Help - what can I do to clean this toilet?

[namechanger70]

Hi I am looking for some help. I have been away for a while and returned to one toilet that is brown and discoloured in the bowl and u-bend. It has been cleaned but it looks dirty. I have tried every product I can think of, the coke overnight trick and bleach for days with brillo pad scrubbing and nothing is lifting it although it looks like a good scrub would do it. Can anyone please suggest a magic potion to try? Thanks.

Sounds to me that the underlying problem is limescale ( which is getting stained so it looks dirty ) for which I would apply the really strong H a r p i c in black bottle don’t scrub let it sit for as long as possible. Overnight or all day if everyone is out of the house.

Try the Harpic tablets that you leave in the bowl (I think there are 8 in a pack). I recently faced the same problem, and a few days of Harpicing solved it :)

Spirit of salts

Domestos zero limescale works. Empty the bowl of water (I use the loo brush to push water down in a pump action) generously squirt the product around the rim, leave it for as long as possible, scrub with loo brush and it should all be gone.

Cheap large bottles of coke in the loo over night
First bail out the water in the bottom so its pure coke working on the porcelain
Or denture cleaning tablets again left to work in the water overnight

Black bottle Harpic. Tip plenty in and leave for a while then scrub gently with a brush and flush. Repeat if necessary.

What on earth does Coke do to clean a loo? I'd have thought it would stain it. I'm intrigued.

White vinegar over night.

It's a miracle in a bottle !

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3542576-Just-descaled-my-toilet
This is my thread from a while back OP.
Hope it helps. There’s before and after pictures too

Spirits of salt if it's really bad but it's strong stuff, have to be so careful!

This limescale remover from Sainsbury’s is amazing. Pour down the loo before bed, flush in the morning and your loo will be sparkly clean.

Harpic Power liquid in the black bottle, chuck a full bottle down each loo before bed and leave to work. Our house had been empty for a year and we live in a hard water area so the loos were dark brown with limescale when we moved in. I tried everything else and this stuff was the only thing that worked, think the worst loo took two treatments but no scrubbing or anything, just leave it to work it's magic.

The toilet in our first house was disgusting when we first moved in. Scrubbing didn't touch it and had almost resigned myself to getting a new toilet, then my MIL suggested Borax and Vinegar. I used the brush to get rid of as much water as possible then poured the borax and vinegar and left it for a couple of hours. A quick swish with the brush and it was as good as new. Good luck!

I know I am dense but how do you get rid of the water in the pan in order to use these items? How can you use a brush to get rid of water? Thanks.

I know I am dense but how do you get rid of the water in the pan in order to use these items? How can you use a brush to get rid of water? Thanks

Use the loo brush as if you're cleaning the bottom of the toilet,keep pushing it down towards the u bend part for a few minutes,that gets rid of the water.

Steradent

You won't need to remove the water with the Harpic Power, I literally had big chunks of limescale floating in the water the next morning, it just lifted it straight off.

The ladies from How Clean is Your House use Coke or vinegar.

I ordered citric acid crystals from amazon. The only thing that cleared mine

A pumice stone used gently will work and you're not using caustic chemicals.

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I always see the advice to use Coke but I did see one person who said Coke stained the limescale a darker brown. No personal experience though.
I'm overseas and can't get the Harpic or the Domestos and there's no equivalent. I used hydrochloric acid (pool acid) after trying and wasting my money on everything else.

I second the pumice stone suggestion.

Incidentally, pumice will also remove soap scum and hard water residue from ceramic tiles without damaging the glaze.

Any tips on getting rid of the vile brown stained limescale from under the rim?
I wish I'd taken a before picture, I've managed to get some off with various cleaners, the bowl itself is sparkling white now!
I'm currently using a pumice for a few minutes a day and then squirting black Harpic around the rim but it feels like I'll be doing this for the rest of my life!
I've tried Viakal, white vinegar, soda crystals, metal scourer and scraping with a palette knife (not ideal as scratching the surface gives the limescale extra purchase).

You need Kilroc Big K multi purpose limescale remover.
You cup the water out, pour hot water in, pour some kilroc in and simply watch it fizz away. Absolutely amazing
You can thank me later

What on earth does Coke do to clean a loo? I'd have thought it would stain it.

Coke contains phosphoric acid, which like any other acid will dissolve limescale. The brown colour of Coke is (I think) just caramel which ought to wash away easily.

I've never actually used Coke on my loo but that's the science.