In the context of home improvement, the term
limescale refers to calcium carbonate precipitates which sticks on the surface of utensils like kettles and cooking pans. Before embarking on looking for ways to remove the precipitate, it is appropriate to understand how the compound is deposited on the surface of appliances. Most households across the UK use hard water in their kitchen and laundry rooms. In this case, hard water refers to water containing significant quantities of dissolved magnesium and calcium ions. Limescale forms whenever hard water containing calcium ions is heated above 600C. As a result, the high temperature leads to formation of solid calcium carbonate, which precipitates and sticks on metallic surfaces.
