Staining from Water
Are you frustrated by stained sinks, toilets and tubs from your water ? We’ll help you identify the potential causes, and provide you with the best solutions.
Identify Different Stains from Water
The water flowing to your home, whether sourced from a well or the city, is prone to stains over time. Most common around water fixtures, drains and water-using appliances, these stains can be a nuisance to deal with, often requiring constant cleaning. But they can also be signs of unseen problems that may be impacting your plumbing and expensive appliances. To help, we put together the following comprehensive guide to identifying, cleaning and preventing the most common well water and city water staining problems.
Orange/Red Water Stains
- Cause: Typically orange or reddish staining is caused by high contents of iron, which is most common in well water systems. These stains are typically found inside the home around sinks, tub drains, and toilets, and outside wherever irrigation is directed. If you are on city water and experiencing orange staining, this may be due to the presence of iron in your municipal aquifer.
- Cleaning: If applied quickly, lemon juice or white vinegar work well to remove iron stains before they set in. For older or tougher iron/rust stains, we’ve found CLR to be a very effective, eco-friendly solution (part of the EPA’s Safer Choice Program).
- Prevention: IronShield Whole House Water Filtration System filters out the iron from your home’s water and prevent orange staining from occurring. In addition, IronShield also removes the Hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg odor), manganese and many dangerous toxins that may be in your water, such as pesticides, herbicides and pharmaceuticals.
White Stains/Spotting
- Cause: Untreated hard water can cause white staining or spotting also known as lime scale build-up on and around your fixtures, shower doors, glassware and silverware. Hard water is caused by natural (and healthy) minerals in your water, such as calcium and magnesium. High levels of these minerals cause the visible scale build-up you’re seeing, but this scale build-up, if left untreated, will also damage your water heater and other areas throughout your plumbing that experience pressure change, turbulence and especially heat.
- Cleaning: Soap and water. If this does not work, try lemon juice. White vinegar is another common solution that is able to cut through the limescale. For cleaning out scale that is harder to get to, such as inside your water heater, our No-Salt Conditioner will not only prevent scale from developing, but also remove existing scale.
- Prevention: The best way to treat hard water problems is our No-Salt Conditioner. This will treat the minerals in your water, so they no longer stick to areas in your home that are prone to pressure change, turbulence and heat. Unlike water softeners, our No-Salt Conditioner requires no salt or chemicals, and it leaves the healthy minerals in your water. If you’re looking for luxurious soft water, our Nexus hard water treatment system combines the power of our No-Salt Conditioner with our efficient water softener for the ultimate hard water solution.
Yellow Water Stains
- Cause: If you’re seeing a yellow tint to your water and/or yellow stains on your sink, tub, fixtures and laundry, this is may be caused by natural organic material known as tannins. Tannins are typically a well water problem, but may occur in city water as well. They also cause the water to have a tart aftertaste (similar to tea) and an earthy odor. If you do not experience the taste or odor described, the yellow tint may be due to iron in your well water. Refer to Orange Staining above.
- Cleaning: White vinegar and a nylon sponge works great to clean stains caused by tannins. For tougher stains, try using a little baking soda along with the white vinegar.
- Prevention: If you’re on well water, IronShield Whole Water House Filtration System is a great solution for filtering out tannins, as well as removing iron, H2S (rotten egg odor), manganese and many dangerous toxins that may be in your water, such as pesticides, herbicides and pharmaceuticals. For city water, ToxinShield Whole House Water Filtration System will prevent the yellow staining from tannins, as well as remove dangerous toxins such as chlorine, DBPs and VOCs from your water.
Black/Dark Brown Water Stains
- Cause: Black or dark brown staining around your drains and fixtures is usually caused by high levels of manganese. While manganese is natural and in small amounts can actually be healthy, high levels in your water can be a nuisance to deal with. This is most common in well water systems, but can occur in city water as well.
- Cleaning: One home remedy for cleaning the black stains caused by manganese is to mix cream of tartar with hydrogen peroxide. Mix the solution thoroughly until it forms a thick paste and scrub the stained area with a nylon sponge. A mixture of baking soda and white vinegar is also known to help.
- Prevention: For black or dark brown stains from your home’s well water, get IronShield Whole Water House Filtration System. This will remove the manganese from your water. In addition, IronShield removes iron (orange stains), H2S (rotten egg odor) and many dangerous toxins that may be in your water, such as pesticides, herbicides and pharmaceuticals. For city water, ToxinShield Whole Water House Filtration System prevents the yellow staining from tannins, as well as removes dangerous toxins such as chlorine, DBPs and VOCs from your water.
Blue-Green Water Stains
- Cause: If you’re seeing blue-green stains around your plumbing fixtures and/or pipes, this is most-likely caused by acidic water. Other problems that can occur from acidic water over time are pinhole leaks in your pipes, as well as damage to your expensive appliances. Low pH/acidic water can occur anywhere, but is most common in the Northeastern region of the US.
- Cleaning: Mix baking soda and white vinegar into a paste and scrub the stained area with a nylon mesh sponge.
- Prevention: To neutralize the acidic water in your home, use AcidShield Whole House Water Filtration System. This whole house filtration system instantly balances your water’s low pH. Additionally, AcidShield will help remove the metallic taste from your water.
Get your free water filtration quote today by filling out the form below or calling 1-888-766-7258 to speak to one of our water experts.
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