If you have hard water, you may notice a crunchy, whitish substance in the toilet bowl. This is the accumulation of lime. Lime is the result of hard water deposits or waste. Formation of calcareous deposits in the toilet bowl makes the bathroom look impure and dirty. Removing calcareous deposits from a toilet bowl can be done using common household products.
Instructions
1 Remove as much water from the toilet bowl as possible. Close the valve behind the toilet to stop the flow of water. Pull the chain a couple of times until the toilet bowl is empty.
2 Clean the inside of the toilet bowl with toilet bowl cleaners. Apply a generous amount of vacuum cleaner and scrub the container with a bath brush. This will eliminate some of the lime deposits, but probably not all. Dump a bucket of tap water into the container to rinse it after cleaning with the toilet cleaner.
3 Pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into the toilet bowl. If this is not enough to cover the lime deposits, soak paper towels with the vinegar and place them over the lime stains. Leave the vinegar in the toilet bowl overnight.
4 Remove the paper towels the next day. Use the bath brush to wash any loosened lime deposit. Pull the chain with a bucket of water. Inspect the toilet bowl to see if any of the lime stains remain.
5 Use borax powder if the lime stains persist. Sprinkle a generous amount of borax directly on the affected areas of the toilet bowl. Leave on for 30 minutes and then rub with the bath brush. Rinse the container with a spoon or two of water.
Tips and warnings
- Chlorine can also be used to remove limescale. Pour about 1/2 cup of chlorine into the toilet or take the paper towels in bleach and put them on top of the lime stains. Leave the bleach on the stains for several hours before scrubbing and washing the container with water.
- Do not forget to activate the water valve again when you have finished cleaning.
- Use a bath brush with plastic bristles so that the toilet bowl will not be scratched.
- Wear rubber gloves when working with chlorine to protect your skin.
- Never mix chlorine and ammonia or products that contain these ingredients. The results could be toxic.