Calcified toilet - please help!

[Pizdets]

We recently moved house. There's a lot to do but it's generally bearable for now, except for the toilet which has a thick layer of limescale below the waterline - it's about 2mm thick and rock solid. I'm not really a domestic goddess and my usual 'chuck some bleach down there' technique hasn't worked in the least. Is a loo this bad redeemable or do I need to just hang on and try to ignore it until we get a new one? Any experience or advice would be amazing!

It's entirely solvable. The key is to remove all the water first - scoop it out with a disposable plastic cup or whatever and they dry it with a rag. After that, attack with Limelite or Harpic or vinegar or whatever, and you may be able to chip the stuff off in chunks with an old knife (v satisfying). It will take a few applications but you will definitely see it working.

I had to do this when we moved in here. Get your rubber gloves and an old butter knife. Gently work it along the edge of the build up and it'll come away in pieces. Then just scoop them out. Last bits can be removed with Domestos Zero Limescale.

Harpic lime scale remover tablets - use one per night until it's all gone.

Oh you're all angels! Will dry, vinegar, chip then attack with limescale stuff - we have a houseful of guests coming next month and I was worried about asking them to use it! God knows how long they must have left it to build up so badly, I'm really not very reliable at cleaning but I've never seen anything like it myself!

bleach won't work it will only bleach the limescale.

pour in some warm water and add half a dozen or so denture tablets over night. repeat.

yes, the Harpic tablets in the black carton, also the Harpic liquid in the black bottle.

Longer term, lay in a good stock of Parazone Bleach Blocks (not Bloo, not Green, not scented) and put one in the cistern. Do not use start until after you have done the Harpic thing.

The cistern block will slowly dissolve, and so will the limescale in the cistern (take a photo each month, when you drop a new one in, as you won't believe me otherwise). As you continue, it will go on to dissolve and wash away the limescale in the waterways in the rim, which will improve the flush, and even that clinging to the surface of the pan, making it easier to clean. The bleach blocks are also good for keeping the WC clean and fresh.

Branching out, you might look into buying a water softener, as it sounds like you have a severe problem.

We don't have limescale here but I remember seeing on kim and aggie or something that pumice stone gets rid. I assume you scrub it with one. Its harder than the limescale but not as hard as porcelain so doesn't damage the toilet? Might be best googling as like I say, I've never needed to try it

I have always been grateful for the day I discovered Harpic limescale remover. I squirt some on and rub round the areas it gathers with the bog brush.

I have been looking into the idea of Fernox limescale preventer, which you put in the cold water tank every 6 months.

www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/fernox-limescale-preventor-896798

For the nuclear option, do the following (plumbers' advice, our house had been derelict before we moved in):

Remove the standing water from the loo using a sponge. Then pour down an entire bottle of spirits of salts (wearing rubber gloves and protective goggles if you have them, and not leaning in too close). Shut the lid of the loo as fast as you can (the stuff is basically hydrochloric acid, it smokes like a bastard, and you do not want to be breathing it in).

Leave overnight. In the morning approach cautiously, it will look like a disgusting browny-grey soup. Use an old loobrush or washing up brush to remove any remaining calcification (again, with rubber gloves and an apron/goggles). Flush the loo, standing well back. It should look pretty clean after a couple of flushes. If not, repeat (though you really shouldn't need to).

Buy some cheap vinegar and chuck it the bottle down to cover the limescale and leave overnight. Then a bit of gentle scrubbing with a sponge and the toilet brush will remove it. One of my toilets (don't know why just that one!) regularly has a layer of thick limescale at the bottom and it works every time!

just to check that you are not on a septic tank before you do all this!!

Razor blade would remove it.

Just tried the pumice stone and it worked a treat in a couple of minutes. This is after getting nowhere with various bottles of limescale remover chucked down in quantity and left for several days.

There is also something quite refreshing about putting your (rubber-gloved) hand into a toilet bowl in this weather :)

Oh I need to get cracking on this afternoon all the great advice! thanks again!

As said empty all the water squirt cillit bang lime scale remover down there leave for about 5-10mins and use a plastic knife or implement not metal to scrape it off I did this about 2 weeks ago and works a treat or wd40 that's really good for thick calcium lime scale too xx

YY to harpic limescale remover. This has worked brilliantly for me in my house which was so neglected by the previous owner. Leave to work for as long as poss. then scrub with toilet brush.

YY again to Harpic black bottle/box stuff. If you can remember to it's great to leave in the loo bowl before going away for a few days, then by the time you are back all the gunky stuff has dissolved!