It's the bane of anyone living in an area with hard water: stubborn buildups of white scale wherever water is used.

This problem can affect any homeowner, though it may be more or less of a nuisance depending on your water quality. The United States Geological Survey says water hardness is caused by dissolved calcium and magnesium as well as some other metals in your water supply. Hard water requires more soap for washing or laundry to be effective, and when it evaporates the minerals will be left behind on fixtures. If you leave them alone, they can easily grow into large deposits that inhibit your water flow and make your bathroom look rather ugly.

If you have hard water, an ounce of prevention will go a long way in keeping mineral deposits from appearing. Ant Langston, writing for the home improvement site HomeAdvisor, says you can use a cloth to wipe down your faucets and showerheads after use. It won't take long to accomplish, and any liquid you can remove is water that won't be leaving minerals behind.

You can also simply look for a cleaning spray designed to remove mineral deposits. These cleaners can remove the buildup, though the fixture company Faucet Depot says they can also be caustic. The company also says care should be taken when using chemical cleaners to make sure they are not inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Phyllis Benson, writing for SFGate, says lemon is also an effective cleaner for faucets. Rub a lemon half on the affected area or apply lemon juice, then rinse away with a damp cloth after the acid has eaten away at the minerals. Don't forget to dry the faucet, or you'll just be leaving more hard water on the tap.

Vinegar is generally hailed as the miracle cleaner for brightening up your faucets. It's a safe, cheap, and effective way to get the mineral scale off your fixtures. Benson says vinegar can be applied directly and allowed to stand for several minutes before rinsing. You can also soak a cloth or paper towel in vinegar and wrap the affected area to allow it to permeate the mineral stains.

For faucet heads that are affected by mineral buildups, you can partially fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place it over the faucet. Secure the bag with a rubber band and allow it to stand for a few hours. The head of the faucet will be submerged in the vinegar, allowing buildups that are tough to reach to dissolve away.

Faucet Depot recommends a similar tactic for cleaning mineral deposits from showerheads. Fill a larger plastic bag halfway up with vinegar and tie it so that the showerhead is submerged in vinegar. The showerhead can also be removed and completely soaked in a bowl of vinegar. Use a toothbrush and toothpick to clear away any remaining residue and clear any holes that have been clogged by deposits.

The company says that especially tough mineral stains on showerheads can be boiled away using a mixture of vinegar and water. Create a solution of one part vinegar for two parts water, submerge the showerhead, and boil for 15 minutes. Clean with the toothbrush and toothpick, and boil for another five minutes if necessary.

Jill Nystul, who runs the lifestyle blog One Good Thing by Jillee, says the vinegar-soaked cloth method works well for mineral stains around areas such as the bathtub faucets and drain. To clean the jets in a whirlpool bath, however, she recommends filling the tub to a height just above the jets with hot water, half a cup of dishwasher detergent, and a cup of either bleach or vinegar. Run the jets for 15 minutes, allow them to soak for about an hour, then drain the tub and refill it with cold water. Running the jets for another 15 minutes will rinse away any remaining deposits.

Nystul says vinegar can also be used to clean mineral stains away from the toilet. After shutting off water to the toilet and flushing until the bowl is dry, put vinegar-soaked rags around the bowl and allow them to eat away at the deposits for several hours. Add new rags as necessary if the older ones start to dry out. Once the scale has started to dissolve, turn the water back on and break up the deposits using a toilet brush.

Langston says you can combine some of these home remedies into one paste by mixing vinegar, lemon juice, and bicarbonate of soda. The materials should form a paste with the consistency of cake icing. If it is too thin, it will appear runny and require more bicarbonate of soda. If it is too thick, it will have a crumbly consistency and require more vinegar or lemon juice.

The paste can be applied on the problematic areas and allowed to sit overnight. Use a blunt knife to break away the scale and rinse off the fixture with soapy water.

Even though vinegar is considered a more environmentally friendly cleaner than some of the harsher chemical options, it should still be treated with caution. Faucet Depot says you should avoid contact with your eyes when using vinegar, and children should be kept away from any areas where you are cleaning.