topic Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains? in Home

How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

house_cat — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 23:11:21 GMT

We have hard water here and everything gets stained terribly. I just replaced three toilets and don't want them to become stained like my old ones were. How can I prevent it? Are those things that turn the water blue worth purchasing?

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

Tigriss — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 23:32:52 GMT

Ok, so here is the only trick you can to keep hard water from staining your toilets.....pay careful attention to all the details.

1. Buy toilet.

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2. Get toilet out of the box.

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3. Install toilet in the bathroom or desired location.

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4. Now the important bit......................................................................................................................................................

DO NOT TURN THE WATER ON!

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5. Buy silk flowers.

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6. Install the carefully designed silk flower arrangement in the bowl of the toilet.

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7. Sell tickets for your new art installation of the world's first toilet free of hard water stains!

In all seriousness, buy a pumice stone, like the one you use on your feet, and scrub the toilet regularly with it to keep the hard water stains from getting out of control. You can also regularly clean the toilet with something mildly acidic like vinegar or soda pop. Let it sit for several hours, scrub, and flush. Once a week or so ought to do it.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

fthunt — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 23:39:04 GMT

First - first response to your question isn't even funny.

You have a problem and looking for answers. Yes, I would expect the blue solution to help - but check on Google because some say not to put chemicals in the water tank as it can (eat) cause the rubber ball to degenerate. I haven't checked lately but they use to have a solid square that hung on the inside of the bowl......those don't come in contact with the tank water nor parts. Your water must be hard hard to destory 3 toilets. Hope this helps.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

greamy — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 23:44:30 GMT

We have hard water also. We contacted a plumber and we have a water softener in place and we hardly ever have that problem. If it should happen, just a quick cleaning with a pumice stone removes anything that may collect. Keeps our bowls snowy white. Just a thought for you to consider. Good luck.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

Katcat1 — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 23:54:36 GMT

@house_cat, household items are the best instead of using chemicals and breathing the fumes.

Here we go:

You will need Vinegar (3 cups) and Baking Soda (2 boxes)

Add one cup of Vinegar to the bowl and swish around w/brush

Let stand one minute

Add 1 cup Baking Soda followed by 1 to 2 cups Vinegar. Swish around all the sides w/brush.

Let stand for a while. I would say 5 to 10 minutes depending on stains.

Then scrub away remaining stains w/brush.

You can also use Vinegar and Baking Soda to clean sink drains. If you are interested just search on Internet. Too much to type. Good luck.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

SilleeMee — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:05:12 GMT

My experience with that blue thing is that it will eventually turn the hard-water ring to a blue color. It doesn't do anything to prevent hard water build-up.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

IlliniGirl88 — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:13:41 GMT

@house_cat - You may want to try Bar Keepers Friend. I've also read that Alka Seltzer tablets work, but have never used this.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

sissel — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:14:40 GMT

I have water softner too and still we do have to clean toilets. If you want that blue stuff please never put anything in back of the tank DH says that will eat away of your flusher & seals in time. I have tried the denture tablets in the bowl but seems no matter what you do we got to keep up with it.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

Mombo1 — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:16:17 GMT

I would highly recommend Don Asletts toilet bowl cleaner from QVC! The item number: V31132. I have well water that turns the bowl yellow over time.... But once I found this product...and use it about once a month, my toilets are sparkling white. Great product.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

NickNack — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:18:03 GMT

I use Don Aslett's toilet bowl cleaner. I bought it from QVC and it came with the toilet bowl swab and a pumice stone. I just checked, and QVC no longer sells the set. I found it on Amazon. Just search for Don Aslett toilet cleaner, and the set with these three things will come up. You're really going to need the pumice stone, and his cleaner is the best I've used. I don't think the blue stuff will help.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

KathyM23 — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:39:05 GMT

@Tigriss

Yes, I thought your first response was funny and you also offered a good solution to the problem. A sense of humor is helps many a situation!

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

SharkE — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 00:47:41 GMT

Bleach

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

house_cat — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 01:23:11 GMT

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I would never have thought of pumice stone - it sounds like it would be damaging to the finish, but I guess not if so many of you are using it.

I rarely use harsh cleansers of any kind - most things can be cleaned with a microfiber cloth and some homemade concoctions, but I'm sooooo tired of living with ugly toilets. I'm really determined not to let these new ones get corroded.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

Tigriss — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 02:10:08 GMT

@Katcat1 I agree! If you have a septic tank, the chemicals are bad for it too! Using vinegar or vinegar/baking soda will help clean the hard water if used weekly and allowed to sit and work before cleaning. A pumice stone works great too, but if you stay on top of the hard water, it won't build up, which is how the stains happen. Housecat may want to clean with vinegar or soda (mild acids) more frequently if there is very hard water. The acid will work like those after shower sprays that are supposed to keep the shower clean after every use, but I can't see cleaning the toilet that often but maybe a few times a week. The flap inside the toilet is going to leak over time anyway, so replacing them is also a good idea to keep water use to a minimum. The blue tablets do etch away at the seal and are bad for the septic tank, but they keep cleaner in the bowl to reduce build up. If you were on a city system, I'd use the tablets if the vinegar cleaning wasn't enough and just check the seal frequently or listen carefully for the sound of leaking water, then replace. They are super easy to replace, so just search YouTube for a video to show you how.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

Tigriss — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 02:17:15 GMT

@KathyM23 Thanks! Some people have no sense of humor at all, nor can fully read a post.

I got to thinking about KitCat1 using vinegar and baking soda like you would with a stuck drain.....If you turn off the water to the toilet, then flush to get the water out of the bowl, you could make a paste of baking soda and use that to gently scrub at the stain. It would be more gentle than the pumice stone if you are worried about scratching the finish. Turn the water back on, and rinse the bowl. Once some of the fresh scale is buffed at, the vinegar/acid can get in and really loosen it. I have left vinegar in the bowl overnight to help with stubborn stains. It really does help.
Bleach is bad for a septic system and does sanitize, while it can be acidic, vinegar seems to be more so. If the bleach or vinegar doesn't do the trick, and you are on a city system, I would try Trisodium Phosphate....TSP. You can get it at Lowe's. It is a somewhat stronger acid, so using it and leaving it for 5 minute blocks of time, would do it, but be careful as it is a stronger acid and not as forgiving as the vinegar or cola are. If Coke can clean battery acid, it can clean your hard water stains.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

Tigriss — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 02:20:03 GMT

@house_cat The pumice stone does really help and doesn't scratch. They do sell it where the toilet cleaners are or in the beauty section for a regular stone. When you wet the stone, it makes a paste when you scrub loosening the junk. I use small circles with long gloves. I do the vinegar soak first, then scrub with the stone. It is great! I am going to look at the Don Aslet brush to see if it can get under the rim better than the bristle ones to scrub there That area is a pet peeve of mine.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

KathyPet — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 02:28:34 GMT

IF you have hard water and water sits in the toilet bowl then eventually you will have hard water stains. the best remedy is a pumice stone used regularly. use it when you first notice the stains.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

INDIANA BONES — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 02:41:23 GMT

BRILLIANT RESPONSE from Tigress and a few others. Stay away from cleansers with a heavy scent and sorry Don A. but we tried to contact u to see if your products were safe for lungs with no reponse thus your products went in trash in boxes we recd them in. They stunk.

Per lung specialist you want to use vinegar and baking soda to clean as much as u can in a home. For wood u want to use something like Virgin Olive oil. Chemical cleaners such as Clorox, Lysol and other heavy scented items will destroy lungs esp if u are a small person with small lungs. Sorry I even had to get rid of my fav item in the world which was a huge collection of fragrances. So if u ever meet someone with a lujng disease that never smoked or was exposed to smoke they probably cleaned with certain agents that damaged lungs. Please I am not saying everyone will have negative results but ask any RN or MD and they will advise U that chemicals are dangerous to lungs.

U would be surpised how clean vinegar cleans once u start using it.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

kivah — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 03:39:01 GMT

@Tigriss

OR - she could use her neighbors toilet.

Re: How do I protect my brand new toilet bowls from hard water stains?

ID2 — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 10:01:35 GMT

We have hard water. We use The Works. Tablet in each tank and their toilet bowl cleaner to clean. We can't live without this stuff. Its safe for septics.

rlz=1C1PRFE_enUS703US703&q=the+works+toilet+cleaner&oq=the+works+toilet&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0l4.7037.8798.0.14270.7.7.0.0.0.0.116.650.5j2.7.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.7.650...0i20k1j0i67k1.qo70co3IYbw