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Housekeeping

how to clean bottom of toilet where the water sits

92 replies

littlemissmulledwine · 15/12/2012 13:51

just helping a friend clean her new house and we can't get the dark stains at the bottom of the toilet bowl to go away

we've used cillit bang abs scrubbed then more cillit bang and left for few hours and no luck

tried bleach and limescale remover too.

i vaguely remember something about denture cleaning tablets?

OP posts:
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HollaAtMeSanta · 15/12/2012 14:23

I have had success with the most hardcore kind of Harpic - think it was this one.

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PigletJohn · 15/12/2012 14:24

yes, denture tablets will do it. Put a bucket of hot tap water into the bowl first so the tablets dissolve and work faster. (not boiling water or it may crack). You can put two tabs in if badly stained. Leave it for several hours. e.g. do it just before you go it.

Use the brush more often

Other ideas on here. If you have hard water I am very keen on the Parazone Bleach Blocks.

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XBenedict · 15/12/2012 14:26

Denture tablets are brilliant for toilet cleaning.

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PartyFops · 15/12/2012 14:34

caustic soda works, its lethal though.

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cakesaregood · 15/12/2012 21:34

My mum scooped, then soaked the water up. And then used anti lime scale stuff and lots of elbow grease Xmas Smile. We'd just moved in too.

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LynetteScavo · 15/12/2012 21:36

You have to remove the water, otherwise whatever you are using is being diluted, and therefor less effective.

Scoop the water, don't siphon.

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pinkteddy · 15/12/2012 21:37

Yes scoop out all the water - it takes a while but is worth it. Then you can usually remove the stain quite quickly with jif or limescale cleaner.

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AfterEightMintyy · 15/12/2012 21:39

Caustic soda will do it. Very dangerous but you put it in the loo and it fizzes and dissolves the limescale. You need to buy it in small amounts so that you can use it all and not have half-used containers of it hanging around the house.

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poncyettia · 15/12/2012 21:45

Try pouring a bottle of coke down the toilet - MIL swears by this and always has a gleaming toilet Can't say I've been brave enough to do it - I prefer my coke with brandy tbh Wink

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AppleOgies · 15/12/2012 21:47

Apparently dropping one of those magic erasers in over night works. Not tried it personally though so can't promise.

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bonzo77 · 15/12/2012 21:56

Regarding getting the water out: you can often force it past the u-bend by sort of pumping it with a loo brush. I'm sure Kim and Aggie would suggest coke and a pumice stone.

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PigletJohn · 15/12/2012 22:23

you can scoop (or push out with the brush) the water if you are going to swab or scrub the stain.

Howver if you are using denture or Harpic tabs, you must have water in it, since the stain must be immersed in the mixture

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ShrekTh3Halls · 15/12/2012 22:32

I'm reading this and taking notes ...shows how exciting my Saturday night is Grin Blush

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MinimalistMommi · 16/12/2012 17:19

Harpic Power plus tablets. Let one sit in the bottom of the toilet for 6-7 hours, then flush, it will be completely clean with no scrubbing!

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monkeyroo · 16/12/2012 17:37

I sympathise, I have this problem...
I tried coke and it just stained it all browner! I tried the strong harpic in a black bottle and it didn't really work.
A pummice stone and scrubbing worked absolutely the best and doesn't involve evil chemicals, but it wouldn't get the stain out of the groove bits at the bottom.
Then we came across something called 'Killrock'. On the bottle it says 'Killrock - the one that works', and it does. We got it in Aldi but I'm sure you could get it elsewhere...

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MadameCastafiore · 16/12/2012 17:39

Don't use caustic soda - my friend did and it ate all the way through her toilet and caused a bloody flood!

Denture tablets are the best thing IMO.

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CuttedUpPear · 16/12/2012 17:43

has no one mentioned vinegar yet?

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BertieBotts · 16/12/2012 17:46

I'm stuck with mine as well. Have tried several different things but nothing is shifting it.

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MinimalistMommi · 16/12/2012 17:51

Berti even the Harpic tablets?

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stoofadoof · 16/12/2012 22:04

we use dishwasher tabs at work? leave it overnight? might take a few applications but deffo works?

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BertieBotts · 16/12/2012 22:56

Yep, tried a harpic tablet the other night, nothing. Although I didn't get a chance to scrub it first thing after it was flushed, but even scrubbing the same day didn't touch even the top layer.

I got one of those rim block things on an offer with the tablets which claims to eliminate limescale too, so have that in, will try and do the tablet again at some point and then get the brush on it in the morning.

Dishwasher tabs? Interesting. I have a big pack of those that I could spare a couple! :)

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BertieBotts · 16/12/2012 22:58

Oh actually, I tell a lie, it did touch the very top layer, as in the part where the water line is, that started to show through whiter Grin

Perhaps harpic tablets one by one on consecutive nights??

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monkeyroo · 16/12/2012 23:33

If you have some on the waterline and around it really is worth a try with a pummice stone, it works with only a light scrubbing, it just didn't work for the 'nooks and crannies' in my loo bowl.
Why anyone would design a loo bowl with nooks and crannies is really beyond me though...

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AnnaXmas · 16/12/2012 23:36

tried white vinegar? i prob don't have water lines as bad as you buy i usually stock up on white vinegar and just put a load of this down, costs about 99p for a bottle and then this'll do the trick if it's given proper time to do it's magic.

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VestaCurry · 16/12/2012 23:41

There's a Kilrock limescale remover that is in a little bottle. It v concentrated and you paint it on the limescale (so you need the water scooped out of the loo. Paint it on, leave for 30 mins, check and if stains not shifted check again after repaintjng on and another 30 mins. Sorted out a gruesome toilet for a friend in a house she had moved into this way. The Kilrock range is super stuff.

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