Mineral deposits that are not taken care of in a timely manner can build over time and lead to a tedious project to clean. Deposits can be brown or rust-colored streaks or sections of light colors, visible on the toilet bowl. Recently, I had the pleasure of cleaning two bathrooms in an unoccupied rental unit with serious mineral deposits. If you are patient and present the effort, these deposits can be removed and the toilet can look like a brand new one.
Instructions
1 After determining that you have mineral deposits and not normal dirt (ie, discoloration can not be removed with a conventional toilet cleaner and brush), remove as much water as possible from the bowl. This can be achieved either by removing water manually from the container with a cup or bowl, or by pulling the chain and preventing a water replenishment by cutting off the water valve.
2 Fill the toilet bowl with distilled white vinegar, covering the spots. Depending on the location of the deposits, this can take several cups or quart of vinegar. Leave the vinegar in the bowl overnight, making sure the toilet is "out of order" for family members (including pets !!). The acid in the vinegar should help loosen if the deposits do not dissolve over time. In the morning, use a bath brush to try to remove deposits. If you can not get everything removed, proceed to the next step. If everything looks clean, go to step 4.
3 Rinse the vinegar and refill the container with water. Put on your gloves, grab your pumice stone, and roll up your sleeves! Begin firmly to wash the deposits with the pumice stone, making sure that both the stone and the bowl are wet. Unfortunately, this really means working with your hands in the water. Continue to work on it - this could take some time to grind out of the deposits. You may wonder if the pumice will scratch the cup - if used wet, this should not be a problem since the pumice is softer than the composition of the toilet bowl. In fact, it is possible that the pumice stone may crumble a little as you work on the stains, and that you may have to reload the water if it becomes cloudy. Continue working until the spots are removed. Actually it took me about an hour each toilet (more frequent breaks), so do not give up!
4 When you are satisfied that the spots are gone, flush them again, and you're done! Be sure to periodically clean the toilet to prevent future accumulations.
Tips and warnings
- Mineral deposits can also form under the edge of the toilet, where water enters the toilet - be sure to check for deposits there.
- Pumice stones can sometimes be found in the cleaning supply sections of retail stores, but not many stock stores this article. Instead, look in the cosmetic / nail care sections for affordable pumice stones (which are also used in the removal of dead skin from the feet).
- There are more powerful acids available for serious problems. However, these acids can be very dangerous and require special handling. Look for muriatic acid (also called hydrochloric acid) for these difficult problems.