Limescale fogs up the shower screen, taps grow crusty overnight, and the hob picks up a greasy haze that somehow laughs at ordinary washing-up liquid. Mrs Hinch fans keep naming the same five bottles when asked how to beat it all without spending your whole weekend scrubbing. The trick is knowing what goes where.
Saturday morning, the bathroom looked fine until the sun shifted. The glass started to show those white freckles, and the tap wore a chalk ring like a tired halo. In the kitchen, the kettle popped and hissed, and the splashback had a film that lights love to expose. I held up a random spray from the under-sink jumble and realised I was guessing. Then I went scrolling through Hinch groups and DMs, listening to the people who actually do this on a Tuesday night after tea. The pattern was loud, almost bossy. Five names kept coming up.
The shortlist Hinchers repeat without thinking
Ask a hundred Hinchers and you’ll hear the same chorus: **Viakal** for taps, screens, and hard-water lines. **The Pink Stuff** paste for soap scum rings and stained sinks that need a little grit. White cleaning vinegar for kettles, shower heads, and daily de-scale spritzes when the water’s especially hard. Cif Cream for stainless sinks and hobs that need a gentle, creamy cut. **Elbow Grease** for cooker hoods, greasy tiles, and that invisible film on cupboards your fingertips know too well. It reads like a capsule wardrobe for cleaning. Fewer bottles, sharper results.
Kelly in Leeds sent a photo that could sell a thousand caddies: before, a milky shower panel with a blurry silhouette; after, you could read the shampoo label through the glass. She sprayed Viakal, walked away for seven minutes, then wiped with a damp microfibre and rinsed. That’s it. About 60% of UK homes are in hard-water zones, so those white blooms aren’t going anywhere on their own. Her trick wasn’t elbow power. It was dwell time.
There’s a simple bit of chemistry under the sparkle. Limescale is mineral, so acids win: the acetic acid in vinegar, the targeted acids in Viakal. Soap scum is fatty and gritty, so a mild abrasive like Cif Cream or Pink Stuff shifts the film without tearing your surfaces. Kitchen grease is, well, grease, so a strong surfactant in Elbow Grease lifts it so water can carry it away. Pair mineral with acid, fat with surfactant, stains with gentle abrasion. That’s the whole game.
How to use the five without wasting a Sunday
Think in mini-zones and minutes. Bathroom: mist Viakal over taps, the screen edge, and the shower rail, then leave it for 5–7 minutes while you strip the beds. Return with a damp microfibre, wipe, rinse, and dry with a cloth for that showroom snap. Stubborn white spots? Tap on a lentil-sized dot of The Pink Stuff, circle gently, then rinse. Kitchen: spray Elbow Grease onto the hood filter and splashback, wait two songs, wipe clean. Finish with Cif Cream on the sink in overlapping arcs, rinse cold for a mirrored basin.
Two big wins: let products sit, and stop scrubbing dry. Wet microfibres glide and don’t scratch, and a quick rinse sets the shine you just earned. Patch-test delicate surfaces, especially natural stone, and keep acids away from marble, limestone, and some plated finishes. Never mix vinegar with bleach, and don’t layer products back to back. Let’s be honest: nobody really does that every day. A ten-minute loop twice a week beats a three-hour marathon and a sore shoulder.
One line from a Hinch fan stuck with me, scribbled on a sticky note near her caddy:
“Spray, walk away, then wipe like you mean it.”
It works because you let chemistry carry the load, not your wrist. If you crave a quick-start list, try this:
- Bathroom glass: Viakal, 7 minutes, rinse, dry.
- Cooker hood: Elbow Grease, five-minute sit, wipe top-to-bottom.
- Sinks: Cif Cream on a damp sponge, circles, rinse cold.
- Shower head: white vinegar in a bag overnight, then a hot flush.
- Stubborn ring: The Pink Stuff, soft pressure, short strokes.
It feels almost smug when the water beads and slides off.
Why this mix beats a cupboard full of maybes
These five slice the house by problem, not by aisle label. One bottle for mineral build-up, one for grease, one for scum that needs polish, one for the everyday de-scale, and a creamy cleaner that flatters steel and enamel. You cut the noise, and the routine writes itself. We’ve all had that moment when the shower goes from mist to mirror and you catch your own grin. The shine starts to last because you’re not spreading residue, you’re removing it. Keep the kit small, keep the steps short, and let the wait do the work. That’s what fans are really sharing: a way back to clear glass and calm sinks without losing your Sunday.
| Point clé | Détail | Intérêt pour le lecteur |
|---|---|---|
| Target limescale with acids | Use **Viakal** on taps, screens, rails; white vinegar for shower heads and kettles | Faster results with less scrubbing, fewer re-do passes |
| Match soil to tool | Grease to Elbow Grease; scum/stains to Cif Cream or The Pink Stuff | Cleaner finish, less residue, real shine on steel and enamel |
| Time beats force | Dwell 5–7 minutes, then wipe and rinse; dry for that crisp finish | Protects surfaces and your hands while delivering a showroom look |
FAQ :
- Are these safe on chrome and shower glass?Yes for most modern chrome and tempered glass. Spray Viakal on, leave a few minutes, then rinse and dry. Avoid prolonged contact on damaged plating.
- Can vinegar replace Viakal for heavy limescale?For light build-up, cleaning vinegar works well. For etched lines and older scale, Viakal’s acid blend is faster and leaves fewer streaks.
- What about natural stone like marble or travertine?Skip acids and abrasive pastes on natural stone. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner and a soft cloth, and dry after each splash.
- How do I clean a clogged shower head?Fill a sandwich bag with white vinegar, tie it around the head so holes are submerged, leave overnight, then run hot water. Wipe and dry.
- Is The Pink Stuff safe on ceramic hobs?Use sparingly and gently. For glass-ceramic hobs, start with Cif Cream on a damp soft sponge; use paste only for stubborn marks and rinse well.
