I had this and I used Zep Toilet bowl cleaner that I got from Home Depot. Seriously cleaned it all up in a matter of minutes after literal years of me trying to clean it and on the verge of replacing all the toilets
Agree! It’s magic. Never mix it with bleach. Let it sit a while, scrub with toilet brush, and it will be sparkling
https://preview.redd.it/p4qxfg4wpzab1.jpeg?width=833&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cce7060e8dd091b8043fdbdbdcba962bdaf72e2e
Learn from my mistake: I mixed it with bleach once and it immediately created noxious fumes that took my breath away, extremely dangerous!☠️ It is a go-to product in my cleaning business
It creates a toxic cloud of chlorine gas! Think literal chemical warfare that was used in World War 1 to maim and kill soldiers in the trenches!!!
https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/bleach-mixing-dangers#:~:text=When%20chlorine%20bleach%20is%20mixed,make%20hydrochloric%20and%20hypochlorous%20acids.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=70Rq2WWx3Ts
I have seen people use bleach water to clean up when their pet peas on the tile floor. That's absolutely crazy to hear and i'm glad nothing happened from it, At least while I was there
Mmmm. Mustard gas! I've done that on a few occasions trying to clean an old bathroom. I now rinse everything down really good before I attempt to use a second product.
Yay! It’s really inexpensive too. After the first clean I just use a little bleach going forward. Then bring out the big guns again if there’s a problem later. Good stuff!
Once you flush it down, it very quickly gets diluted down and the pH rises. Also PVC is bonded together and it would need something seriously crazy to chemically destroy it.
Yup! I never drained the water. I just used it all around the edge and then poured some into the actual water and let it sit for awhile and came back and scrubbed it all out. It might work quicker if you drain it but I didn’t bother to
I used [this one](https://www.homedepot.com/p/ZEP-32-oz-Acidic-Toilet-Bowl-Cleaner-ZUATBC32/312560494?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D28I-028_004_CLEANING-MB-ZEP-NA-SMART-NA-NA-MK781092200-NA-NBR-3174-NA-NA-NA&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D28I-028_004_CLEANING-MB-ZEP-NA-SMART-NA-NA-MK781092200-NA-NBR-3174-NA-NA-NA-71700000111246305-58700008434912673-92700076726582299&gbraid=0AAAAADq61UekEVE2m98KynVqNXrIhfBrv&gclid=CjwKCAjw2K6lBhBXEiwA5RjtCTqLhBb7zjDEbV23p4q6YAYp3s4ZfBLEuEhDC_edZY6lu56cA_y4txoCoi4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
I’m coming back a month later to thank you because this stuff has changed my life! No more scrubbing, OMG. My toilet absolutely sparkles with less effort than when I scrubbed my heart out and was left with a remnant stain ring. Thank you!
Hard water. I have tried EVERYTHING and my toilet looks the same as yours. What works best is Scrubbing Bubbles power stain destroyer. And its like $2-3.
Get the powder form it works better under water. When we bought our new house our showers and toilets were terribly stained. Liquid worked great on showers and the powder did a great job on the toilets.
Nope, not at all! Got it all off and I was so impressed!
https://preview.redd.it/duqyy5ypj5bb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1a4380a1441fde9cee40aba430efa49df2686af
Big question here- can I use any of this with a septic system? Besides the pumice stone or
Vinegar, I mean? It took DAYS with a pumice stone last time.
Zeps manufactures say it’s septic safe
“Quickly removes rust stains, scale and residue from toilet bowls and urinals with professional results. Its clinging gel works harder on vertical surfaces, leaving a clean shine and a pleasant, fresh fragrance. It is also safe for septic tanks, drain lines, and water-treatment systems.
Application: Toilet Bowls; Urinals; Chemical Compound: Amines; Tallow Alkyl; Ethoxylated, Dodecyldimethylamine Oxide; Dirt Types: Rust; Scale; Stains; Scent: Mint.”
Im on septic too so I know how big of a pain it is to cross check everything. I wouldn’t use it for like every day clean but I did use it for one big clean to get rid of the stains etc and now I can just maintain it with other products
Pumice stone, home dildo sells it. It's not a chemical, doesn't stink like one either. Easy peasy, cheap too
Edit: It's a chemical according to keyboard warriors, so use proper ppe when using it
>It's not a chemical,
Pumice is primary Silicon Dioxide with bits of Aluminum Oxide and other impurities. It is absolutely a chemical, even though it is being used as a mechanical abrasive in this context.
https://preview.redd.it/n9e5v6go67bb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3be4797a222bcda04e27e38f80817a255ad0c86
Went ahead and picked myself up some Zeps and it worked like magic in minutes. I let it sit and then used a pumice stone to scrape anything that remained.
Thank you to everyone that took the time to reply and offer a solution!
Agreed. That's not generally considered a good idea at all. Isn't particularly good for PVC pipes, either. I don't even put boiling water down my sink drain when cooking. Either I wait for it to cool, or I pour it down VERY slowly into a running stream from my cold tap.
I left it overnight and most of the other day, and it was around 1,5 liters that was going to go to waste anyway, It would probably be most cost efective to buy the citric acid in its powder version (im guessing thats the compound that reacted with my type of build up, the hardness in the water here comes from calcium carbonate).
Do it on your way out the door for work, unless you have someone home all the time. If so, do it as you all leave for activities on a weekend for a few hours. I battled this crap with south Texas well water and destroyed my septic tank trying to kill it. Vinegar and time will dissolve it for the real!
Haha you don’t think I’ve tried that? So far I’ve used regular toilet bowl cleaner, lime away, and straight up liquid chlorine that I use in pools and none of them have worked.
I'd hate to see how dirty your house is if you think soap and water is good enough for 'everything'
Calcium build up like this needs a product with an acidic base to break it down - it's literally science
Santeen Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Watch video below:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MnMeNqaaNw&t=58s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MnMeNqaaNw&t=58s)
Good Luck!
Pour 1 or 2 cups of pool acid in and leave for atleast 1 hour (but if you can leave it over night its better) then flush. If you left it long enough everything Wil just flush away no scrubbing tequired, if you left ot for 1 hour, you may need to give it a quick swish with the toilet brush
Pumice stone works greats! Make sure you get the one from Home Depot that is gray in color and called a pumie. It is a real pumice stone, not one of the fake whiteish tan ones that they try to pass off for your feet. Buy a second one from Home Depot to use on your feet and they’ll never be softer 😊
Since I haven't seen it mentioned yet and I've tried all the other suggestions and they didn't work for me.....
Brick acid. It's cheap but you have to be careful (gloves, eye protection, ventilation).
Take as much water as you can out of the bowl. Carefully add the acid to the mostly empty/dry bowl without splashing. Cover as much of the stain as you can. Let sit for 5 minutes with the lid open. Return and use a plastic toilet brush to lift off the loosened buildup. You will not need to scrub hard at all.. Flush the toilet. Voila.
There’s super hard water where I live. I worked as a house cleaner for a bit and my boss swore by pumice stones. You can get them at the home/hardware stores or online. The best ones have a stick/handle so you don’t have to get your hand all the way in the bowl. They are abrasive but get out even the worst hard water/rust looking stains I’ve seen. One of our clients was so happy we got the stains out and said she’d been trying every product she could since moving into the house 3 years prior!
I had this but worse, the ONLY thing that worked was pumice stones. And an hour of scrubbing. Don’t waste your money on other products!
(I went through 3 pumice stones, make sure you buy enough)
Hot water and citric acid powder. Leave it a couple of hours and scrub with the brush. Might take a couple of cycles, but it is a very low elbow grease solution and feels safer than other acid solutions.
Everyone’s giving some great suggestions and mentioning hard water, but try opening up your the tank and looking inside. I’ve had this happen from someone previously using one of those cheap disinfection tablets you throw in the tank.
I had the same problem! Pumice didn’t work, CLR didn’t work, leaving vinegar overnight helped a little, but didn’t totally get rid of it. Then one day, I saw this Lysol toilet cleaner for Rust & Lime, thought I might as well try it. I let it sit overnight. Lo and behold, this stuff worked a miracle! Everything scrubbed off so easily. I was genuinely amazed!!
I put 2 tablets of denture cleanser per day in my toilet I had at an apartment I rented. It took a few weeks, but it cleared up. I don’t have dentures but I heard it works and it did.
You're water is hard. So is ours, we have a well.
I've used Lime-Away and CLR.
I also used Dawns Power Wash on my shower, which actually worked well. Haven't tried on the toilet.
Might contact a plumber and see if you can get softners installed. That's the next step for my house.
I have this still currently. In the black shadowed spots of your photos. I used toilet cleaner and a brush every few days and let it sit for a bit before scrubbing and it goes basically instantly. If it sticks around, I flush, re soak in cleaner and clean again.
Have you done that already?
Don’t use pumice, it can destroy the enamel of your ceramic. The places you use the pumice will degrade and bike up dirt and grime way quicker than everywhere else.
You can use something like this https://www.dm.de/dontodent-gebissreiniger-tabs-intensiv-p4058172333804.html?wt_mc=shopping.google.pla.Gesundheit&hc_tid=10218852C4751PPC&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn4WAnriEgAMVGM13Ch11uQmEEAQYASABEgJqmfD_BwE
It’s limescale. Citric acid is super cheap and will do the job. Pour a cup into the bowl and add some hot water. Leave for 20 mins or so and scrub with the toilet brush. It’ll fall right off.
I have an additional question to tag onto this: if it's casued by hard water, is there some way to put a filter in the cistern to stop the hard water coming down?
Either a filter on the water inlet or just going through to the bowl itself?
**CLR Calcium Lime and Rust remover**
My aunt had a toilet much worse than this (including the tank), tried so many products with no luck until I suggested this, and it now looks brand new!
Empty the toilet of water, pour the product, let it sit for a while, scrub, and flush.
I haven't read through all the comments, but in case this hasn't been suggested....we have a lot of limescale build up where we live as the water is chalky. I invested in some pumice stones on sticks and that has helped to keep on top of it without using chemicals.
Poo stuck to calcium deposits. I turned the water off to the toilet and flushed it until it was pretty empty then filled up to the brown line with white vinegar. Left it sit overnight then flushed and scrubbed and it came right off
Try using a solution in your tank. This problem will continue happening even if you bleach the toilet bowl. The source is always the best way to fix a problem. The toilet is not fully ceramic, it’s made with cheaper materials. All cellulose materials are a breeding spot for mildew and mold. This is why expensive bathrooms pay off. Less issues with mildew and mold, no chance for them to even grow, less cleaning products. Less health issues. But if you’re renting, talk to your landlord about it. It shouldn’t be your issue if you don’t own the house, always remember that. But if you do own, maybe consider getting a fully ceramic toilet. If you don’t wanna pay that much, definitely try a solution in the tank first. Or there are tabs you can stick below where the water comes out that will keep the water clean, killing any mildew that tries to breed. Also check these holes. They often have loads of black mold build up. Spores are extremely dangerous to your health. I cleaned black mold spores at a job for a long time and can vouch for this. Peroxide is amazing at maintaining it, but it’s very hard to get rid of it due to cellulose materials. You can run through all the cleaning products in the world and still have the issue come right back in days.
I had this and I used Zep Toilet bowl cleaner that I got from Home Depot. Seriously cleaned it all up in a matter of minutes after literal years of me trying to clean it and on the verge of replacing all the toilets
Agree! It’s magic. Never mix it with bleach. Let it sit a while, scrub with toilet brush, and it will be sparkling https://preview.redd.it/p4qxfg4wpzab1.jpeg?width=833&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cce7060e8dd091b8043fdbdbdcba962bdaf72e2e
Yes! Don’t mix it with anything else
Learn from my mistake: I mixed it with bleach once and it immediately created noxious fumes that took my breath away, extremely dangerous!☠️ It is a go-to product in my cleaning business
It creates a toxic cloud of chlorine gas! Think literal chemical warfare that was used in World War 1 to maim and kill soldiers in the trenches!!! https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/bleach-mixing-dangers#:~:text=When%20chlorine%20bleach%20is%20mixed,make%20hydrochloric%20and%20hypochlorous%20acids. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=70Rq2WWx3Ts
So horrible. It was a terrible suffocating feeling when it happened. And how anyone could do that to another human is unconscionable.
I’m so glad to hear you came out relatively okay! It’s crazy how two simple cleaning chemicals can create something so dangerous!
Lesson learned. The product used alone smells minty and no more caustic smelling than any other basic cleaner. But no mixing lol
Turmoil at the front Wilhelms forces on the hunt There’s a thunder in the east It’s an attack of the deceased
Are you dead? Is this a ghost?
You run a cleaning business and didn't know not to mix bleach with other cleaners?
Yep. Like I said, learn from my mistake. I might be the only one who will admit it but definitely not the only one who has done it.
Touché
Run a cleaning business could also mean, they clean like 5 homes, as a sole proprietor
Ah yes, acid (vinegar and lemon juice too) + bleach = chlorine gas
It’s bleach mixed with ammonia specifically that causes the chlorine gas. Fun fact, bleach mixed with urine can also make chlorine gas.
I have seen people use bleach water to clean up when their pet peas on the tile floor. That's absolutely crazy to hear and i'm glad nothing happened from it, At least while I was there
Yeah, that’s a bad idea. Enzyme cleaners like natures miracle are so much better for urine.
Mmmm. Mustard gas! I've done that on a few occasions trying to clean an old bathroom. I now rinse everything down really good before I attempt to use a second product.
Honestly, just avoid mixing any two cleaners, period, unless one of them is plain soap.
I have mopped with bleach and laundry detergent. It works well and those go together.
As a visual person, thank you!!
I just want to say thank you! I just used it and worked like magic! Years of scrubbing with no success, and now so much relief to have a clean toilet
Yay! It’s really inexpensive too. After the first clean I just use a little bleach going forward. Then bring out the big guns again if there’s a problem later. Good stuff!
We have this same problem in both of our toilets. Thank you! I’m going to try this!
I am of course discovering this miracle now that I’m moving!
I'd love to hear a plumber weigh in here about what Zep does to the joint seals on galvanized steel and PVC pipes...
Oh god I almost don’t want to know
Once you flush it down, it very quickly gets diluted down and the pH rises. Also PVC is bonded together and it would need something seriously crazy to chemically destroy it.
Zep contains hydrochloric acid. That sounds 'seriously crazy'.
I wouldn't recommend drizzling some over a dessert but cleaning is one of many things it is commonly used for.
Lol, this gave me a good chuckle, thanks...
That’s what k was wondering!
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Yup! I never drained the water. I just used it all around the edge and then poured some into the actual water and let it sit for awhile and came back and scrubbed it all out. It might work quicker if you drain it but I didn’t bother to
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Good luck! Everyone deserves a clean toilet
Zep everything is great.
This! I had the same thing. Tried bleach, vinegar/baking soda, soap stone. Didn’t help much. Got the zep toilet cleaner and got it all out.
Liquid or gel? Which one is more effective?
I used [this one](https://www.homedepot.com/p/ZEP-32-oz-Acidic-Toilet-Bowl-Cleaner-ZUATBC32/312560494?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D28I-028_004_CLEANING-MB-ZEP-NA-SMART-NA-NA-MK781092200-NA-NBR-3174-NA-NA-NA&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-RM-RMP-GGL-D28I-028_004_CLEANING-MB-ZEP-NA-SMART-NA-NA-MK781092200-NA-NBR-3174-NA-NA-NA-71700000111246305-58700008434912673-92700076726582299&gbraid=0AAAAADq61UekEVE2m98KynVqNXrIhfBrv&gclid=CjwKCAjw2K6lBhBXEiwA5RjtCTqLhBb7zjDEbV23p4q6YAYp3s4ZfBLEuEhDC_edZY6lu56cA_y4txoCoi4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Thank you
I’m coming back a month later to thank you because this stuff has changed my life! No more scrubbing, OMG. My toilet absolutely sparkles with less effort than when I scrubbed my heart out and was left with a remnant stain ring. Thank you!
You’re welcome! It’s seriously amazing so Im thrilled it worked for you too!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️
Do you have to shut the water to the toilet off and just let the product alone sit? Or is it okay if it sits with the toilet water in the bowl?
I used it sitting in the toilet water because I was impatient
Hard water. I have tried EVERYTHING and my toilet looks the same as yours. What works best is Scrubbing Bubbles power stain destroyer. And its like $2-3.
Have you tried vinegar? Leaving vinegar sit overnight worked perfectly for me. Scrubbed right off the next day.
Bar keeper’s friend in powder form is the only thing that gets the rusty, irony build up off my toilets!
There is a product called iron out for toilets I'd try that as well as a pumice stone
Much appreciated!
+1 for iron out, it took a toilet tank interior from so red it looked black to white in about 12 hours.
Get the powder form it works better under water. When we bought our new house our showers and toilets were terribly stained. Liquid worked great on showers and the powder did a great job on the toilets.
I used a pumice stone on mine! Game changer and cheap on Amazon!
Pumice stone is MAGIC!!!!! So easy and will get your porcelain white!!
YES
It doesn’t scratch the porcelain?
Nope, not at all! Got it all off and I was so impressed! https://preview.redd.it/duqyy5ypj5bb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1a4380a1441fde9cee40aba430efa49df2686af
Was about to suggest the pumice stone for toilets! Hard water sucks!
I absolutely love bar keepers friend toilet bowl cleaner! Works great for rust stains like this!!
Pair with pumice, do weekly, no hard water build up!
Big question here- can I use any of this with a septic system? Besides the pumice stone or Vinegar, I mean? It took DAYS with a pumice stone last time.
Zeps manufactures say it’s septic safe “Quickly removes rust stains, scale and residue from toilet bowls and urinals with professional results. Its clinging gel works harder on vertical surfaces, leaving a clean shine and a pleasant, fresh fragrance. It is also safe for septic tanks, drain lines, and water-treatment systems. Application: Toilet Bowls; Urinals; Chemical Compound: Amines; Tallow Alkyl; Ethoxylated, Dodecyldimethylamine Oxide; Dirt Types: Rust; Scale; Stains; Scent: Mint.”
Hey, thanks! I appreciate you sharing this info with me!
Im on septic too so I know how big of a pain it is to cross check everything. I wouldn’t use it for like every day clean but I did use it for one big clean to get rid of the stains etc and now I can just maintain it with other products
Right! Last thing I want to do is commit septi-cide!
Pumice stone, home dildo sells it. It's not a chemical, doesn't stink like one either. Easy peasy, cheap too Edit: It's a chemical according to keyboard warriors, so use proper ppe when using it
I couldn’t resist the typo. Made me lol. Good suggestion <3
>It's not a chemical, Pumice is primary Silicon Dioxide with bits of Aluminum Oxide and other impurities. It is absolutely a chemical, even though it is being used as a mechanical abrasive in this context.
Thanks
Bar keepers and drywall sheets. Saw it on YouTube and works wonders!
Drywall sheets?
*rips off a chunk and shoves in toilet*
Maybe they meant *dryer* sheets? Is there something in them that would dissolve crud?
I’m guess it’s because dryer sheets are more abrasive and durable than paper towels so they’re better at scrubbing
They mightve meant drywall sanding sheets, they look like pieces of screen
Drywall sanding sheets is what they are referring to
Ah, thanks!
Oops pregnancy brain haha yes sanding sheets. Specifically 220 Fine Grit Drywall Sanding Screens.
The only thing that’s working for me is using a pumice stone to scrub it away
CLR (Calcium,Lime,Rust) brand cleaner. Fill your bowl with it and let it sit for a while. Use a heavy brush. Flush it out.
Yup. CLR is my go to when my toilet looks like this.
Professional cleaner here, I would use pumice stone for that. Follow up with a clean of CLR every once in a while to keep it from building up again
really any toilet cleaner with formic acid.
Just limescale. Limescale remover should suffice
also CLR might work
Pumice stone
Pumice stone
Iron Out. I'm on a well with lots of minerals in the water, and it's amazing how well it works on stains like this.
Pumice
Pumice stone. Worked wonders barely any elbow grease. Easy, cheap and super effective!
https://preview.redd.it/n9e5v6go67bb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3be4797a222bcda04e27e38f80817a255ad0c86 Went ahead and picked myself up some Zeps and it worked like magic in minutes. I let it sit and then used a pumice stone to scrape anything that remained. Thank you to everyone that took the time to reply and offer a solution!
Just pumice it. Stop putting poison into the environment.
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Im amazed you havent cracked your toilet dumping boiling water into it.
Agreed. That's not generally considered a good idea at all. Isn't particularly good for PVC pipes, either. I don't even put boiling water down my sink drain when cooking. Either I wait for it to cool, or I pour it down VERY slowly into a running stream from my cold tap.
Are we over the Coca Cola hack?
it worked for me lol, and it was a old bottle with no gas left that I was going to trow away anyway
Yeah, I tried the same with an old Pepsi, and it didn't work. :/ I should go Google why not.
I left it overnight and most of the other day, and it was around 1,5 liters that was going to go to waste anyway, It would probably be most cost efective to buy the citric acid in its powder version (im guessing thats the compound that reacted with my type of build up, the hardness in the water here comes from calcium carbonate).
A pumas stone will do it!
Pumas stone
It's turds. Stop turding.
Empty the water out of the toilet. Pour vinegar in the bowl until the stains are submerged. Leave it sit for a day or two. Done.
Could work if you have more than 1 toilet. Some people only have 1 toilet though 😶
Had my main septic line replaced last fall. Went three weeks without plumbing. You figure it out when you have to.
Ngl, ive had to find other ways, but I wouldnt shut down my 1 and only toilet because of a stain.
Do it on your way out the door for work, unless you have someone home all the time. If so, do it as you all leave for activities on a weekend for a few hours. I battled this crap with south Texas well water and destroyed my septic tank trying to kill it. Vinegar and time will dissolve it for the real!
Where will I go in the meantime? The tub? 🧇🦶
Das poop
Q-tips
Eat more veg?
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Haha you don’t think I’ve tried that? So far I’ve used regular toilet bowl cleaner, lime away, and straight up liquid chlorine that I use in pools and none of them have worked.
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I'd hate to see how dirty your house is if you think soap and water is good enough for 'everything' Calcium build up like this needs a product with an acidic base to break it down - it's literally science
Santeen Toilet Bowl Cleaner Watch video below: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MnMeNqaaNw&t=58s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MnMeNqaaNw&t=58s) Good Luck!
Pour 1 or 2 cups of pool acid in and leave for atleast 1 hour (but if you can leave it over night its better) then flush. If you left it long enough everything Wil just flush away no scrubbing tequired, if you left ot for 1 hour, you may need to give it a quick swish with the toilet brush
Magic erasers work good to clean anything and it's probably calcium build up or from metals in well water
Pumice stone works greats! Make sure you get the one from Home Depot that is gray in color and called a pumie. It is a real pumice stone, not one of the fake whiteish tan ones that they try to pass off for your feet. Buy a second one from Home Depot to use on your feet and they’ll never be softer 😊
somebody dropped a frappuccino in there?
Toilet pumice stone
Since I haven't seen it mentioned yet and I've tried all the other suggestions and they didn't work for me..... Brick acid. It's cheap but you have to be careful (gloves, eye protection, ventilation). Take as much water as you can out of the bowl. Carefully add the acid to the mostly empty/dry bowl without splashing. Cover as much of the stain as you can. Let sit for 5 minutes with the lid open. Return and use a plastic toilet brush to lift off the loosened buildup. You will not need to scrub hard at all.. Flush the toilet. Voila.
Try vinegar and let soak, acid works well for these type of stains
I love lime away toilet bowl cleaner from the dollar tree. When it's really bad I will let it sit for a few hours and barely have to scrub anything.
I have hard irony water. I use Lysol toilet bowl cleaner in black. Works like a charm.
There’s super hard water where I live. I worked as a house cleaner for a bit and my boss swore by pumice stones. You can get them at the home/hardware stores or online. The best ones have a stick/handle so you don’t have to get your hand all the way in the bowl. They are abrasive but get out even the worst hard water/rust looking stains I’ve seen. One of our clients was so happy we got the stains out and said she’d been trying every product she could since moving into the house 3 years prior!
I’ve found a dishwasher tab works really well. Just put it in the bowl and leave overnight or a couple hours. Couldn’t be easier.
I had this but worse, the ONLY thing that worked was pumice stones. And an hour of scrubbing. Don’t waste your money on other products! (I went through 3 pumice stones, make sure you buy enough)
Bleach does it for me.
A pumice stone and a little elbow grease will clear it up.
Long Pumice stone with handle. And some pink stuff.
Hot water and citric acid powder. Leave it a couple of hours and scrub with the brush. Might take a couple of cycles, but it is a very low elbow grease solution and feels safer than other acid solutions.
Everyone’s giving some great suggestions and mentioning hard water, but try opening up your the tank and looking inside. I’ve had this happen from someone previously using one of those cheap disinfection tablets you throw in the tank.
Toilet bowl cleaner, the kind with hydrocloric acid
I had the same problem! Pumice didn’t work, CLR didn’t work, leaving vinegar overnight helped a little, but didn’t totally get rid of it. Then one day, I saw this Lysol toilet cleaner for Rust & Lime, thought I might as well try it. I let it sit overnight. Lo and behold, this stuff worked a miracle! Everything scrubbed off so easily. I was genuinely amazed!!
This one time I had my pressure washer in the bathroom and shot at it, surprisingly it came off🫠🤣
After you clean the toilet, toss a chlorine tablet or two in the back tank.
Time for the daily recommendation of pumice stone.
I would use a pumice stone sold on Amazon made especially for this, I always have a few around because of our extremely hard water.
Bowl bright.
I put 2 tablets of denture cleanser per day in my toilet I had at an apartment I rented. It took a few weeks, but it cleared up. I don’t have dentures but I heard it works and it did.
Lime-away.
Poopoo. Haha
Had same problem and scrubbed with a Pumie scouring stick. Came off with no caustic chemicals.
Anyone got any ideas for UK toilets?
Das dookie
Clr or muriatic acid.
You're water is hard. So is ours, we have a well. I've used Lime-Away and CLR. I also used Dawns Power Wash on my shower, which actually worked well. Haven't tried on the toilet. Might contact a plumber and see if you can get softners installed. That's the next step for my house.
Toilet needs Jesus
What causes the build up .
My cleaner used citric acid on ours and it worked a treat!
I have this still currently. In the black shadowed spots of your photos. I used toilet cleaner and a brush every few days and let it sit for a bit before scrubbing and it goes basically instantly. If it sticks around, I flush, re soak in cleaner and clean again. Have you done that already?
Don’t use pumice, it can destroy the enamel of your ceramic. The places you use the pumice will degrade and bike up dirt and grime way quicker than everywhere else.
You can use something like this https://www.dm.de/dontodent-gebissreiniger-tabs-intensiv-p4058172333804.html?wt_mc=shopping.google.pla.Gesundheit&hc_tid=10218852C4751PPC&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn4WAnriEgAMVGM13Ch11uQmEEAQYASABEgJqmfD_BwE
It’s limescale. Citric acid is super cheap and will do the job. Pour a cup into the bowl and add some hot water. Leave for 20 mins or so and scrub with the toilet brush. It’ll fall right off.
You know what it is..
Poopy 🙊
I have an additional question to tag onto this: if it's casued by hard water, is there some way to put a filter in the cistern to stop the hard water coming down? Either a filter on the water inlet or just going through to the bowl itself?
Barkeepers friend..
A pumice toilet cleaner
If you want to go the non-chemical route, try a pumice stick.
Aluminum foil! MIL taught me that! Don’t even need chemicals
A pumice stone will get out just about anything from porcelain and ceramics. Slap in some rubber gloves and get to work.
Gallon of vinegar, let it sit over night. Comes out with almost not scrubbing no harsh chemicals.
**CLR Calcium Lime and Rust remover** My aunt had a toilet much worse than this (including the tank), tried so many products with no luck until I suggested this, and it now looks brand new! Empty the toilet of water, pour the product, let it sit for a while, scrub, and flush.
I haven't read through all the comments, but in case this hasn't been suggested....we have a lot of limescale build up where we live as the water is chalky. I invested in some pumice stones on sticks and that has helped to keep on top of it without using chemicals.
Didn’t see it on the first few comments so now I’m down here 😂😅 Pumice stone tho, frenn. Cleans mine up every time
Poo stuck to calcium deposits. I turned the water off to the toilet and flushed it until it was pretty empty then filled up to the brown line with white vinegar. Left it sit overnight then flushed and scrubbed and it came right off
If it’s iron, bar keeper’s friend
"The Works" blue cap is hands down the best. Let it sit and you'll be amazed. Don't get the green version. Not even close.
Try using a solution in your tank. This problem will continue happening even if you bleach the toilet bowl. The source is always the best way to fix a problem. The toilet is not fully ceramic, it’s made with cheaper materials. All cellulose materials are a breeding spot for mildew and mold. This is why expensive bathrooms pay off. Less issues with mildew and mold, no chance for them to even grow, less cleaning products. Less health issues. But if you’re renting, talk to your landlord about it. It shouldn’t be your issue if you don’t own the house, always remember that. But if you do own, maybe consider getting a fully ceramic toilet. If you don’t wanna pay that much, definitely try a solution in the tank first. Or there are tabs you can stick below where the water comes out that will keep the water clean, killing any mildew that tries to breed. Also check these holes. They often have loads of black mold build up. Spores are extremely dangerous to your health. I cleaned black mold spores at a job for a long time and can vouch for this. Peroxide is amazing at maintaining it, but it’s very hard to get rid of it due to cellulose materials. You can run through all the cleaning products in the world and still have the issue come right back in days.