How To Remove Pesky Hard Water Stains From Your Toilet Bowl

How To Remove Pesky Hard Water Stains From Your Toilet Bowl

Is your toilet suffering from a case of pesky hard water stains? Fortunately, the solution you’re looking for is in your pantry, and it’s called vinegar. Will it damage your toilet? Not at all! So, read our blog, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to flush away all those annoying stains!

But first, what are hard water stains?

Tap water carries minerals everywhere, including inside your toilet. As minerals dry (usually on the bowl surface above the water) or build up (at the bottom of the toilet bowl), they form those ugly yellowish or light brown spots you see in your toilet.

Hard water stains are common, but they are hard to remove with the go-to cleaners of most homeowners, including soap, bleach, or other all-purpose cleaners. Believe it or not, the easy fix for mineral stains is vinegar!

Why is vinegar the best product for removing hard water stains?

White vinegar is an acidic solution that reacts with the mineral buildup to make it soluble. In other words, this product works wonders because it softens the stains to be washed away easily. Besides, it’s low cost, and you probably own some already.

Step #1. Drain the toilet

Before starting, close the water valve and flush the toilet to drain the water. This will let the cleaning solution come into contact directly with stains or potential buildup at the bottom of the bowl; otherwise, water dilutes the solution and makes it less powerful.

Step #2. Soak the bowl with vinegar

Next, pour the vinegar into your toilet bowl. Don’t worry; vinegar won’t damage the porcelain if you use this method sparingly.

Use a toilet brush to help you swish and spread the vinegar evenly through the bowl. Pour more vinegar and let it pool at the bottom of the bowl. Then, swish again.

Even if there are no visible stains at the bottom, the vinegar will dissolve any buildup starting to form. Once done, let it sit from one up to twelve hours, depending on how filthy it is.

Step #3. Scrub and rinse off the stains

Once time’s up, use your toilet brush again to scrub and remove the stains. Help yourself using a 50/50 water and vinegar mixture for smoother scrubbing. Since the solution will soften the buildup, you won’t need to apply that much elbow grease.

However, you can use a pumice stone if you get stuck with a hard-to-remove spot. Keep in mind that you must maintain the area wet (with the same 50/50 solution as before) when using a pumice stone. Otherwise, you’ll scratch the porcelain.

Finally, open the water valve and flush to rinse. Easy as that, you’ll have a pristine-looking toilet!

Does CLR work to remove hard water stains?

CLR is a powerful product that indeed removes hard water stains, among other types of grime. However, as hard water stains rarely get that tough to remove, using CLR might seem like overkill.

If you still want (or need) to use it, keep the area ventilated, wear gloves, and don’t let it sit for more than two minutes in your toilet bowl before flushing it away.

Maid Easy helps to keep your toilet clean!

Don’t you have the time to tackle hard-water stains in your bathroom? Don’t worry! Our deep cleaning service not only helps you to achieve a clean house but also helps you to keep a pristine-looking toilet. Book with us now!