Is this toilet salvageable? Bleach won't cut it...

[BaconLettuceTomato]

I've just bought a BTL that hasn't been looked after very well by the previous occupants. I'm just in the process of cleaning it up, redecorating etc before I look for tenants. The bathroom is actually quite nice and new so I don't want to replace anything, but nothing I've put down the toilet has got rid of the stains! I don't think it has ever been cleaned
What can I try??

Nancy Birthwhistles Pure Magic...

If you have Bar keepers Friend there, I'd recommend that.

This stuff is amazing!

I once had to use a hammer and chisel to remove limescale that was almost an inch thick all the way round a toilet. Gross, but it looked perfect afterwards.

A paste made from bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar worked for me.

I chiselled out huge slabs of limescale with a knife once. It was very satisfying. The knife did scratch the bowl but was much better than the brown limescale there before. I don't think that loo was ever cleaned either.

Cheap white vinegar, like half a bottle of it, overnight, lifted stubborn stains straight off for us. And cost 58p.

Empty the u-bend by pushing all the water through with a plunger or something, then sponge to dry it. Then I used 2L of limescale remover overnight.
Mine had a lot of thick limescale on the back of the u-bend ( out of site, put your hand in there ) which I prised off with a small screwdriver.

Wow some great tips, lots for me to try :)
Thanks all!

If you filmed it for TikTok or something, it would be very popular because I want to watch it.

I feel an idiot for asking this, but how do you drain the water? And where can you buy spirit of salts? DIY shop?

Bottle of full fat coke.

You clear the water by pushing at it with a toilet brush. Once the dirty water goes past the U bend it can’t get back. Black Harpic might be enough and it’s readily available.

You can buy it on Amazon.

https://amzn.to/3Ygfu5K

Coke, well cheap own brand is fine. You can make a paste with cornflour for really stubborn stuff

@BaconLettuceTomato we need a pic!

In your position I’d replace. A heavily stained toilet is never going to look great & toilets do need to be pristine in a btl. I use the following in my btl properties. They are easy to clean and replace!

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Holkham-Easy-Clean-Rimless-Toilet-Pan-with-Soft-Close-Seat---Box-1-of-2/p/239576

^^This.
I cleaned the worse toilet ever when DD moved into a bed sit; I honestly don’t think it had had the limescale removed for years if ever 🫣
I had to do it twice overnight but it worked brilliantly!

@Wenfy ”In your position I’d replace.” I’d rather invest £5 first in descaler and see what the results are like.

Get the majority of the water out of the toilet and put a load of descaler down for several hours and then scrub with something like a scrub daddy

Astonish Fizz & Fresh tablets from Home Bargains have always worked for me.

Any chance of photos?

And I have heard that you can scrub with a wet pumice stone without it scratching the porcelain.

Same here, I saw it recommended on a FB group and it got rid of stains/limescale that I'd tried for ages to get rid of within an hour!

Ooh. Thanks @Howmanysleepsnow! Drain cleaner! One of our loos get stained below the water line. I have no idea why and why it's just/only this one. But drain cleaner worked a treat!