Toilet question

[kemrefarms]

Is it possible to remove the stains in your toilet if you have hard water, with rust, which is built up. thanks

[Alex]

Many other similar products will work too.

[free-2-b-me]

White vinegar - put it in at night before bed and let it soak .
Lysol just came out with a toilet bowl cleaner for hard water . I used it and it worked good .

[EY926]

I just asked this question recently in the cleaning forum. I have well water and it stains really bad. I had tried everything but had a yellow stain that would not budge. Several people suggested "The Works". I tried it and my toilet looks new.

[sheepish]

Oxalic acid works on rust stains on cloth and chrome. It should work on a toilet bowl.

[Terri]

A pumice stone, available from the hardware store.

My Mother used one on mine: it did not scratch and it did remove the rust deposite.

[suzyhomemaker09]

I'm seconding the suggestion for the Works...
You can get it at Wally world or for even less at most $1 stores.
It does a fantastic job.

[meanwhile]

We had one old toilet that just would not come clean. We used everything. The plumber said he had never seen anything like it. There were rust colors and green colors. None of our other toilets and no sinks or tub had anything like it. Only that one toilet. It also had "pits" in the ceramic of the bowl too. We finally just replaced it and have not had any more problems. Maybe it was just a bad toilet. Hope yours will get clean but keep in mind that maybe it will be cheaper long term to just replace it. Good Luck

[watcher]

Any of the many cleaners out there with HCL in them will take care of hard water build up. I also use "Works" and it does in fact work.

[randy11acres]

If you have a septic tank, you might want to check the contents of what you clean the toilet with, so as not to kill the bacteria in the septic tank

[Darren]

WalMart carries Iron Out which is the oxalic acid mentioned by a previous poster. I've mixed it in a bucket with hot water and poured it into toilet tanks. It's the best I've found to dissolve rust stains. Running it through the tank cleans out the passageways that direct water around the bowl and the bowl itself.

Like anything else, heed the directions. Some of the products out there can't be used on some materials without damaging them.

[Nette]

Originally Posted by Darren

WalMart carries Iron Out which is the oxalic acid mentioned by a previous poster.

I use Iron Out. First I "plug" the toilet with an old towel. Squish is down in there real good. Then I add about 1/2 cup Iron Out, and fill the bowl with hot water. Close lid and let sit. Add more hot water if it leaks down any. Remove towel and flush.

[kemrefarms]

Sorry, but in what department do you find "the works" (wally world)

[tamsam]

A couple denture cleaner tablets does the job here. Watch putting hot water in a ceramic toilet as it can crack it. Good luck with the stains.Sam

[EY926]

You can find The Works at Wally World in the cleaning department where other toilet cleaners are.

[cindy71]

THE WORKS!!!!!!!! It works great but please be careful when using it. It is very watery not thick(the last time I used it). Make sure when you use it you wipe the bottle off from the neck to the bottom if you don't and you seat it on the counter what little bit runs down the neck to the bottom and gets on the counter and will bleach it. I clean houses I learned that one the hard way. Cindy

[Fae]

I don't like using chemicals if there is another way. I seldom have need to use anything but I have used the pumice stone. It sounds like it is scratching the toilet bowl but it does not and works great.

[Humburger]

I get a coating in the toilet that is soft and wipes right off with the brush, but it builds up really quickly. It looks like mildew or some kind of grey algae or something. Any ideas? I hope is it not a problem with the water.

On another tack, I am going to try the pumice stone, because I think it is also slowly building up some hard water deposits, also.

[watcher]

Originally Posted by randy11acres

If you have a septic tank, you might want to check the contents of what you clean the toilet with, so as not to kill the bacteria in the septic tank

No more than you use to clean a toilet you aren't going to kill off enough bacteria to hurt. Well unless you clean your toilet several times a day.

[NCLee]

Originally Posted by Humburger

I get a coating in the toilet that is soft and wipes right off with the brush, but it builds up really quickly. It looks like mildew or some kind of grey algae or something. Any ideas? I hope is it not a problem with the water.

On another tack, I am going to try the pumice stone, because I think it is also slowly building up some hard water deposits, also.

Chances are what you're seeing is normal. When we moved from city water with chlorine in it to the country, it took a while for me to get used to how often the tiolets have to be cleaned. On city water about once a week was all that was needed to keep the bowl looking fresh. That's not the case with untreated well water.

I can't be 100% sure that's the cause of what you're seeing, but it is a good candidate.

Lee