'It's a miracle' – Tackling built-up limescale in the shower has never been so easy with these 3 cleaning products people swear by

A brown wooden bathroom vanity with a black stone worktop. Two inset sinks with brushed brass faucets and mirrors above. A glass shower with matching showerhead in the background. .

Limescale is one of the trickiest areas in the bathroom to tackle – but a quick search and scroll on Reddit will quickly reveal that you're not alone in your struggles. In fact, nearly everyone will have dealt with this problem area at one time or another.

Luckily, that means there is a whole host of tried-and-tested Reddit shower limescale solutions for us to learn from.

Here, we have rounded up the best tips and tricks from Reddit cleaning enthusiasts for cleaning a shower and getting rid of limescale for good, using some surprising household products and ingredients.

Reddit shower limescale solutions

If you've ever had a scroll through the r/CleaningTips subreddit, you'll know just how comprehensive it is for finding cleaning tips, like Reddit's highly rated toilet limescale cleaners, best oven cleaners, and even the worst cleaning tips on Reddit.

So, what does the community recommend when it comes to banishing limescale in the shower?

1. Glass and ceramic cooktop cleaner

The uses for stovetop cleaner go beyond your kitchen, say Reddit users. (Image credit: Future)

You likely have some at home for cleaning a glass stove top, but user u/gozillastail on Reddit recommends using a glass or ceramic cooktop cleaner, such as the number one bestselling Weiman Cooktop and Stove Top Cleaner Kit available at Amazon, for removing limescale from shower glass, too.

'It will change how you look at how clean glass can really be,' they say. 'It's a miracle for glass. Like, insane results.'

They add that you shouldn't have too much moisture on the surface before applying, so always dry off any water and droplets with a soft microfiber cloth, such as the Great Value Microfiber Cloth available at Walmart, before getting rid of hard water stains.

2. #0000 steel wool

#0000 steel wool, surprisingly, won't scratch glass and surfaces. (Image credit: Future)

This one definitely sounds scary – after all, with so many things to never use steel wool on, shouldn't a shower, with porcelain, glass and chrome surfaces, be among them?

But, user u/jojosail2 assures, 'Dry #0000 steel wool,' is the key to a limescale-free shower, without any damage, adding 'It's a miracle.' Here, the grade is important – anything coarser and you might not achieve such desirable results.

User u/Cultural_Quail_8988 agrees, adding '#0000 steel wool takes it right off without scratching the glass.'

Homax Steel Wool Grade #0000 is available on Amazon if you want to try out this surprising shower limescale cleaning solution, which also works to remove water stains from wood, too. Always test on an inconspicuous area first, as user u/Western-Fig-3625 warns, 'The risk of scratching seems high on these things and would be very visible.

3. Vinegar

Vinegar is one of the most loved and versatile cleaning products. (Image credit: Future)

Here at Homes & Gardens, we're always recommending cleaning with vinegar, and it's no different when it comes to cleaning a shower, say the users of Reddit.

User u/kaleidofusion says, 'I found white vinegar to be really effective on mine,' with user u/SadYogiSmiles adding, 'Yep! I spray a diluted mix of 1/4 vinegar other part water on the glass. Let it sit while I clean the rest of the bathroom, then wipe it down before it dries. If it’s really bad I’ll go a second round.' Using a spray bottle, such as the Equate Plastic Spray Bottle available at Walmart, makes this easy.

For an even more potent effect, user u/Lannerific suggests adding a few tablespoons of Dawn Platinum Dishwashing Liquid available at Amazon to the cleaning solution. 'Spray it on, let it sit and it comes off with minimal scrubbing,' they say. 'This also makes your faucets shine.'

For ease of application, user u/queenie01250921 adds that they use a refillable dish wand to clean their shower, such as the Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Dishwand available at Amazon, filling it half with soap and half with vinegar. 'A little bit goes a long way,' they assure.

Shower cleaning essentials

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Ergonomic design

Hiware All-Purpose Shower Squeegee

This all-purpose squeegee is ideal for use just after you shower, to stop the build-up of water marks and limescale. It features a 10-inch wide rubber blade, a lightweight handle, and comes with a set of waterproof adhesive hooks.

Reusable

LiBa Glass Spray Bottles

These eco-friendly, reusable glass bottles are perfect for mixing up cleaning solutions, with UV-protection to prevent ingredients from degrading.

Machine washable

HOMEXCEL Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

These super soft, absorbent, and lint-free cleaning cloths provide a streak-free shine, and can handily be popped in your washing machine, washed, and reused again and again

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Struggling with limescale elsewhere? Our cleaning pros have shared their thoughts on how to remove limescale from taps, using vinegar, cleaning with lemon juice, or trying commercial limescale removers.