Is there anything that will really clean my old toilet?

[atticusclaw]

Am I just doing it wrong. The cleaner hasn't been cleaning the toilets properly and they are very stained below the water line. Nothing seems to shift it on the outsides. Is there product that will really shift it and make it sparkle or is my technique wrong?

Sorry - totally boring thread!

Harpic worked for me, the strongest formulation you can get. I scrubbed with an old washing up brush too

Is it stains or limescale-y? We get a lot of limescale here. I leave 2 Harpic tablets overnight and give it a good scrub. But when we'd left it too long, we ended up scraping it off! Of all things it was an old rectangular mascara tube that had the right edge

Denture tablets - a whole tube left over night.

Watching with interest...

Citric acid. I get it from here - best thing ever for limescale.

Yes denture tablets

Assuming it's limescale, the most effective thing is to remove the water with a plastic cup, and apply Limelite or Harpic Black Limescale Killer of Doom.
If you CBA, two of the Harpic fizzy tabs overnight followed by a good scrub are worth a try.

For limescale clear as much water out as you can and fill with white vinegar. Leave for a while then return and scrub.

Milton sterilizing tablets

Right I have denture tablets. I tried them before after reading on MN but only put one in. I'll shove the lot in overnight and see if that works and will then work my way down the list!

Pretty sure its limescale

Don't use the pick tablets as if they don't work or someone flushing the chain you'll end up with pink lime scale

Pink

OK some limited success with the denture tablets. Bit came off around the edges. Pretty sure that yes its limescale.

I saw something on a channel 4 grimy house programme about cheapie lemonade and kitchen roll being used for this....

Mr Muscle have a new "lime scale destroyer" toilet cleaner. I put it down the loos every day for a few days (leaving it for a few hours at a time where possible) and they look brand new now.

Spirit of Salts from a hardware shop. Be careful - it's strong acid - but it's MAGICAL. And cheap.

I use the harpic tablets to drop into the water and leave overnight. Use 3 or 4 at a time if necessary, for as many nights as it takes.

Once the limescale's gone, use Vim scouring powder and rubber gloves / kitchen scouring sponge to get it gleaming. (To throw the glove and sponge away once you've cleaned the loo, pull the glove down over your hand and over the sponge, so it goes inside out, and then throw the glove away with the sponge inside it.)

Toilet "bomb" tablets seem to cure a multitude, but you have to leave them to work a long time.
Alternatively, take the top of the loo, hold up the widget that goes down when it flushes, and stick something in there to stop it from refilling. Flush loo so it is empty, then a LOT of Viakal lotion, not spray.

A pumice stone will fetch it all off .Remember Kim and Aggie recommending it.

Spirit of salts. Really be cautious,wear gloves & glasses in case of splashes. Truly marvellous stuff but v toxic!

Proper coke (not the cheap stuff). Scoop out the water and pour a whole big bottle in and leave overnight.

Is it brown?
We have iron salts in the water that leaves a minging brownish stain that IS NOT POO but looks horribly like I haven't cleaned the loo since the eighties.
Only think that worked was a scrubbing brush and Barkeeper's Friend and I pop one of these bad boys in the cistern to keep it away.

Its brown yes. Is that iron salts then rather than limescale?

My cleaner has just been in and said "oh I've not been cleaning them anyway because you won't let me use bleach and that's all that will clean a toilet." (we have a septic tank and so can't use bleach) not impressed.

ok second lot of denture tablets have now been at work since midday and Ive just scrubbed again (with a toothbrush) and lots has come off!