When you're dealing with lime scale, mineral deposits, or rust, the question isn't whether a cleaner has an impressive label. The question is simple:
Does it actually work?
To find out how Quartz Mountain products compared with two familiar competitors, Omega EnviroSolutions Incorporated conducted a comparative test of Lime Solv, Coil Solv, Lime-A-Way, and CLR. The products were evaluated for their ability to dissolve calcium carbonate and remove heavy rust, with the products used undiluted during testing.
The results gave us something we believe is more useful than a marketing claim: measurable, side-by-side performance data.
Why Test Calcium Carbonate?
Hard water contains dissolved minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium. The U.S. Geological Survey notes that hard water can leave residue on glassware and produce solid calcium carbonate scale on equipment, plumbing, and other surfaces.
For the first experiment, the researchers used 2.4-gram calcium carbonate tablets and measured how much of each tablet dissolved when exposed to either 50 mL or 100 mL of each cleaner.
Lime Solv: 100% Dissolution at 100 mL
In the 50 mL Lime Solv test, approximately 83% of the calcium carbonate tablet dissolved before the solution became saturated.
When the amount of Lime Solv was increased to 100 mL, the tablet was almost completely dissolved at approximately 50 minutes. After slight agitation removed the remaining material, the test recorded 100% tablet loss.
That is an encouraging result for a product specifically designed to attack lime scale, hard-water deposits, and mineral buildup.
How Did Lime Solv Compare With CLR and Lime-A-Way?
The competing products also performed well.
At 100 mL:
Lime Solv: 100% calcium carbonate dissolution
Lime-A-Way: 100% dissolution
CLR: 100% dissolution
Coil Solv: greater than 96% dissolution
Lime-A-Way reached complete dissolution at approximately 40 minutes in its 100 mL test. CLR also reached complete dissolution at approximately 40 minutes. Coil Solv left less than 0.1 gram of the original 2.4-gram tablet in its 100 mL test, representing greater than 96% dissolution.
So while Lime Solv took somewhat longer than CLR and Lime-A-Way under these particular test conditions, all three completely dissolved the calcium carbonate sample at the 100 mL volume.
For us, that's an important result. Lime Solv demonstrated that it could deliver competitive mineral-removal performance against two well-established products.
There Was Another Noticeable Difference: Odor
Cleaning performance wasn't the only observation made during the comparison.
The researchers described Lime-A-Way as more pungent than Lime Solv or Coil Solv. CLR was also described as strong, although less offensive than Lime-A-Way. The report noted respiratory irritation when researchers were in close proximity to Lime-A-Way and CLR during testing.
That doesn't mean any chemical cleaner should be used without proper precautions. Always follow the product label and safety instructions.
But it does mean the researchers observed a meaningful difference in the odor experience between the products during this particular test.
Coil Solv Produced Strong Mineral-Removal Results Too
Coil Solv isn't marketed as a household lime remover. It's a ready-to-use HVAC and metal cleaner designed for coil maintenance.
Even so, its calcium carbonate performance was noteworthy.
At 50 mL, Coil Solv dissolved approximately 71% of the 2.4-gram calcium carbonate tablet.
At 100 mL, it achieved greater than 96% dissolution.
For an HVAC cleaning product intended to deal with mineral deposits and other contamination on coil surfaces, that result helps demonstrate why Coil Solv can be useful where mineral buildup is part of the problem.
What Happened in the Rust Test?
The second experiment focused on a very different challenge: heavy rust.
Researchers obtained four heavily rusted metal jar lids of the same size. One lid was submerged in each cleaner—Lime Solv, Coil Solv, Lime-A-Way, and CLR—for approximately 48 hours. Each lid was then scrubbed for approximately four minutes using a coarse metal brush with similar pressure.
The result?
Rust came off easily in all four tests.
Researchers observed some discoloration on all four lids where the rust had been. Coil Solv and CLR produced more visible discoloration than Lime Solv and Lime-A-Way, while the Lime-A-Way sample had the most shine and least visible discoloration after testing.
That's worth emphasizing because a fair comparison should include the entire result—not just the parts favorable to our own products.
Lime Solv performed well in the rust-removal test, while Lime-A-Way produced the best cosmetic appearance on the particular metal samples used.
Performance Is Only Part of the Equation
The study also conducted an online price comparison and calculated approximate cost per fluid ounce at the time of the report:
Lime Solv: approximately $0.30/oz.
Lime-A-Way: approximately $0.36/oz.
Coil Solv: approximately $0.21/oz.
CLR: approximately $0.20/oz.
Prices naturally change, so these figures should be viewed as a snapshot from the study rather than current retail pricing.
Still, the comparison illustrates one of the goals behind Quartz Mountain: deliver serious cleaning performance at an affordable price.
At the prices documented in the study, Lime Solv cost less per ounce than Lime-A-Way while delivering complete calcium carbonate dissolution in the 100 mL test. Coil Solv's tested price was only slightly above CLR while still producing greater than 96% calcium carbonate dissolution at the 100 mL volume.
What We Take Away From the Results
No single test can reproduce every real-world cleaning situation. Surface materials, the age and thickness of deposits, application time, temperature, agitation, and other factors can all affect cleaning performance.
But controlled side-by-side comparisons can tell us something useful.
In this study:
Lime Solv achieved 100% dissolution of the calcium carbonate sample at 100 mL.
Coil Solv achieved greater than 96% dissolution at 100 mL.
All four tested products effectively removed heavy rust under the study's 48-hour soak-and-scrub protocol.
Researchers reported a less offensive odor experience with Lime Solv and Coil Solv than with Lime-A-Way and CLR during testing.
And the study's price comparison showed that Quartz Mountain's products were competitively priced against the national brands tested.
For Quartz Mountain, those results reinforce what our products were created to do: provide effective, straightforward cleaning solutions for difficult jobs without unnecessary complexity or premium pricing.
Lime Solv is ready to use straight from the bottle—no mixing or dilution required—and is designed specifically for lime scale, hard-water deposits, rust stains, and mineral buildup.
Built for hard water. Made for tough cleaning.
Learn more about Lime Solv and the complete Quartz Mountain cleaning line at QuartzMountain.com.
Testing referenced in this article was conducted by Omega EnviroSolutions Incorporated and documented in its October 21, 2026 Solvent Comparison Report. Results apply to the specific materials, quantities, procedures, and conditions used in that comparison. Always use cleaning products according to their label directions and applicable safety precautions.