Right. I've thought long and hard about this, I've conducted rigorous scientific experiment, and I'm sorry all you non-loo brush using MNers, but you're wrong.

[Lawks]

Following the earth shattering news last week that some mumsnetters don't own loo brushes, and what's more this isn't some oversight on the housekeeping front but a deliberate stance against "germy loo brushes dripping in the corner of the bathroom" (I'm too lazy to look up the exact quote paraphrasing), I have been keeping a watchful eye on the state of the Lawks household lavatories.

I removed the loo brush from the downstairs loo and left one in the upstairs loo (cf aforementioned rigorous scientific experiment). After a week the downstairs loo needed a jolly good scrub below the waterline. It also went through various mildly unpleasant phases which we won't go into but which would not have been necessary had a loo brush been available.

We have perfectly happy and healthy bowels, so no casting aspersions in that direction please.

I conclude that I don't understand how you can have sparkling clean loos without a regular scrub below the waterline.

I don't pretend to love my loo brush, and I change it often. But it's a necessary evil.

Will attack my scale later after buying a new brush (had a look at mine just now... tis now in the bin )

fully fledged loo brush user here

agree with op

flame -we had to drain the water out of the pan when we moved here becasue there was so much scale.
then used a strong limescale remover and knife and lots of scrubbing

How do you drain the water out

you just keep pushing it out with the brush and don't flush or you'll just fill it up again

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah I thought there was some fancy knob I didn't know about

Hmm, apparently there are 82 messages on this thread, but I cant see a single one, not even the opening post

Log out and back in - it was doing that to me

Oh dear.....

Thats better, PMSL flamesparrow, I could'nt see your advice until I sorted it, had t0o reboot computer.

Lawks - "loo brushes are icky. There is no getting away from this fact. But they are necessary and icky"

My view entirely.

Flame - reluctant as I am to buy into the marketing, these things were quite effective in dealing with our scale-coated loos when we moved in.

Yes I hate Loo brushes in theory but in pracise you DO end up with a cleaner toilet if you use one.

We change it very regularly and clean it "in" the loo with bleach so no "bits" left in the holder iyswim. It is only slatternly usage of one that will end up brown and dirty - you need to be "on it", can't bear them in public toilets for instance where they are just left to scrape poo off.

I can't believe i just wrote that btw

flamesparrow- or just bail the water out into bucket, using cup or something (deoderant cap does the trick- DH's of course

Then spray with cilit bang all over

Wait

All will disappear....like MAGIC!

I use harpic tablets for heavy duty limescale under the water line. Lord only knows whats in them, they are potent but they do the job.

No loo brushes in this house.

I don't see the issue with getting your hand in and cleaning under the waterline, doesn't bother me at all. I do it at least once a week.

I use the toilet duck brush thing - have done for years with no need to clear blocked drains.

I also use anti-bac wipes for cleaning the rest of the loo - under seat, round cistern etc and bag them up in a nappy sack when done.

For bad limescale - i have it too (hardwater area) I use the Harpic 100% limescale remover, leave in pan for at least 2hrs and then scrub. Apply again and leave for 30 mins and flush away. Do this at least 3 times a week and scale will go.... loved seeing my scaled loo going back to bright white!

Those of you who use flushable anything - don't believe what it says on the packet. We had to have someone out to unblock our toilet once from using flushable wipes and he said the day they invented those was the best thing that ever happened to drain cleaner plumber people. There is no such thing as a flushable wipe. They all end up blocking hte drain somewhere. It may be in your own pipes, or further down the line. If you haven't had a blockage yet, you are lucky. He also advised us not to use those extra quilted loo roll for the same reason.

Having had more intimate encounters with the contents of our septic tank than anyone needs to know about, I can vouch for the fact that 'flushable' wipes go through entirely unchanged and un-degraded until such point as they get stuck.

lol! Didn't occur to me that my advice would be hidden

Back from asda with some super duper limescale stuff, will by other chemicals and vinegar later. I am not enthusiastic enough to empty the water atm though (I think).

Now. How do I get the loo seat off?

Why not fill the toilet roll holder pot with loo cleaner? Then you know it's clean all the time.

That one I can do, flame. Unscrew the nuts (probably either plastic or wing-nuts, so by hand) from underneath. They will probably be yukky and may need WD40.

(or make DH do it!)

Then it is all manky fluff chemicals lurking around

Off to CLEAN