How to get rid of hard water stains in a shower with baking paper – it really works!

These days, most cleaning inspiration comes from the likes of TikTok, also known as Cleantok. We love getting inspired on social media but always rely on our cleaning experts to cut through the noise and let us know whether the method is safe and effective. The latest hack we’re obsessed with uses only baking parchment to shift water stains in a shower.

Who would have thought that’s a thing? And if this viral method to remove water stains from the shower actually works as TikTok says this might be one of our new favourite bathroom cleaning hacks.

We first came across this novel way for how to clean a shower head and shower hardware, through @thekwendyhome on TikTok, who’d seen other content creators trying it out. The result appeared to be a sparkling shower head and taps! So is this a legit cleaning trick? This is what our expert had to say about it.

@thekwendyhome

♬ original sound - thekwendyhome

 Shower cleaning hack using baking paper 

According to the experts, it really does work! Cleaning expert at Fantastic Services, Petya Holevich, explains that it’s the wax coating of the paper that does the trick.

‘Hard water stains are usually caused by mineral build-up on stainless-steel hardware. One item that's ideal for cleaning water stains is wax or baking paper, which is a moisture-proof paper that is covered in paraffin wax and can repel water. It’s the wax or silicone that leaves behind an invisible film that repels not only water marks but also finger prints. That’s why these products work exceptionally well in removing watermarks.’

Petya Holevich

Petya Holevich is an experienced housecleaning and laundry expert with over 5 years of dedicated time at Fantastic Services. Her journey with the company not only contributed to the maintenance of immaculately clean domestic spaces but has also put her at the forefront of training new teams, honing her leadership skills and elevating her communication abilities. 

That’s right, baking paper is the best cleaning product for hard water stains. And it’s super easy to use too as Petya explains, ‘To use them for this purpose, crumple up a piece of wax or baking paper and rub it over the affected area. Before you do that, remove any soap scum from the surface with a bathroom cleaner because the baking paper won’t work if there is built-up soap scum. Keep rubbing the surface until the fixture looks completely clean.’

Most baking parchments should work including this £4 Reynold Baking Parchment at Amazon or these £4 50pc baking parchment sheets on Amazon are so easy to use and store.

So forget investing in expensive new products, this could be all you need to wave goodbye to shower hard water stains! You’re welcome.