Hard water is water that contains large amounts of minerals, like calcium, magnesium and limestone. While it’s not unusual for residential homes to have hard water—and it is perfectly safe to use—this kind of water supply can negatively impact your house over time. The most worrisome problem associated with hard water is lime scale buildup. This type of buildup will eventually form inside your plumbing and create a roadblock for water flow. Then there’s mineral-enriched water, which leaves hard water stains on everything it touches. Dishes, toilets, sinks, showers, glass, tubs, clothes and more can spot and/or tarnish.
The best thing you can do to save your home from hard water stains is address them as soon as possible. Here’s how to get rid of and prevent hard water stains in showers and bath tubs in Glendale.
Watch for blemishes
Hard water stains may be found in many parts of the home, but mostly in the bathrooms. If you have hard water, look in your sinks, showers and bathtubs—especially porcelain, plastic and glass features—for a thin film of rough powder. This powdery substance is there because mineral-based water has a hard time dissolving soap. Hard water with high iron content can do a number on metal, leaving behind slime or rust, but the biggest problem is minerals clogging appliances and pipes and staining water fixtures.
Removing hard water stains
You can buy any number of hard water stain cleaners at the store, but there are many home remedies worth trying first. For starters, you might try spraying lemon juice on hard water stains in showers and tubs, then letting it stand a few minutes before wiping clean. Vinegar solutions and ammonia mixtures are other popular home cleaning products, but you’ll have to play around with the ratio to get it just right for your specific stains. Also, before applying any solution to your bathroom fixtures, look up how to dilute and use products safely.
Hire a pro to clean or make repairs
Do you know you have hard water and regularly keep up with shower and tub cleaning? Whether you can use some assistance, an extra pair of eyes or someone who knows the business of hard water stain removal, a maid service may be right for you. Alternatively, you might need a plumber to handle pipe issues, or a service to help repair porcelain or fiberglass showers and tubs damaged by hard water buildup.
Prevention tips
Ultimately, you want to take preventative measures to avoid lime scale buildup. Clean your showers and bath tubs in Glendale on a regular basis, preferably weekly, and spray the entire shower with a store-bought cleaner or homemade vinegar solution. Never use soap and water on lime scale buildup—it will only make things worse.
Whether you need tub repairs or recommendations for cleaners to use on your home fixtures, the team at A-1 Porcelain & Fiberglass Service L.L.C. can help. Call us today to learn more or schedule an appointment for service!
Take a good, long look at your old bathtub. Maybe there are cracks or blemishes. Maybe it’s just looking dingy and run-down. Whatever the case may be, replacing it can bring life back to your bathroom’s aesthetic. A new, shiny tub could just be what your bathroom needs to sparkle.
Sure, you could watch a bunch of YouTube videos and then attempt to do it yourself. But do you really know what you’re doing? You’ll be risking damage to your pipes and taking valuable time, all for a less-than-guaranteed result. While it might seem that you’re saving money by going the DIY route, really you’re risking having a shoddy bathtub that winds up needing major repairs.
Instead, call in the experts in bathtubs in Glendale, AZ. A-1 Porcelain & Fiberglass Service LLC is the place to go when you’re thinking about replacing or refinishing your tub. Consider all the benefits to having a new bathtub:
- Improve your quality of life: Probably the number one reason to upgrade your bathtub is that it will simply make your life better. You use your shower everyday, so why not make it a more enjoyable experience? You can choose the material for the tub and a new showerhead with stronger water pressure. You can also choose from a variety of finishes and colors. Make those showers and baths a truly relaxing experience by updating your bathroom.
- Increase your home’s value: Let’s face facts—no one finds it appealing to go into a bathroom with a mildewed or stained tub. Broken tiles and peeling caulk aren’t going to do you any favors either. In fact, a full bathroom remodel offers the best return on investment when it comes to your house’s value on the real estate market. Potential buyers will look at a nice, new, updated bathtub and be impressed.
- Use less energy: When you replace your tub, you can try out a new, more efficient showerhead. This way you can lower your water bill. If you choose to redo your whole bathroom, you’ll have more options with replacing the toilet as well.
- Convenience: Replacing your tub is an ideal opportunity to make bathing a more convenient experience. You can outfit your new tub with storage caddies, shelves, seats, and grab bars. You may want to choose some new safety options as well, especially if you’re older or have children. And a new tub is less likely to need major repairs in the coming years, so you’ll save money in the long run on maintenance.
If you’re looking into new bathtubs in Glendale, AZ and surrounding areas, consider what A-1 Porcelain & Fiberglass Service LLC has to offer. Since 1975, we’ve proven ourselves the leader in bathtub and shower replacement and refinishing. Our experts will install beautiful new fixtures or repair your existing ones. We will also refinish tubs, showers, sinks, tiles and vanities. Our customers trust us when it comes to caulking, installation and replacement of all bathroom fixtures. Contact us today for all of your bathroom repair and refinishing needs.
Whether you enjoy an invigorating shower every morning or a relaxing bubble bath in the evening, you likely use your shower or tub on a daily basis. All of this heavy use might leave you with issues like cracks, mold growth, missing tile and damaged drain caps. When your drain caps are damaged or missing entirely, it makes it much easier to lose things down your drain while you’re bathing. The moment when you realize that you are missing a piece of jewelry after stepping out of the bath or shower can be a dreadful one. Rings can be expensive, and they often hold significant sentimental value that makes them nearly impossible to replace. Because of this, it is important to take the right steps to retrieve your jewelry from your drain:
- Turn off your water: The very first thing that you should do when you lose a ring or another piece of jewelry down your drain is turn off your shower or bath. The flow of water can push your jewelry further down the drain and make it more difficult to retrieve.
- Remove the drain cap: You should then unscrew the drain strainer carefully and set it aside. You can use a flashlight to shine down your drain and identify the diamond or other gemstone in your ring. This will allow you to see precisely where your ring is located and allow you to get it out more easily.
- Use a vacuum: If you have access to a combination wet/dry vacuum, it can be a very useful tool when it comes to getting jewelry out of a drain. Simply vacuum near the top of the drain and you should be able to get your ring out. Make sure to empty out your vacuum canister beforehand so that you don’t have to filter through dust and debris to find your ring once it’s been vacuumed up.
- Try a hanger: If using a wet vacuum doesn’t work, or you don’t have one handy, you can fashion a wire coat hanger into a hook shape and use it to fish your ring out of the drain.
- Call a plumber: If nothing seems to be working, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any hope for retrieving your ring. A plumber should be able to help you fish your jewelry out of the drain.
Losing a ring in a drain is a common mishap that can happen to anyone, but it might be more common if you have broken drain fixtures or a tub that could use refinishing. At A-1 Porcelain & Fiberglass Service L.L.C., we are proud to offer a superior selection of services, including bathtub refinishing in Phoenix, AZ. Our customers have chosen to work with our professional team since 1975 and we continue to treat each one of our clients with kindness and professionalism. We are skilled to handle a variety of projects and we would be more than happy to help you no matter what your specific needs may be. Our team of experts is just a phone call away, so get in touch today.
