

Its difficult to see these imperfections from ground level when using the pole on upper floors. 

Advice would be much appreciated as got a customers with paint and small hard water stains all over the place. Original windows on a listed house, all cut ups as well. 

 

[Davy G]

Hello, anyone got any tips on removing hard water stains? And paint, I guess for paint you'd use a scraper, magic sponge or bronze wool)? As for hard water stains I have noooo idea. 

Would this be something you would look to remove during a first clean? Or give the customer an option and ask if they want it removed? Some might not be bothered about it being removed. If they do I guess you price this according for the time it takes to remove? 

Its difficult to see these imperfections from ground level when using the pole on upper floors. 

Advice would be much appreciated as got a customers with paint and small hard water stains all over the place. Original windows on a listed house, all cut ups as well. 

We use Viakal limescale cleaner for removing hard water staining. It comes in a squirty bottle and should be available in most supermarkets and b&q. If we're doing upstairs windows we extend the pole ready, spray a bit on the upside down brush and swing it up quickly before too much runs off. Brush it in and leave it for a couple of minutes while we do other windows that don't have hardwater staining.  For downstairs we just give a squirt out of the bottle directly on to the window. If it needs it we'll give a small burst of water to help lather it in. We don't usually charge extra for water stain treatment as it doesn't take much time and effort, so we do it as goodwill. If we don't get it all first time we have another go next time. A couple of times usually sorts it. Sometimes we'll leave a little Viakal on the window when we finish and tell the customer. Never had an issue with doing any harm. We don't get involved with scrapers, cloths, bronze wool or sponges. If the brush won't shift it, it stays on, or they can get whoever put it on there (paint) to come back and sort it.

Please let us know how you get on. As I've said before it adds to the collective pool of knowledge. ?

 

[spruce]

We use Viakal limescale cleaner for removing hard water staining. It comes in a squirty bottle and should be available in most supermarkets and b&q. If we're doing upstairs windows we extend the pole ready, spray a bit on the upside down brush and swing it up quickly before too much runs off. Brush it in and leave it for a couple of minutes while we do other windows that don't have hardwater staining.  For downstairs we just give a squirt out of the bottle directly on to the window. If it needs it we'll give a small burst of water to help lather it in. We don't usually charge extra for water stain treatment as it doesn't take much time and effort, so we do it as goodwill. If we don't get it all first time we have another go next time. A couple of times usually sorts it. Sometimes we'll leave a little Viakal on the window when we finish and tell the customer. Never had an issue with doing any harm. We don't get involved with scrapers, cloths, bronze wool or sponges. If the brush won't shift it, it stays on, or they can get whoever put it on there (paint) to come back and sort it.

Please let us know how you get on. As I've said before it adds to the collective pool of knowledge. ?

I agree. Sometimes we take on other people's monkeys.

If the customer regularly keeps turning the hose spray on and spraying the down stairs windows then you need to raise your prices to include removing these hard water spots.

 

[Davy G]

I agree. Sometimes we take on other people's monkeys.

If the customer regularly keeps turning the hose spray on and spraying the down stairs windows then you need to raise your prices to include removing these hard water spots.

Yeah, we wouldn't keep doing it in that case without raising the price. Mostly when we've come across it it's been the result of a dripping bathroom overflow.  If the customer hasn't realised we tell them.

 

[Elite Aqua Cleaning]

We use Viakal limescale cleaner for removing hard water staining. It comes in a squirty bottle and should be available in most supermarkets and b&q. If we're doing upstairs windows we extend the pole ready, spray a bit on the upside down brush and swing it up quickly before too much runs off. Brush it in and leave it for a couple of minutes while we do other windows that don't have hardwater staining.  For downstairs we just give a squirt out of the bottle directly on to the window. If it needs it we'll give a small burst of water to help lather it in. We don't usually charge extra for water stain treatment as it doesn't take much time and effort, so we do it as goodwill. If we don't get it all first time we have another go next time. A couple of times usually sorts it. Sometimes we'll leave a little Viakal on the window when we finish and tell the customer. Never had an issue with doing any harm. We don't get involved with scrapers, cloths, bronze wool or sponges. If the brush won't shift it, it stays on, or they can get whoever put it on there (paint) to come back and sort it.

Please let us know how you get on. As I've said before it adds to the collective pool of knowledge. ?

Ahhh I see, will give this Viakal a go for sure! Thank you! Will it damage painted frames or upvc? Also are you using it neat ?

 

[Davy G]

Ahhh I see, will give this Viakal a go for sure! Thank you! Will it damage painted frames or upvc? Also are you using it neat ?

We use it neat, squirted straight from the bottle. We sometimes give a little squirt of water to help spread it. I have on a couple of occasions left some of it on till the next time on really bad windows without issue.  I've never had a problem on upvc but I have never left it on wood. You could try a bit neat on a part of the frames that won't be easily seen. You could do it at the start of the job and see what it's like when you've done some of the others.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Today I used neat white vinegar on a limescale fascia (picture below) and it worked well. Just spray on the whole area and go back to the beginning and scrub away with a scourer and more neat vinegar. Hard work but it comes off eventually but I would charge double in future and if I didn't get the job then I would be happy also because it can be a nightmare, tbh. ?

 

[Pjj]

Ahhh I see, will give this Viakal a go for sure! Thank you! Will it damage painted frames or upvc? Also are you using it neat ?

It won’t hurt the frames just spray it on from the bottle it’s ready for use 

 

[Elite Aqua Cleaning]

We use it neat, squirted straight from the bottle. We sometimes give a little squirt of water to help spread it. I have on a couple of occasions left some of it on till the next time on really bad windows without issue.  I've never had a problem on upvc but I have never left it on wood. You could try a bit neat on a part of the frames that won't be easily seen. You could do it at the start of the job and see what it's like when you've done some of the others.

Wow...... just used Viakal today. Grubby first clean plenty of dirt and some visible limescale on wooden painted frames ! So being a first clean it takes a while anyway. Soaked the window first with wfp, light scrub too. Applied a few squirts of ubik 2000 to the brush head, rubbed it in, let it sit for a min. Turned water back on scrubbed all the frames down along with the windows until no soap subs left on windows, frame and brush. Literally applied one squirt of Viakal and rubbed that it, let it sit for a bit then rubbed and rinsed the life out of it until no suds in brush head or on frames and glass.... gave just the glass (cut ups, so a nightmare with the middle bar, so much rinsing) just one more scrub with a through rinse and what can I say, shine was madddddd, 100% using Viakal on every single first clean. Trouble is sometimes you can't see the limscale under the dirt when quoting so it's a great addition for first cleans. Will make the second clean effortless. Seriously, thank you for recommending Viakal. 

 

[Davy G]

Wow...... just used Viakal today. Grubby first clean plenty of dirt and some visible limescale on wooden painted frames ! So being a first clean it takes a while anyway. Soaked the window first with wfp, light scrub too. Applied a few squirts of ubik 2000 to the brush head, rubbed it in, let it sit for a min. Turned water back on scrubbed all the frames down along with the windows until no soap subs left on windows, frame and brush. Literally applied one squirt of Viakal and rubbed that it, let it sit for a bit then rubbed and rinsed the life out of it until no suds in brush head or on frames and glass.... gave just the glass (cut ups, so a nightmare with the middle bar, so much rinsing) just one more scrub with a through rinse and what can I say, shine was madddddd, 100% using Viakal on every single first clean. Trouble is sometimes you can't see the limscale under the dirt when quoting so it's a great addition for first cleans. Will make the second clean effortless. Seriously, thank you for recommending Viakal. 

Hi mate, thanks for the feedback. Glad you got it sorted. We carry Viakal in the van. We very rarely need to use it but when it's needed it's needed . Perhaps a couple of times a year. We only ever use it for visible limescale / hard water staining. For normal heavy dirt which is too much for pure water alone we use a soap mix we settled on : Chemex Superplus and Fairy Liquid.