Best way to remove really bad hard water/rust from white tile?

I too have a well and very hard water. The plumber used white vinegar to soak my shower heads in for c.15 minutes to dissolve the deposits that were clogging the holes and slowing the flow of water.

But my tiles do not get stained.

Can you put a filter in where the water enters the house before it goes into the holding tank? You have to change the filter every three months but it does collect the gunk. I am always horrified at the collection of disgusting stuff that gets trapped. I also have to take out the drains in my sinks and scrub them with vinegar and water and a tooth brush weekly.

Have you tried CLR and magic erasers? Those eraser things are so awesome. I would agree with Gail to try and head the iron off somehow before it enters the house.

We had a similar problem with our city water (not rust, but calcium deposits) and nothing, not even hot vinegar or CLR or Magic Erasers worked to remove them. We ruined a dishwasher in just over a year before we bit the bullet and bought a water softener. The interesting thing is, after the softener had been in place for several months, old hard water stains started going away…just from getting wet routinely with soft water! I think there is a water softener that also filters out iron, but am not sure. Check Sears…they have many different models. Good luck!

Thanks for the tips; Since the house is up for short sale, I will not be adding any filters, etc…I already have a softener, otherwise the water would not be fit to use at all; I do not drink or cook with it. The only really good product I have found so far is a type of floric acid used to clean aluminum, but i cant find it anymore. Next best is the elbow-grease and scouring stick; a huge amount of work, but effective and not toxic.

What doe this mean “up for short sale”?

Cant make mortgage payments, so selling it for less than is owed(short); the lender and the banks take what they can get and the rest is lost. I walk away with nothing. This is the thing that this “bailout” is supposed to be for. Talking with my realtor today, he has not heard of ONE person that has been helped yet. I suspect it is a lot of money pissed away, (AIG-style) while my neighbor hood becomes a ghost town.

@blu: I’m so sorry to hear that. May next year be a better one for you.

@BluRhino. Sorry to hear of the situation. Best of luck to you.

Try using CLR (Calcium, Lime, and Rust) Cleaner. It’s not very expensive but I got great results with it…good luck!

@jennamen83: See second and third answers, please. Welcome.

Distilled white vinegar. Vinegar has a natural decomposing power. Just like you would use it to clean hard water deposits from a coffeepot, you can use it on anything glass. Take a plain spray bottle, and fill with white vinegar. spray and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then wipe away.