Hard water stains are never pleasant, but they can be particularly annoying in the bathroom. Thankfully, it’s easy to remove them, especially if you keep on top of the issue through regular cleaning and by implementing a longer-term water softener solution.
There are a few different ways you can remove hard water stains from your toilet. The key to understanding what works is knowing what causes them in the first place.
What Causes Hard Water Stains?
Hard water contains additional minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium, that you won’t find in soft water. When hard water evaporates, these minerals can be left on whatever surfaces the water touches, which eventually builds into stains and limescale.
Whether your home has hard water or not often comes down to your location. There are different ways you can check to see if you have hard water but the most obvious is limescale build-up, which occurs due to hard water being present.
Rust-coloured stains on your toilet surface, particularly around and below the water line, are usually a result of hard water minerals setting over time. If you struggle with limescale, you may also find evidence of this underneath the rim of your toilet (where water passes and sits after flushing).
Various cleaning products are available which are specifically designed to deal with limescale in the toilet. However, if you don’t want to fork out on these, a classic household cleaner can also do the trick.
Removing Hard Water Stains from the Toilet Using Vinegar & Bicarbonate of Soda
The trusty duo of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda can be used for a whole range of household chores, including cleaning stainless steel and removing stains from glass. Thankfully, it can also do a number on hard water stains in the toilet.
For most stubborn toilet stains you’ll need 400-500ml of white vinegar, and then around 100-150 grams of bicarbonate of soda.
- Pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl and mix it with the toilet water. Ensure any stains are covered and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
- Add the bicarbonate of soda and allow the products to fizz and mix for around ten minutes before doing anything else.
- Scrub the stains with a toilet brush and the vinegar and bicarbonate solution. Then, allow it to sit for another 30 minutes.
- If there are stubborn stains, scrub them again, then flush to rinse the solution away.
Get Rid of Hard Water for Good
The problem with these stains is that, so long as you continue to have hard water, they’ll continue to appear. Instead of spending time and energy cleaning various stains, it’s now easier than ever to enjoy soft water throughout your home.
A water softener doesn’t just save you from cleaning tasks, however. With no more limescale, your appliances will last longer, and it’ll even be easier to heat your home, helping to save you significant money long-term.
If you’d like to start enjoying all the benefits of soft water, speak to our expert team today.
