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Original poster

Brown limescale in toilet bowl

58 replies

Peskytooth · 30/08/2023 13:44

Just moved in and I’ve previously lived in areas without hard water so haven’t had this problem before. The toilet bowl under the water is completely brown and seems like thick limescale. How do I get rid of it!? Bleach just seems to lighten the colour of it temporarily and I’ve also tried some vinegar and baking soda which made no difference either. Please help me- it’s gross!

OP posts:
imnotthatkindofmum · 30/08/2023 13:52

You need to use a small cup or can to bail all the water out if the bottom of the toilet. Then use the harpic limescale removing toilet cleaner or any other think limescale remover. The thicker ones cling to the bowl longer and don't immediately slide off. You might need to do it a few times and if it's really bad you might need a plastic scraper

imnotthatkindofmum · 30/08/2023 13:53

It's called harpic 100% limescale remover.

CMOTDibbler · 30/08/2023 13:54

Citric acid. The Harpic Black is great in a hard water area as maintenance, but citric acid left over night will shift an accumulation better

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Cleaning
BlueChampagne · 30/08/2023 13:56

And make sure you use hot water with the citric acid. Carefully - you don't want to crack the bowl!

BaaCode · 30/08/2023 14:00

Plunge the water out with a toilet brush, then line the bowl with a double layer of kitchen roll. Pour in a couple of bottles of cheap white vinegar, ensuring that the kitchen roll is also soaked and leave overnight.
The next morning, remove the kitchen roll, give the loo a quick scrub with the brush and flush. The scale should flush away.
It always worked for me.

JollyGood777 · 30/08/2023 14:01

Try this..... cheap bottle of supermarket own brand cola, put the whole bottle in before you go to bed and leave it (just try it)

Heronatemygoldfish · 30/08/2023 14:02

It is indeed gross.
When we moved into our house, the loo had 1cm thick appallingly smelly limescale all round under the water line.

We actually shifted it (from the visible side anyway!) by very carefully using a screwdriver and a small hammer to hit the scale and scrape/chip it off. It came off in great stinking lumps. We got into the habit of leaving Harpic in the bowl if we went away anywhere so any u-bend lumps dissolved.

The previous people had been there 10y. We've been here 25y and never had a recurrence so I can only assume they'd never cleaned the loo properly.

No words. Good luck OP.

OnDaysLikeThese · 30/08/2023 14:02

You need Harpic 100% Limescale Remover toilet cleaner, it's in a navy bottle. Put loads in the toilet so it's dark blue - about 1/3 bottle, and leave it down for as long as possible, not just an hour or so. Scrub it really well, and it should all come off.

Notstrongandstable · 30/08/2023 14:07

Following on from this, how would you get rid of brown limescale that has developed kind of under the rim of the toilet if that makes sense?
I use the Harpic stuff mentioned upthread weekly and it gets squirted in that exact place but the brown limescale has kind of started to grow out from under the edge of toilet rim.

tedgran · 30/08/2023 14:09

HG limescale remover brilliant.

sotired2 · 30/08/2023 14:09

For under the rim I would try the soaked kitchen roll in white vinegar method - should stick to area long enough for vinegar to eat up the lime scale.

DanielsDancingMonkey · 30/08/2023 14:09

I use the fizzy bowl cleaning blocks on a regular basis. They leave it sparkling.

Threegreenbirds · 30/08/2023 14:15

Toilet blocks work well

Original poster
Peskytooth · 30/08/2023 14:17

Ooh thank you. Off to get me some harpic. Do I absolutely have to empty the toilet bowl or if I chuck half the bottle in overnight will that work?

OP posts:
MrsColinRobinson · 30/08/2023 14:20

I live in a hard water area and this is a constant battle. Poundland sell tablets you pop in the loo overnight that are pretty effective, though if it's badly built up you'll need to do it a few nights in a row.

Or simply pour pure caustic soda down the pan and leave it for a while.

BlimeyO · 30/08/2023 14:21

Notstrongandstable · 30/08/2023 14:07

Following on from this, how would you get rid of brown limescale that has developed kind of under the rim of the toilet if that makes sense?
I use the Harpic stuff mentioned upthread weekly and it gets squirted in that exact place but the brown limescale has kind of started to grow out from under the edge of toilet rim.

Interested in how to deal with this too! I’ll try vinegar soaked kitchen roll but I’m open to other ideas too

Mum1976Mum · 30/08/2023 14:22

Always get rid of the water in the bowl before doing the harpic as it will dilute it! I made this mistake!

fantasmasgoria1 · 30/08/2023 14:24

To empty the toilet bowl get a mop and dunk it up and down a few times and the water recedes back into the u bend.

Sparkm · 30/08/2023 14:30

Barkeeper's Friend

ScarletPower · 30/08/2023 14:42

Chisel away at it with a pumice stone if any of the above solutions don't get rid completely - you can buy ones from Amazon with long handles specially for cleaning toilets with.

Helenahandkart · 30/08/2023 15:11

Plunge out as much water as possible. Pour in a bottle of white vinegar and leave overnight. Rub it with a green scratchy sponge in the morning. That should get it off.
Maintain it by repeating this with half a cup of vinegar every few weeks.

OnDaysLikeThese · 01/09/2023 00:43

I don't empty the water out of the toilet first. The Harpic works fine in water, you just need to make sure you add loads, and that it's up to the top of the staining.

HoppingPavlova · 01/09/2023 00:54

Try this..... cheap bottle of supermarket own brand cola, put the whole bottle in before you go to bed and leave it (just try it)

I tried this. It just made the line scale black. Then I had a bigger problem. I then did it again with branded-Cola thinking it was the supermarket own brand at fault. Nope, same thing. Had to bleach it to back to how it was before trying to continue on with getting rid of it. Was still there when I moved houses …………

Saschka · 01/09/2023 00:58

Harpic tablets in the loo. At least two, and leave them in there overnight (ideally for a week while you are on holiday).

Under the rim - Harpic limescale remover, or actually Viakal works well as well. But you have to leave it on for a bit.

CostedStrikeRate · 01/09/2023 02:45

Citric acid powder left overnight for me