Have you ever found yourself scrubbing away at your toilet bowl, desperately trying to rid the porcelain of limescale stains, only to find that traditional limescale removers don’t even make a dent? If this sounds like you, don’t be embarrassed – it’s not your fault and it’s got nothing to do with your level of household cleanliness! If you want to know the best way to remove stubborn limescale from your toilet bowl, follow these simple tips.
What is limescale?
Limescale is a build-up of calcium that sticks to surfaces and is most common in areas that have hard water. If you have struggled to rid your toilet bowl of stubborn limescale, you’ll most likely have noticed a limescale build-up in your kettle, on your taps, and even on your shower head. Sometimes you’re able to remove limescale with regular cleaners that are designed to combat limescale buildup, however, if you have found that these cleaners are no longer cutting it, it is time to take a new approach to limescale removal.
Don’t use bleach or coke to clean stubborn limescale from your toilet bowl.
It is a common myth that using coke or bleach will help rid your toilet bowl of limescale. Bleach is brilliant for killing germs and eliminating tough stains, so it’s understandable that people would assume that bleach would be a useful aid for removing limescale. The truth, however, is that bleach simply removes the coloured stain of the limescale, and not the limescale itself. Another popular myth is that the acid present in coke will help to erode the limescale if left to sit overnight. Although this is a sound theory, the amount of acid in a bottle of coke isn’t sufficient to remove tough limescale stains from toilet bowls.
How to remove stubborn limescale from your toilet bowl.
The myths have been debunked, but don’t be disheartened as there is an easy, natural, and safe way to remove stubborn limescale from your toilet bowl. In fact, it’s so easy and convenient that you’ll probably already have everything you need to create a sparkly clean toilet bowl in your home already. In order to effectively remove stubborn limescale from your toilet bowl, all you need is white vinegar and sandpaper.
Use acids to remove limescale build-ups
Because limescale is a buildup of calcium deposits, strong natural acids such as vinegar and lemon juice are brilliant tools to help remove limescale from toilet bowls and other problem areas within your home. For toilet bowls with heavy build-up, empty an entire bottle of white vinegar or lemon juice into the bowl, close the toilet lid and leave to sit overnight. In the morning use a toilet brush to remove any residue and scrub away at any spots that are particularly stubborn.
If the limescale build-up isn’t too thick, creating a mixture of vinegar and water and applying it using a spray bottle is an effective way of removing stains without having to wait too long before cleaning. After spraying the solution onto the affected area, wait for half an hour before scrubbing the area with a toilet brush. Using a spray bottle solution of water and vinegar is also great for cleaning limescale that has built up under the rim of the toilet bowl.
You may find there are areas in your toilet bowl where limescale is particularly stubborn.
If the layer of limescale that has built up is particularly thick, you may need to empty the excess water from your toilet and use a little bit of elbow grease. After leaving your acidic solution in the toilet bowl overnight, proceed to clean with a toilet brush and remove as much debris as possible, flushing the excess limescale away. Once you’ve completed this process, remove the water from your toilet bowl using a small cup or glass and apply vinegar or lemon juice directly to the affected areas, and gently scrub the limescale away using sandpaper. Ensure you don’t scrub too hard as you may damage the porcelain bowl.
Keep your toilet bowl limescale free.
Now that you’ve got a sparkling clean toilet bowl, you’re going to want to keep it that way! Thankfully, the upkeep is relatively simple – all it takes is a cupful of vinegar left to sit in your toilet bowl every week or so to keep the limescale build-up under control. Have you tried this method for keeping your toilet bowl limescale free? If so, I’d love to know how it worked for you, so please leave a comment below and tell me how you got on.
