topic Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet? in Home

How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

newjersey — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 13:39:42 GMT

I've tried rust removers, brillo, and Lime Away. Can't remove it. Thanks for any help.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

Deb665 — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 13:44:28 GMT

A pumice stone might work. The ones for toilets are usually with the bathroom cleaners. Hope it works for you.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

fleetwood — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 13:48:38 GMT

I have had really good luck w/ a liquid toilet bowl cleaner called The Works. I let it sit in the bowl for a couple of hours and then brush and flush. I used it for hard water stains so I am not sure about rust but it's worth a try. I also recommend trying a scouring pumice stone.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

Imaoldhippie — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 14:04:40 GMT

Some times when rust has been there a while you just cant get rid of it. If you dont use that toilet regular, let a rust remover sit for several days to a week, scrub, flush and repeat as many times as needed to see if this works. Also you can try to buy some water softner salt to put in it and the tank, that would probably help a lot.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

Trix — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 14:11:33 GMT

@newjersey, regular Clorox chlorine bleach may be worth a try. I agree with the pumice stone suggestion too which may be helpful regardless of what cleaner you are using. As for cleaners labeled toilet bowl cleanser one of the best I've ever used is Don Aslett's Foaming Bowl Cleaner which QVC sells. I've used nothing else in my bowls, except bleach every now and then, since discovering this product about 5 or 6 years ago. One bottle lasts for months. Before this product I used to clean my toilet bowl everyday. With the Aslett product the bowl looks and smells clean for a week. If cleaning toilets isn't your thing you may be able to stretch that, but due to my complusion for cleaning, I clean the bowl at least twice a week.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

pigletsmom — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 14:16:21 GMT

@Deb665 wrote:
A pumice stone might work. The ones for toilets are usually with the bathroom cleaners. Hope it works for you.

These work really well. I had to use one when I didn't realize my scrubber had rusted a bit. Needless to say I scrubbed a rust line right into the bowl. Not sure if regular stores sell them. I think I got mine at Home Depot.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

BLH — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 14:16:24 GMT

Buy the Lysol liquid toilet bowl cleaner in the brown bottle. Pour alot in the bowl and let it set for at least a few hours. Then scrub with a brush. Sometimes toilets get like that because the toilet isn't used very often. It would help if you can flush the toilet often even if it's not used.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

shaggygirl — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 14:45:21 GMT

This is going to sound weird but I'm going to suggest it anyway in case nothing else works. I've used coca cola very successfully getting rust stains out of beige carpeting. Soooooooo, I'm wondering if taking the water level down (ya know, flush then close valve) and pouring a can of coke in and letting it sit then scrubbing would do the trick.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

webbgarner1 — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 15:01:08 GMT

@newjersey A product named CLR works pretty good. The iniitals stand for calcium, lime and rust remover.As suggested previously chlorine bleach may go a long way or the pumice stones.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

novamc1 — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 15:13:23 GMT

We once had a big buildup of hard-water deposits in one toilet that was seldom used, and plumber strongly recommended against using some of the harsh products on the market (such as CLR, a popular cleaner which stands for Calcium Lime, Rust).

Instead, he advised bailing water out of the toilet and letting vinegar soak in for a while.

Don't know how well that would work for your particular stains, but a web search shows a variety of products which might work.

against rust, etc.

For routine cleaning and gentle but somewhat tough scrubbing of toilets, I really like the Clorox wands that come in a package with little bleach-containing scrubbers, which attach to the wand and can be thrown out after use. So simple to use.

I don't think using Coca-Cola sounds weird as a solution, either. That drink contains a lot of phosphoric acid that can even dissolve teeth if you put teeth in a jar of Coke and let them sit for a while. Probably works great on stains!

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

AnikaBrodie — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 15:17:49 GMT

We use CLR on a routine basis since we have hard water. Flush the toilet, turn off the water so it does not refill, put about a cup of CLR in toilet, and let it soak for at least 2 to 3 hours (longer if possible). After that time use brush to clean and the rust and lime and calcium deposits should be dissolved.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

FranandZoe — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 15:35:47 GMT

Bar Keepers Friend cleanser will remove rust.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

kze — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 16:32:34 GMT

NEVER use BLEACH on RUST! Bleach sets rust stains and just makes them harder to remove. Just google it for verification.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

bmorechick — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 16:47:15 GMT

kze you are correct. we have a water conditioner because we have very rusty water. while it keeps all my appliances and clothing from turning brown and rusty, i think because the water sits in the toilet, it starts to build up a little. the only product that completely gets rid of rust is a product called WHINK...it comes in a brown bottle and has kept my toilets gleaming white. i have tried it all...the stains laugh at CLR, barkeepers friend is too gentle on REAL rust, and bleach makes it worse. WHINK is hydrochloric acid so you cannot mix it with anything!!! just squeeze it in the toilet, scrub it around and leave it. if the stains are bad, it will take several treatments. i squirt it weekly and even though it says do not use on color toilets, i have done that with no problem. i have the "bisque" color toilets and one white but it does just fine.

i can only find it at ACE hardware, but you can also by it online. hope it works for you!

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

ID2 — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 16:59:56 GMT

@fleetwood wrote:
I have had really good luck w/ a liquid toilet bowl cleaner called The Works. I let it sit in the bowl for a couple of hours and then brush and flush. I used it for hard water stains so I am not sure about rust but it's worth a try. I also recommend trying a scouring pumice stone.

Yup count me in for being a big fan of "The Works". It has eliminated all of my hard water chores.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

stevieb — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 17:12:26 GMT

The newer Lysol Power cleaner in a dark blue bottle has worked wonders in my older toilet and keeps the newer one very clean. It's removed stains I thought were never going away and after soaking for a while requires little elboy grease.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

RedTop — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 18:41:54 GMT

I lived with iron water for the first 40+ years of my life, and this sounds like an iron stain.

CLR and The Works cleaners are most likely to work, besides a pumice stone. Trying many different chemical cleaners will actually cause a reaction that sets this stain into the porcelain, and NOTHING will remove it at that point.

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

Glittergal — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 19:20:09 GMT

Barkeeper's Friend works wonders. Love it!

Re: How can I get rust/lime out of bottom of toilet?

SilleeMee — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 21:34:33 GMT

@fleetwood wrote:
I have had really good luck w/ a liquid toilet bowl cleaner called The Works. I let it sit in the bowl for a couple of hours and then brush and flush. I used it for hard water stains so I am not sure about rust but it's worth a try. I also recommend trying a scouring pumice stone.

Another vote for The Works. I was pleasantly surprised with how good this stuff is and it's so cheap.