Help needed- how to remove mysterious lines on toilet

[kickingk16]

I moved into a new house this week, and one of the toilets has fine brown lines on the rim and in the bowl that look like scratches but I don’t think they’re indented.

I’ve tried cream cleaner and Barkeepers friend but nothing has worked on them. Does anyone have any ideas on how to remove? It makes the toilet look unclean when it’s not but I don’t want to have to replace it!

They do look like scratches. Have you tried neat bleach?

Have you tried a magic sponge?

Looks like the porcelain is cracking

It looks like metal scratches. Have you tried rubbing with a metal pan scourer like Spontex tough scourers and cream cleanser. Failing that you can get a variety of pastes and polishing compounds if that doesn’t remove them.

Thanks all - I’ve tried neat bleach but not magic sponge or scourer. I don’t think they’re cracks as the ones in the toilet bowl definitely look more like scratches, but it could well be something metal @Petrine

It looks similar to what you get on crockery which I also found difficult to get rid of, barkeepers friend helped a bit but I see you tried that

It's scratches from the lid of a metal lavatory brush. I hate those things with a passion for this very reason.

You need to completely clean then dry the area thoroughly, and scour it using the rough side of a brand-new sponge scourer and some liquid Brasso (the sort sold in a tin with a red lid).

You need to periodically wipe off & buff with a thick cotton cloth (an old towel etc.) and then assess the area, repeating with the scouring pad and the Brasso until such time the marks have gone.

It is tedious and it is time consuming, but it will work - I know, because I've had to do this many times over the years where toilet brushes have marked toilet pans, and metal chains on plugs have marked the sink or the bath to which they are attached.