Can I ever get rid of limescale on shower panels?

[MrsRossPoldark]

Had our showers fitted with lovely 'glass' shower panels 17 (yes I know) years ago and they got scaled up. We installed a water softener a couple of years later but the scale remains. Between times we have had periods where the water softener wasn't working due to my being seriously ill & DH not taking responsibility for renewing the salt regularly.

Is there really a way to get rid of ingrained limescale it do we just give up & replace the panels to start from fresh?

I have tried off the shelf chemicals & vinegar / lemon juice / other natural remedies.

[coffeeisnectar]

Toilet cleaner with the timescale remover is great but it needs to sit on the area affected for a while. You may need to take the panels off to do it. Or lay panels down, sprinkle with bicarb and spray with white vinegar and leave to work.

[Sapat]

I have similar problems due to my sloppy housekeeping (3 kids and full time job), the only thing that has worked is Viakal (squirts green bottle). And I have tried everything.

[Panzee]

HG bath shine does mine.

[Pufflemum]

Cilit bang in the purple bottle. Spray it on then rub it all over. Leave for 5-10 mins, rub again then rinse then dry with a dry cloth. Its a miracle. Make sure you wear rubber gloves as it also removes nail varnish and skin!

[specialsubject]

natural items are also chemicals. And bicarb sprayed with white vinegar does nothing as they neutralise each other.

I find that a combination of a sponge scrubber and an own brand limescale remover does the trick, with a fair bit of elbow grease.

open the window.

[dairyfarmerswife]

I fear ours are permanently damaged. I don't know if that's possible. Have used various descaling products over the years but nothing, including the really nasty and the natural, seems to shift it. There is still a pattern

Sorry, that's not very helpful, I'm on the lookout for a miracle product too.

[MrsRossPoldark]

Dairyfarmerswife: I've tried all the suggestions from posters too & I am coming to the same conclusion - too far gone. If we win the lottery I'll buy new & start again!

[slicedfinger]

£95m tonight. That would be one hell of a shower screen!

[Tinkerisdead]

Could you try an oven blade? Its like a blade that scrapes an oven/glass clean. Go over it with one, AND THEN try the chemicals? They're only a few quid.

[SundaySunshine]

Stardrops - it seems to clean absolutely everything I've tried it on, including grimy shower screens.

[MrsRossPoldark]

Sundaysunshine: never heard of Stardrops? Can you get it in Morrisons?!

[Fluffycloudland77]

Malt vinegar on an ecloth/microfibre cloth & elbow grease.

It will eat through the scale. I suspect star drops is detergent more. than anything.

[BrokenFoot]

Have you tried spraying loads of viakal on it and leaving it for a few hours?

[SundaySunshine]

MrsRoss you can get Stardrops in Wilko's, not seen it anywhere else. When its dry I rub it down with a microfibre cloth; works a charm.

[BallsforEarrings]

Any acid based cleaner or chemical, including vinegar, will help break down limescale, which is an alkali ph.

[Hidingbehindclouds]

Cilit bang limescale and grime or whatever it's called and a scourer soaked in vinegar. Oh and if you pop your shower head into a bag full of it, it works really well to dissolve any limescale inside

[thenightsky]

Came on to say Cilit Bang Lime and Grime version. But see it's been mentioned already.

Here is a comparison for you. Me and DH use separate showers. He never cleans his apart from running a window blade thing over the screen. I Cilit Bang Lime and Grime once a week, rinse off and then window blade mine. Mine is clear as day and his is opaque.