Thousands of people in Britain live in hard water areas, meaning the water they access through their taps has a high mineral content due to the fact it has absorbed calcium and magnesium before making its way to your home.

While it is extremely common to have hard water, it can lead to a number of problems, from leaving your hair greasy to irritating your skin and flaring up conditions such as eczema.

However, it can also cause damage to your house, as a result of the excess minerals it contains. This includes enabling limescale to build up inside water pipes and on ceramic tiles and fixtures. Not only do these look unsightly, they result in a restriction of water flow as the pipes become blocked, and limescale can shorten the life of water heaters.

“The build-up we don’t see can start to cause all sorts of plumbing problems, such as reduced water flow, clogs, and increased stress on pipes and fixtures,” an article in The Spruce stated. Therefore, they end up being less efficient and needing more repairs.

Professional cleaner Melissa Maker spoke to Insider about how homeowners can protect their properties from limescale accumulation.

She suggested using a squeegee to wash the wall and base of the shower every time it is used.

She said: “This helps force everything down the drain and prevents any water or residue being left behind. It also means you won’t get any hard water build-up or soap scum build-up or mildew.”

To solve the problem of internal damage caused by hard water, it is wise to invest in water softeners in Henley, which will alter the composition of the water and prevent any limescale build-up occurring.