Your shower screens will be sparkling - with no vinegar - if you use 25p item

A savvy cleaning fanatic has shared her secret to banishing limescale from shower screens, using a 25p item that is far more effective than vinegar

Limescale is a tough customer, known for leaving toilets, taps, shower heads, kettles, and notably, shower screens with a thick, unsightly buildup. This hard white substance, mainly calcium carbonate, can be a nightmare sticking to surfaces and clogging up pipes.

But don't panic just yet, as there are cleaning tricks that skip the harsh chemicals and put white vinegar into play. White vinegar has long been hailed as a hero against stubborn stains like limescale, making short work of them. However, in an online community dedicated to cleaning tips, one ingenious cleaner shared her unique limescale-busting solution, claiming to achieve even better results than the trusty vinegar.

Displaying a sparklingly clean shower screen on the Mrs Hinch Army Cleaning Tips page, Sam Hill shared her go-to method: "I know a lot of people always ask on here what's best to clean shower screen with. I've literally tried everything to get the limescale off like white vinegar but it never works this well."

Not content with traditional methods, she revealed her own concoction: "I've found the best thing to use soda crystals. I make a paste and apply it in circles with a microfibre cloth", reports the Express. Revealing the magic touch, she noted: "Just leave it for a couple of hours, then rub it off with a microfibre cloth and rinse to finish. It's like new," stressing soda crystals wipe out limescale and soap layering. Sophie Mitchell asked: "How do you make the paste with soda crystals? ".

Sam explained: "Add around half a quarter of the bag [125g] to a bowl with just enough water to form a paste." Considering that a 1kg bag of soda crystals runs for about £2 to £2.50 at B&Q and retail giants like Sainsbury's and Tesco, this savvy method will only cost you a scant 25p to 31p per pop.

However, the comments section was abuzz as devotees of cleaning guru Mrs Hinch weighed in with their views, with a chorus of praise for Viakal due to its impressive results. Louise Andrews divulged her expert opinion: "I use Viakal every day in my cleaning business and it always gives a good result."

She added: "Open the window and spray your screen with Viakal and then using a non-abrasive scourer, rub in circular motions all over and then leave for 20 minutes or so and then wash off with hot water and leave to dry." Danielle Reed shared her tale of triumph over limescale thanks to Viakal, adding: "We had an awful time trying to get limescale off. We just brought Viakal. Works wonders."