Stubborn toilet stains

[Ginger]

I need to some cleaning help, ladies.

I've had these stubborn toilet bowl stains that I can't get rid of for years. They are like a water ring, and also streaks going down where the water flows back into the toilet. We do have well/hard water--we have a softener, but it doesn't always help. I've tried pure bleach, sno-bol, other cleaners. They don't seem to help. Last month I put some bleach toilet cleaner tablets in the tank to see if that would do the trick...but it hasn't. And now, since I have those tablets in there, I'm afraid to clean the bowl with regular cleaner because I don't want them to mix.

 

I just saw an article online for Bi-O-Kleen Soy Toilet Scrub---but I seriously don't that would work...but I'm willing to try.

 

Is there any help---or do I just need to replace our toilets?

 

Ginger

[Remudamom]

You could try CLR. We have the same problem, we were on well water for years, and it's a mess. We've got the same type stains, but fortunately they're pretty much up under the rim and not easily spotted.

 

I think you can get CLR at Walmart.

[Rhonda in TX]

That's what I use for those rust-like stains. I turn off the water to the toilet, then flush it. I scrub the stains off with the pumice stone, then turn the water back on. It works like a charm.

 

You can find it in the store by the toilet cleaning supplies.

[Vida Winter]

That's what I use for those rust-like stains. I turn off the water to the toilet, then flush it. I scrub the stains off with the pumice stone, then turn the water back on. It works like a charm.

 

You can find it in the store by the toilet cleaning supplies.

 

I agree, the pumice stone works like a charm when nothing else will. Get the ring off with pumice, then stay on top of it with frequent cleaning to keep it that way.

[runninmommy]

They make a stone a lot like a pumice stone for cleaning toilets. I use one and it gets everything off and does NOT scratch the surface. The name has just escaped me, but I will go get another one tomorrow and let you know.

[mom2abcd]

They make a stone a lot like a pumice stone for cleaning toilets. I use one and it gets everything off and does NOT scratch the surface. The name has just escaped me, but I will go get another one tomorrow and let you know.

 

I'd love to know what it's called and where to get it.

 

Bumping back up in case someone else knows...

[runninmommy]

It is called a Pumie scouring stick

 

Here is a link to amazon

 

http://www.amazon.com/Pumie®-Scouring-Stick-1-1-Dozen/dp/B0016M1CJE

[Makita]

Another vote for the pumice stone....

[Tammy]

Here is what you do....take a pitcher of water (at least 1/2 gallon) and pure it into the toilet bowl so all the water goes out of the bowl. Then....sprinkle some Zud all over it....and swish it around on all the problem areas....leave on overnight. By morning....it should all come off.

[Mrs Mungo]

That's what I use for those rust-like stains. I turn off the water to the toilet, then flush it. I scrub the stains off with the pumice stone, then turn the water back on. It works like a charm.

 

You can find it in the store by the toilet cleaning supplies.

 

I totally agree, the pumice works *great*, scrubs everything right off.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

If you have any sheets of the sand "paper" that you use for drywall, it works great. It's actually not paper. It's a mesh, like window screen, that's been coated with an abrasive. The abrasive will NOT scratch the porcelain, but it will remove hard water deposits. You can get small sheets of it at the grocery store, sold under the name "Circle Out", but if you or your dh has the drywall stuff laying around, it's the same thing, and it's a lot cheaper.

[ticklbee]

I just snaked my toilet and scratched it a little. I drained the water and scrubbed it with baking soda and the scratches came out. Baking soda might work on the stains as well. And it's really inexpensive which is also a plus! :)

[Tap]

The pumice stone will amaze you!

 

Back in my not so eco-friendly days, I used to use a product from HomeDepot that was a high acid toilet bowel cleaner. It worked really good to keep the build up from forming. I don't remember the name, but it is still available there, I see it in the spray bottle and a gallon refill.

[Jill]

I have some of the same kinds of stains from years of well water but CLR didn't cut them and the pumice stone just damaged the porcelain in the bowl so now there are also some grey scratches in there. I wonder if I have different mineral deposits than the rest of you. Since I like to go easy on my septic system which dumps into our pasture ultimately, I tried Clorox Green Works. It has done the best job so far on all my old porcelain - basically it's lactic acid. I purchased a "natural" bowl cleaner from Menard's yesterday coincidentally enough called "resolution" and it seems similar to the Green Works. the stains are not completely gone but you can tell the bowl is clean - it shines - and they are just a pale yellow in a few spots. No one's eating out of it so that works good enough for me! - Jill

[OhM]

I had to clean an amazingly dirty toilet in a rental once. We pushed out the water and plugged it, then filled it with straight Simple Green. After about 8 hours, all we had to do was rinse it. No scrubbing at all. Not sure how it would work on hard water deposits.

[dawn of ns]

Here's what I do:

 

Empty the bowl by turning off the water at the base of the toilet, flushing then bailing the little bit left. Mix borax and vinegar to make a thick paste and then coat the bowl with it. Do this before you leave the house for awhile so it can sit for several hours. Wipe it off. You can also empty the bowl and fill it with vinegar and let it soak for several hours. The paste works really well for streaks on the sides of toilets and the vinegar will help soften mineral and sediment.