Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Please help! I moved into a townhouse and both toilets have greenish stains above the water line where the water flows (in lines down the bowl to the water line.) I can only assume these are from over- use of colored "toilet tabs" and the like without regular cleaning. I am able to clean below the water line nicely, but above the water line it is horribly stained. Any suggestions? Would pumice work for these stains? Thanks!
I have the same problem when I put the blue "cleaning" tabs in my toilet,I only use them because our water has a brown residue so I have to use a pumice stone on them to remove both stains.it works ok with a lot of elbow grease but sometimes I stop the toilet up with a dirty dishtowel,shoving it in tight enough to hold water and pour pure clorox bleach in, filling your toilet to the rim on top,letting it set for 30 minutes to an hour, then remove the dish towel and wash with a toilet brush.it comes sparkling clean.(we also have very hard water so the pumice removes the ring that's always there.) make sure the kiddies nor the hubby doesn't have access to the toilet or they'll flush the dishtowel...
Turn the water off to your toilet. (valve behind your toliet on the wall.) Spray the entire inside of the empty toilet with undiluted white vinegar or C.L.R. Let stand 1 hour. Srub well with a stiff toilet brush. You may need to repeat again. When stain is gone, Slowly pour 1 gal.
I've never used pumice for these mineral stains but a simple cheap way is to don a glove and rub the stains with 'wet and dry' sandpaper - that's the very fine black one available in hardware stores. You don't have to remove the water and with a very moderate amount of rubbing will remove these deposits without damaging the ceramic surface.
Replace the colored toilet tabs with the bleach tabs. We have very heavy minerals in our water that leave stains and this works well to minimize the stains left.
As a service plumber for ten years I can offer this. The stains are from minerals in the water, this differs everywhere and depends much on where the supply comes from, aquafers, wells, mountain, spring etc.... Borax is natural, kills mold, removes stains and will not effect your system if it happens to be septic.
I have the perfect solution to your problem and it works great. The next time you visit Wal*Mart, purchase a bottle of T.R.R. (Toliet Ring Remover). This stuff works great. I use it like once every 3 months. It comes with a Sponge like toliet brush. Just make sure you wear gloves for this because it is a strong chemical. Let me know how it works out.
TRR has stained my ceramic tile. How can I get the stains
Off the tile?
TRR from a distributor in S. Carolina (Image Supply) works great - I even used it on my shower floor that nothing would clean (I had figured on refinishing it, so I didn't have much to lose by trying a corrosive product like this. I had only a small amount left in my bottle and used it on half the shower floor.
Buy TRR, it works great. The stains had been in my toilet for over 2 yrs and with a green scrub pad and this product it was gone! I'm so happy.
Here is my toliet after using TRR!!
I have the same kind of stains. These responses talk about rings, not the same thing. These stains are above the water line and run vertically from where the water comes out.
I think that the pumice will work fine. Your problem is lime deposits that the color adhered to. I just used a razor blade to remove those darn deposits and it worked like a charm with some elbow grease. I'm looking for something to add to the tank that will keep the water soft!
Make a paste of Baking Soda & Vinegar, Apply to stains and watch it leave right before your eyes! Not much elbow grease needed.
Pumice will scratch the enamel leaving pits where stains can collect, making the problem worse.
Calcium Lime Rust Remover should work. Or Just tried -Hurry Clean- for a $1.00 @ Dollar Tree store. 3 packs in box. Use in toilet tank & let solution sit 6 hrs. It works.
You must be aware that some newer units have a special coating that can be ruined when using harsh abrasives
this solved all my problems with my toilet bowl. Thank You!!
