How Limescale Impacts Your Airbnb (and How to Fight Back)

Ever noticed white chalky gunk on your faucets or a weird, cloudy streak inside your kettle? That’s limescale (Calcium Carbonate), also known as hard water deposits.

Here in Cebu, limescale appears practically anywhere touched by tap water. Bathrooms, kitchen, your French Coffee maker. You name it. 

Let’s clear something up: this isn’t dirt. It’s not poor water treatment either. It’s simply science.

Cebu draws much of its water from underground sources that pass through limestone, which loads it with minerals such as calcium and magnesium. The result? Hard water, rich in dissolved carbonates like calcium and magnesium carbonate, essentially a type of salt that causes all this trouble. And this gives me, as well as any Airbnb host, a hard time keeping things spotless.

Here are common limescale-related issues you might face as a host, plus a few cleaning hacks you can use to solve or prevent problems caused by hard water stains:

When clean looks dirty

Let me start with a sore spot. I recently hosted a guest who was happy with her stay and left an overall 5-star review, but gave us 4 stars for cleanliness. Accuracy, check-in, communication, location, and value were all rated 5 stars. But a 4-star rating on cleanliness bothered me, so I reached out to the guest to ask her about it and how we could improve.

She replied:

I was mortified. That showerhead had been scrubbed clean. I assumed. But sure enough, limescale had crept back fast like stubborn dandruff. To someone unfamiliar with hard water stains, they looked like cloudy streaks on the shower hose and head. Not the most aesthetic sight. In short, it looked as if we didn’t do a thorough cleaning of the bathroom. 

The Easy Fix

To avoid this, I decided to add a step to the cleaning routine: scrub the showerhead with cheap household vinegar. The acid in vinegar effectively "eats away" at the limescale. Even if it doesn't completely dissolve all of it, it weakens the structure of the mineral deposits, making them softer and easier to scrub off manually. While cleaning the showerhead, remove mineral deposits that may be stuck on its nozzles or the connector where it attaches to the hose or pipe. 

Bidet blunders caused by limescale buildup

“Water is leaking from your unit into the hallway.”

I rushed over. The cause? A bidet clogged with limescale that eventually burst. The inspection only cost ₱300, but the stress wasn’t worth it. That’s when I learned: limescale isn’t just an eyesore. It messes with water pressure, damages fixtures, and causes plumbing problems.

Quick Fix Kit

1. Detach fixtures like showerheads and bidets. 
2. Dislodge mineral deposits that formed between the hose and showerhead/bidet.
3. Soak them in white vinegar (or tie a bag of vinegar around them). For stubborn buildup, you may need to extend the process to a few hours, but always limit prolonged soaking to avoid damage to the showerhead and bidet finish.
4. Dilute if using stronger vinegars (like some variants of Datu Puti, which can be over 5% acetic acid). Always check the label.
5. Scrub the fixtures with an old toothbrush, rinse them thoroughly, and then reattach them.

Do this at every guest turnover, or at least monthly, to stay leak-free. 

When a kettle eats away trust

A kettle is a simple appliance, so I only got a message about it ONCE in my two years of hosting. The reason? A guest wonders if it was last cleaned in 2015. 

“Is the white stuff in the kettle supposed to be here?”

No, it wasn’t. But also, yes, because it was limescale. And here’s the thing: most international guests won’t know our water situation. Their assumption? It’s dirty.

Kettle Rescue

I already kept vinegar in the unit (thanks to a previous showerhead issue), so I told the guest to pour a bit into the kettle, let it sit for 15 minutes, then scrub with a sponge and rinse with water. These steps also work:

1. Fill with half vinegar, half water.
2. Boil. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse thoroughly (you don’t want vinegar tea).
4. Repeat if needed.

Better yet? Leave a small printed card explaining Cebu’s hard water and how to descale it.

Related Post: Top 10 Things to Consider When Hosting Foreigners on Airbnb (a Filipino Host's Perspective)

Limescale isn’t going anywhere, especially in Cebu. But it doesn’t have to ruin your appliances, turn off your guests, or make your space feel neglected. 

The key is consistency: clean before buildup becomes visible, use vinegar wisely, and inspect areas touched by tap water every turnover. A quick check during routine cleaning can save you from future leaks, stains, and guest complaints. 

Not sure what to look for or how to prevent costly mistakes? Book a consultation and I’ll guide you through it step by step, tailored to your unit.