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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

What was that low effort way to get the loo clean?

24 replies

motherofvikings · 22/04/2013 20:51

No matter how much bleach or scrubbing I do the loo seems to look discoloured below the water line.
I'm sure I read something on MN about getting is clean without breaking a sweat.

Was it coke?
or is it just ham that gets a good covering?

OP posts:

ItsAllTLAsToMe · 22/04/2013 20:54

It sounds like it might be limescale. I used Morison's toilet limescale remover, it worked really well.

PartyFops · 22/04/2013 20:56

Caustic soda, careful its lethal though, dilute it first (if in crystals) and put it down and leave it for about 15 mins then give it a good scrub, wear gloves and goggles if you can and open windows.

napkin · 22/04/2013 21:04

Just leave strong Bleach down your toilet and around the rim over night. That works for me. Never scrub mine and is clean.

napkin · 22/04/2013 21:05

Coke also works well, the very cheap coke works best.

chickensaladagain · 22/04/2013 21:09

Cheap coke or a false teeth tablet (sterident?)
Bung it in and leave overnight then flush

Monty27 · 22/04/2013 21:11

Someone left steradent here and I put it in the loo and down the plug holes

Anyway, limescale remover/bleach etc should do that job.

RaspberryLemonPavlova · 23/04/2013 00:49

I'm not sure bleach removes limescale, just whitens it for a bit

I haven't tried the coke but apparently it works. You bail out as much of the water as you can then tip in your coke.

My preferred weapon is soda crystals (not caustic soda which is much nastier). You can buy soda crystals on the supermarket and use them everywhere.

lolalotta · 23/04/2013 06:15

Harpic do a tablet you leave in over night to fix the exact problem you describe, it worked a treat for our loo when we moved into our new house! Left it sparkling and this is a very hard water area!!!!

MinimalistMommi · 23/04/2013 09:41

Harpic blocks work amazingly, pop one in over night or jutst before you go out for the day, it will clear it. It's lime scale build up.

PoppyWearer · 23/04/2013 09:42

I have those toilet tablets and they do work. Someone also said dishwasher tablets, I think?

PigletJohn · 23/04/2013 21:14

if it is limescale, the Harpic tablets in the black box are very good for a one-off clean

However, long term, get yourself some Parazone Bleach Blocks that go in the cistern (not bloo, not yellow, not green). Over time they will dissolve the lime scale in the cisterm, and round the rim, and in the bowl.

Take a photo inside the cistern the day you get them, and again in three months, then you'll believe me.

KatyTheCleaningLady · 23/04/2013 22:20

I don't know why people pour a can of coke into a toilet. At 30p or more a can, how is that cheaper than a squirt of toilet bowl cleaner (not to mention, as effective as?)

PolterGoose · 24/04/2013 10:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EarthtoMajorTom · 24/04/2013 10:08

I moved into a house with a toilet like this, just kept putting Harpic 100% limescale remover down and it went away after a few days. Nothing easier

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 24/04/2013 11:13

How long do the cistern bleach blocks last? We've got a push button cistern and you have to take it all apart to get the lid off, wouldn't want to do it too regularly.

I use the gel disc things on the bowl, they keep the bowl and water fresh but we do get build up of limescale round the rim and in the cistern.

elfycat · 24/04/2013 11:32

I empty out the water and squirt with the cillet bang (orange top) cleaner for limescale. After a few minutes it wipes away.

IF you can bear toilet brushes a whole other thread I find a quick wipe round daily prevents most of the build-up (Flylady swish and swipe).

PigletJohn · 24/04/2013 11:41

cistern with a button on the top

Not sure. Probably a month or so. Maybe longer. We have a water softener, and they dissolve faster. We just get a couple of packs and lob one in when it no longer foams. It seems to be a long time. If you were to put two in, one tablet standing on top of the other, maybe it would take longer, I don't know.

It really does work, though!

cantspel · 24/04/2013 13:37

You shouldn't use a toilet block in the cistern if you have a modern loo as the breach in them can rot the rubber ring in modern dual flush toilets.

Original poster

motherofvikings · 24/04/2013 13:55

right i have a harpic power block sitting in the bowl of the ensuite loo. it fizzed impressively and went blue so will wait and see in 6h+ time. :)

thanks for all the suggestions!

OP posts:

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 24/04/2013 14:10

Ah, ok, anyway it's not really bleaching I need, limescale is the big problem for us.

PigletJohn · 24/04/2013 14:28

Save up for a water softener. It will delight you.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 24/04/2013 18:09

I know, we really haven't got space for it though, the house is tiny and I don't want to lose my undersink cupboard.

Original poster

motherofvikings · 25/04/2013 08:16

Well the haptic block was left for about 9h.

It took a few flushes for the blue water to disappear - this might be because we have low flow toilets.

The loo looks v clean now and more smooth iyswim. Hopefully it'll stay cleaner for longer if the lime scale has been zapped. :)

OP posts:

MinimalistMommi · 25/04/2013 12:16

Glad it worked, I've used the Harpic blocks for years and they've always worked well.

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