How do i get the toilet bowls really clean?

[Wenchelda]

We have very very hard water here and as a result the lime scale build up on everything is horrendous, including in the toilets - which then ends up very dirty looking. I've tried normal toilet cleaner, bleach & soda crystals among other things but nothing seems to shift it. My toilets look minging help! Thanks.

Vinegar! (bail out the water, pour the vinegar in, leave it an hour or 2, then the scale should scrub off easily). Admittedly I use glacial acetic acid (lab-strength vinegar!)

Viakal. Honestly it was a bloody revelation the first time someone showed me what it was and how well it worked.

I bailed out the toilet bowl (blech) with an empty yogurt pot and kept applying Viakal and then hacking the flakes away with a chisel. Actually twas quite satisfying although I should have used a plastic or wooden scraper to avoid scraping the enamel.

I don't mean to be disagreeable with the previous poster but vinegar accomplishes fuck all in my experience.

Use a toilet cleaner that descales as well as cleans, regularly. Scrub it a bit each time you clean it. Only not with a metal scourer like I did as it leaves scratches....

I heard somewhere (poss Kim and Aggie ) that you should buy the cheapest cola and pour it in the bowl and leave it overnight. Apparently removes anything. Not tried it though....

I tried cola, no effect whatsoever!

I read somewhere that Harpic limescale remover is really good. I've got the same dilemma. Mine is being delivered with the shopping so I'll let you know how I get on.

You know what - nothing is better than a really good scrub using elbow grease and the cleaners. I see people just pouring a bit of bleach down and wondering why the toilet doesnt look much better!

Ha, true, Handcream. It took me a while to realise you have to scrub and use chemicals
My toilet looks lovely now though.

The Harpic tablets are great. But MUST be left overnight for best results.

Wipe every day with a toilet seat wipe.

Use Lidl limescale remover then after a bit poke at the limescale with something and the limescale will flake off.

Hard water area here too. The only thing I've used that works is lime lite. I use the spray in the shower and on the taps. You can get it in gel form though which would be good in the toilet.

i second harpic tablets, i try to use sparingly s they must be disastrous from an environmental perspective, but they do seem to work, i think a good 8 hour soak then a scrub and then a flush seems to do the trick!!

Harpic 100% limescale-remover works very well: it's concentrated hydrochloric acid I think. HOWEVER, it's by definition extremely caustic. Wear gloves, Under no circumstances mix it with bleach (will release chlorine gas) and don't leave it anywhere the kids could get hold of it. Ours is locked away away from little hands and only comes out when the loos need descaling.

Cilit Bang toilet cleaner. It is the best thing in the whole wide world for toilets. Removes everything. Sadly (not sure why) I can no longer find it in Sainsburys/Waitrose and am having to order from Amazon. But it really cleans our hard water toilets well - no brush needed!!

Harpic 100% lime scale remover. Squirt it in overnight.

If it's really bad you may find it takes a few goes but it will work. No scrubbing required.

Thanks for all the suggestions - I was hoping for a magic formula that would mean I wouldn't actually have to scrub the toilet bowls but looks like I'll have to! Will work my way through all your ideas until I find what works here. I honestly doubt if anything can make my loos look like new again.... They are horrible at the mo!