Cleaning the toilet can be an unpleasant nuisance at the best of times but if you live in a hard water area it can be even worse. Limescale deposits can form dark patches in the toilet bowl, but what makes this especially frustrating is that these deposits are stubborn and hard to remove. Elbow grease is often not enough. So how to remove limescale from below the toilet waterline? Read on to find out!
What is limescale?
Before we start with the solution we must first identify the cause of the problem. Limescale, is the building block behind the unsightly marks in the toilet. But what is it? To have limescale you must first have hard water. Hard water contains high levels of minerals, mainly calcium carbonate and magnesium. It is these minerals which form the building blocks of limescale. Calcium carbonate bonds out of the water and onto surfaces easily and then builds up into thick layers. These will form wherever water sits, meaning your toilet is especially susceptible if left unchecked.
How to remove limescale
So, know that you know your enemy what are the next steps? You can of course buy off the shelf limescale removers, but this can start to add up cost wise and these products typically use harsh chemicals which are washed into the watercourse. Its also important to note that in some toilets the enamel helps keep limescale from bonding as strongly and certain bleaches and other chemicals can damage the enamel making them a self-defeating choice. The key ingredient to breaking down limescale is a form of acid and acid isn’t just limited to off the shelf brands.
Our recommendation is to use white vinegar but you can also get citric acid in powder form for this. Now is it just as simple as pouring some vinegar into the toilet and that’s that? Sadly not, you would likely have to wait for some time before this would begin to remove the build-up. This is because the water in the toilet bowl will dilute the vinegar making it less effective.
So in order to effectively remove this build up you should switch off your water and flush the toilet, thus draining the bowl of water, you may need to flush more than once to fully clear the bowl. You can then pour in your vinegar (or other solution) and let it sit for an hour or two. You should then find that the stubborn deposit comes right off with minimal physical effort required!
Preventing Limescale in the Home
You may be thinking that this is all well and good but won’t the deposits just return and you’ll need to do this all over again? Prevention is the best defence against limescale and more regular brushing and cleaning of those particular areas will help keep that area clear. If you treat your hard water you can make your life that much easier, using either a water softener or a water conditioner.
Final Thoughts:
Hopefully this has helped to explain how to remove limescale from your toilet, below the waterline. If you’d like to find out more about how Halcyan can help you keep limescale at bay then please check out our system explainer using the link below!
