You've probably already noticed that despite regular cleaning of the toilet bowl, a discolored edge forms over time. In most cases, these deposits are the result of hard water and/or standing water in a bowl that is not used often. Once enough time has passed, the water mark becomes extremely stubborn and cannot be removed with normal cleaning. However, if you have hard water, the minerals in the stagnant water form a film on the surface of the toilet bowl, attracting further stains and discoloration. Find out here how you can remove the unsightly water mark in the toilet - without harsh chemicals!
What are the causes of hard water stains in toilets?
Hard water contains dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. When hard water dries on surfaces like chrome sink faucets, it often leaves behind chalky, white spots (which are technically mineral deposits). This residue can also build up in the dry parts of the toilet bowl, but if your toilet is white, you probably won't notice it. Brown or rust-colored deposits are much more difficultor stainsto ignore, which are usually due to iron or manganese compounds in the water.
Have you ever wondered how to remove heavy messes with minimal scrubbing?
Remove toilet water rim with baking soda and vinegar
Well, if you have just discovered a limescale, you can use baking soda and vinegar to remove the discolorationalmost effortless to remove. Baking soda is a great, natural cleaning agent for many surfaces in the home and when combined with vinegar, the duo's cleaning power is doubled!
- Add 250 ml of white vinegar to the toilet water. Leave it on for a few minutes.
- Then add 250 g of baking soda and then (immediately) 500 ml of white vinegar. Close the toilet lid and allow the home remedies to bubble and soak for 10 minutes.
- Dip the toilet brush into the water and lightly scrub the area where the dirt is located. Then let the natural remedies work for 30 minutes.
- Finally, flush the toilet 2 – 3 times. If the water mark is only partially removed, repeat the process or scrub the stain with the toilet brush and flush again.
Clean the brown edge at the bottom of the toilet bowl with borax
You just need to make a cleaning spray with the product and use it as needed to remove limescale and dirt.
- In a cup of water, mix 1 tablespoon of borax and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Stir well to dissolve the borax - the mixture should be slightly cloudy if you've done everything right.
- Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake well (before each use). Spray the toilet rim directly with your homemade borax cleaner and let it take effect. For this method to be effective, the cleaning solution must remain wet on the surface for as long as possible. Therefore, you may need to spray the brown deposits 2-3 times every 5 minutes.
- Make a thick paste of borax by mixing the agents with a minimal amount of water. Coat the toilet brush with the paste to create a lightly abrasive scrubber,and cleanso that the toilet bowl (pay particular attention to the areas where the water edge is).
- Pour a bucket of clean water around the inside of the toilet to wash away the residue before flushing 1 – 2 times to thoroughly rinse the bowl.
To prevent deposits from forming, you should clean your toilet once a week with this DIY disinfectant and stain remover by following the steps above.
Cleaning the water rim in the toilet – scrubbing with steel wool
If there is still a toilet water mark, you can try scrubbing it off with steel wool. We recommend using a fine steel wool because it will not easily scratch the porcelain of your toilet.
Clean heavily soiled toilet bowls with citric acid
Don't try to clean your toilet with citric acid if your home has a septic system. Otherwise, proceed as follows:
- Remove the water from the toilet bowl.
- Spray any dry spots on the surface of the empty bowl with water, then immediately sprinkle citric acid powder on the spots.
- Leave it on overnight.
- The next day, scrub the bowl with the toilet brush.
- Rinse to rinse.
Remove stubborn water stains in the toilet with pumice stone
While a pumice stone can be used to remove the worst toilet bowl stains, it should only be used as a last resort and not as a standard method. This is because pumice stone can scratch and permanently damage porcelain toilets.
If you have a porcelain toilet and no other options are available, make sure both the pumice and the stained surface are completely wet. Then gently scrub the limescale deposits or toilet water stains with the wet pumice stone until they are gone. Rinse the whole thing away with a final rinse.
