TRIED & TESTED; THE ACID TEST FOR TAPS

Grunging the sink or blocking up the shower, limescale is a scourge. Can anything remove it? Our panel scrubs up with seven products

IF YOU live in a hard-water area, you'll easily recognise the scourge of limescale. Those ugly chalky stains around taps and plugholes of sinks and baths are simply deposits of the calcium salts in hard water. And as you may remember from school chemistry lessons, it is acid that will dissolve an alkali such as limescale. Limescale removers for bathrooms and kitchens are all acids of one type or another, although different products use different formulations: for example, sulphamic acid, phosophoric acid and citric acid. The trick is to find an acid strong enough to attack the limescale, without the product being unpleasant or unsafe to use, or so powerful that it damages the surface being cleaned. Enamel, it seems, is more easily removed than limescale, making few removers usable on enamelled surfaces - which greatly restricts bathroom use for the many people with enamelled tubs. The other restrictions advertised on most of the products - that they cannot be used on marble or on gold- plated or silver-plated taps - is likely to concern fewer users.

We tried out a number of products on the market. Some are specifically sold as limescale removers, others are general bathroom cleaners that also claim to tackle limescale. None was able to blast away really heavy deposits on one use. The worst bits will probably need a few applications.

THE PANEL

Wendy Ridings and Ullins Grant from the cleaning company, The Clean Team Ltd; Christine Fitt, housewife; Roberta Hill, writer.

THE TEST

The panel gave each product marks for how effective it was at removing limescale, how convenient it was to use, how tolerable its odour, and value for money.

***JIF BATHROOM

500ml pounds l.55

A general bathroom cleaner that claims to "attack limescale", this was rated one of the more effective products, although it could not be used on enamelled surfaces. The panel found it of limited use for tackling very heavy encrustations but they liked its piney smell. The bottle's trigger spray releases a foam which Roberta Hill described as being the consistency of "lightly beaten egg white half-way to the meringue stage". "Very effective on baths, sinks and tiles. Pleasant soapy smell," said Ullins Grant. "Easy to use, with a pleasant smell; it left the bathroom nice and shiny without rinsing. Not good for bad limescale though," Wendy Ridings said. "Effective and simple to use on all surfaces," said Christine Fitt about the product, which works in about three to five minutes.

*BATH BRITE

300ml pounds 1.35

The panel were disappointed with this clear liquid, which claims it needs only to be spread on and wiped off at once. "Not good on limescale though it left everything nice and shiny. Not as easy as the sprays to use," said Wendy Ridings. "Smells like a public convenience," Christine Fitt commented. "We found the product was not very good and again could not be used on many surfaces, including enamel," was Ullins Grant's opinion.

**VIAKAL LIMESCALE AND WATERMARK REMOVER

250ml pounds l.69, 500ml pounds 2.39

Although it is sold solely as a limescale remover, this product was one of the least effective. It is also one of the most expensive. Wendy Ridings said: "The smell was awful and it also can't be used on enamel and a lot of other surfaces. But it is useful for the toilet." "Quite good for removing slight limescale," said Ullins Grant. Roberta Hill found that Viakal had little effect on thick scales. A liquid, it tended to drop off surfaces instead of clinging to them (it should be left for up to 10 minutes to work). "It made little impact on the ring around the tap on the sink because it kept dripping off on to the surface below," she said.

****AJAX EXPERT

500ml pounds l.45

A light, turquoise foam which combines the functions of a general bathroom cleaner and a limescale dissolver, this product should be left to work for five to 10 minutes. The panel found it fairly effective and very good value for money; it was also the only product tested that could be used on enamel. "Easy to use and good on small amounts of limescale," said Wendy Ridings. It was Christine Fitt's favourite product: "The winner for convenience, effectiveness on all surfaces and value for money." Roberta Hill liked the fact that this product can be used as a general cleaner and found that, as a foam, it clung to surfaces more easily than the liquid.

**LIMELITE FOR SURFACES

250ml pounds l.59, 500ml pounds 2.29

This is a thicker, more viscous liquid that clings to surfaces more effectively than the other liquids tested. However, Christine Fitt found the smell of this product distinctly off-putting, describing it as a "peculiar stench, like a cocktail of lime cordial and lavatory cleaner". Roberta Hill was disappointed that it did not fizz on contact as described on the bottle.

**SAINSBURY'S SURFACE LIMESCALE REMOVER

250ml pounds l.29, 500ml pounds 1.89

This product, which uses sulphamic acid, was one of the best at attacking deposits and only needs to be left on for 30 seconds before being wiped off with a damp cloth. However, most of the panel found the smell too strong for regular use. "It works well with slight limescale, but it doesn't smell pleasant," commented Ullins Grant. "Once again, this cannot be used on enamel and has a pungent smell, but it is extremely effective. Instant limescale removal," Christine Fitt said. Roberta Hill found that, as with other liquids, it ran off surfaces too easily.

***OZ LIMESHINE

300ml pounds l.45

This product uses citric acid, with another mystery ingredient added which, it is claimed, makes it doubly effective. The trigger spray can be adjusted to send out either a fine spray or a foam which should be left for a few minutes. The panel voted it one of the most effective. "Very good on vertical surfaces and sinks, though again it cannot be used on enamel," commented Christine Fitt. "Very easy to use, rather a good lemony smell, very good on limescale," Wendy Ridings said. Roberta Hill liked it although it did not get rid of the worst deposits on the floor of her shower unit: "The only thing that destroys these is an industrial strength product so lethal that it is sold solely to professional cleaners," she said.

STOCKISTS: Viakal and Jif are available from most supermarkets; Ajax Expert from the Co-op; Sainsbury's Surface Limescale Remover from branches of Sainsbury; Bath Brite from John Lewis partnership stores and hardware stores; Limelite and Oz Limeshine from leading grocery, DIY and household stores.