Really disgusting limescale situation in toilet - heeeeelllllp

[Lukesmammy]

We have recently been away from home for 3 months staying with relatives while my hubby was away on a work course. When we have come back, the upstairs loo is a horrible dark brown colour. It wasn't like this before we left. It's like all of the white bit under the water is now stained with a reddish brown iykwim?

I am assuming its limescale build up from not having been flushed for 3 months (we live in a hard water area).

I have bleached which made no difference, used those disposable brush thingymajigs - again no difference and also bought some of those fizzy harpic powerplus 100% limescale remover tablets that you shove in overnight and it removed 0%

Any ideas??? It looks positively disgusting and I have resorted to shutting the door on it and insisting everybody use the downstairs loo as I can't stand looking at it!!!

Leave vinegar (the cheapest possible, those huge containers of spiced vinegar are great!) in overnight, or a few hours at least. Scrub vigorously with long-handled washing-up brush. Flush. Repeat until all limescale gone.

This has worked in houses we've bought that have been empty up to 9 months.

Try to get as much water out of the loo first, then the vinegar is even more effective.

A good few rams with the loo brush into the bend normally drains the majority away.

Drain loo, pour in coca cola, leave overnight, scrub, done.

It could be rust, if a bolt or something is in the cistern or elsewhere. If so, find and remove the offending metal object or it might happen again!

Thanks Ladies will try all of the above! Not at the same time obv but will start with cola idea first as have that in the house.

Only a small, half full bottle of Sarsons in the kitchen cupboards so don't think that would be enough!

Atch, never thought about sommat being in the toliet too - will check for that - thanks Annabel, as strangely, our downstaits toilet isn't affected at all and was left for the same length of time.........

there is some killer stuff you can buy called viakal
fantastic

probably awful environmentally tho

i wouldn't faff about with vinegar or coke either. empty the water out and bung in some hard core limescale remover.

I think it's more faff to drain the water away. I've never needed to do that.