Best way to clean an old/stained toilet?

[LivingOnAnIsland]

A few months ago, there was a similar thread and something was recommended - but I can't find the thread now. What's the best product to use? Thanks.

I used HG professional limescale remover.

Citric acid in the bowl overnight

White vinegar works a treat. I normally pour it and leave then flush and scrub. Took a few days when at its worst x

Black domestos. May need to do several times. Black harpic is ok but I find domestic better.

Also plunge the loo brush a few times to reduce the water level down. Or use a cup to get water out.

Bottle of cheap and nasty coke. Try and get the water out of the bowl, fill with coke and leave overnight. As a student had a hideously stained toilet bowl due to years of limescale etc... two bottles of Netto Coke and the problem went away... did make us think twice about drinking it after that, was an excellent limescale/ stain remover though.

If it's limescale, Kilrock gel, the one with the brush built into the cap.

Removing the water from the bowl will make any limescale much easier to remove using vinegar/coke/Limelite/Harpic limescale remover etc. Stains don’t stick to porcelain, they stick to limescale, and when you remove the limescale the stains go with them.

A spoonful of Vanish (or cheapo Lidl equivalent) down the pan overnight.

Nothing worked with mine until I chipped it off with a 2p coin (mn tip!) Sparkling now.

Not sure if you can buy this anymore but caustic soda if it's really bad. An open windows no kids about industrial strength rubber gloves type product though so be very careful!

I also used white vinegar left overnight. Had to do it a couple of times to get rid completely.

I do a maintenance once a month to keep it a bay.

A can of Coca-cola left overnight to soak, then your normal toilet cleaner to scrub down the next day.

I stopped drinking soft drink the first time I cleaned this way.

How do you get it off from under the rim.though? I can clean the bowl but not the bit under the rim.

Elbow Grease cream used in conjunction with the Elbow Grease pad is brilliant for removing lime scale and stains.

Ours had awful limescale. Tried all the tricks (white vinegar did nothing, not strong enough) and the only thing that worked was this www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JG17R82/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

Can't recommend it highly enough, you just drop one in overnight and by morning it's sparkling clean! Zero elbow grease required.

thankfully I haven't had to try this, but I came across something the other week suggesting WD40. Loosens up the limescale apparently - worth googling.

Once it's clean of the old limescale, a denture tablet once a week, whenever the loo is going to be unused for a few hours, is quite effective.

@EmmaGrundyForPM

How do you get it off from under the rim.though? I can clean the bowl but not the bit under the rim.

For under the rim, I use sanding mesh - cut a piece off and then fold it in half and then you can run it around under the rim. Pumice stone is good for getting rid of mineral/limescale build up.

Harpic black tablets
Get a water softener and it is no longer an issue!

@LivingOnAnIsland

A few months ago, there was a similar thread and something was recommended - but I can't find the thread now. What's the best product to use? Thanks.

You do know we now want before and after photos? It’s the equivalent of a parking diagram 😁

@toria658

Bottle of cheap and nasty coke. Try and get the water out of the bowl, fill with coke and leave overnight. As a student had a hideously stained toilet bowl due to years of limescale etc... two bottles of Netto Coke and the problem went away... did make us think twice about drinking it after that, was an excellent limescale/ stain remover though.

My late OH did this to try and remove the limescale on our loo. Now there's brown, coke-stained limescale in there! Maybe the white vinegar or the citrus juice may work and look better. An empty water bottle is useful for removing the water if you need to, squeeze it, dunk it then quickly put the cap back.

@AtLeastThreeDrinks

Ours had awful limescale. Tried all the tricks (white vinegar did nothing, not strong enough) and the only thing that worked was this ]]

Can't recommend it highly enough, you just drop one in overnight and by morning it's sparkling clean! Zero elbow grease required.

These Harpic tablets are the only thing that works for my toilet as well.

When I've been lazy, and let it build up a bit, 2 in the bowl overnight sorts it out easy. Then 1 a week after that to keep it in check.

Black harpic, tablets for the bottom and liquid for the bowl.

I tried vinegar and it didn't do 💩 I think citric acid might if you fill with hot water first.

Cola

When you have tried all.of those, if it is still bad, you may need to get as much water out as possible and use a pumice.

You get water out by pushing it down the loo, past the u-bend. Literally just push it, with your hand.

Pumice won't damage the porcelain and, if you do it well and then use whichever cleaning fluid you like you will only have to do it once.

I've done it a few times, living in rural rentals, very hard water. It takes about an hour per loo!

I recall a very dire loo in a house share many years ago - I resorted to this sort of thing scourer to break down the limescale, then finished it off with something strong and chemically.