The bathroom is one of the places in the house that is particularly exposed to limescale stains. This is especially true for limescale in the toilet, which is one of the most exposed areas in the bathroom. If you are tired of brown limescale stains in your toilet, then read on in this post, where you can get good tips for removing limescale from the toilet.
We will also look at how you can prevent limescale from building up in the toilet bowl, so you don't have to spend a lot of time removing hard limescale stains later. So read on and be well-equipped to keep your toilet bowl free of limescale.
Why do you get limescale in the toilet?
Before we look at how to remove limescale from the toilet, it can be useful to know why the problem actually arises. When you understand the source of the problem, it is also easier to understand the solutions. So why do brown limescale stains form in your toilet?
The source of the problem lies in the minerals found in water. It contains a certain amount of dissolved minerals, including magnesium and calcium. When water runs through the toilet, some of these minerals will remain in the bowl, and it is this that gives rise to the limescale stains.
The problem with limescale in both the toilet and the rest of the bathroom will be greater in areas where the water is hard. The hardness of the water is measured by analysing the mineral content in the water – the harder the water is, the more limescale will form in the toilet. There are large differences in water hardness across the country, with Copenhagen water being particularly hard, while households in Central Jutland can enjoy the country's softest water.
Now that you know why you get limescale in the toilet, we will show you how to remove limescale from the toilet, so you don't have to look at the ugly, brown limescale stains in your toilet anymore.
1. Use vinegar or another acid – a cheap solution
Removing limescale from the toilet does not require a lot of strong and expensive cleaning products, but can be done with simple household items that you may already have at home. Acetic acid is one of the most obvious solutions to choose, as the acid from vinegar can dissolve the mineral deposits that have built up in the toilet bowl.
Mix one part vinegar with four parts water in a spray bottle, and spray this on the areas in the bowl that are affected by limescale stains. If you have brown stains below the waterline, you can start by using a plunger to pump the water out of the bowl. If necessary, place toilet paper on the areas that have limescale stains, so the toilet paper can absorb your vinegar mixture and remain on the area.
Let the acetic acid work for a few hours, or leave it overnight if the limescale stains are very bad. Remember to ventilate and use cleaning gloves when washing the toilet bowl. If the acid does not work, you can try using lime and rust remover, for example, to remove limescale in the toilet, which can be bought in most supermarkets and grocery stores.
2. Use washing powder for white clothes
Another trick that surprises many with its effectiveness in removing limescale from the toilet is to use washing powder for white clothes. It has a bleaching effect that can bring the completely white colour back to your bowl.
Here, you just need to mix two tablespoons of washing powder with one litre of boiling water, dip the toilet brush in the mixture and scrub the toilet thoroughly. Let the mixture work for a few minutes and rinse. It is important that the water is hot, so the bleaching effect of the washing powder is activated.
3. Use WC tablets or a WC stick
If common household products such as vinegar and washing powder do not work when you need to remove limescale from the bathroom, you can also try some of the more traditional cleaning products that are produced specifically for the purpose. Here, two of the most obvious products are WC tablets or a WC stick.
WC tablets remove limescale from the toilet effectively, as the concentrate in the tablets is quite high, so the product can work throughout the bowl. It can be difficult to get normal liquid toilet cleaner all around the bowl, so here WC tablets are a good alternative that can reach all the way to the back of the bowl where you cannot reach with a brush. Throw a tablet in the bowl, let it work overnight, and brush thoroughly with the toilet brush in the morning. If your toilet is particularly affected by limescale, you can use WC tablets for several days in a row, so the hard limescale can loosen.
You can also try a WC stick, which is placed on the inside of the toilet bowl just below the rim. Every time you flush the toilet, fresh scent and colour from the WC stick will be released together with the toilet water. It is therefore an invisible solution that can both remove limescale from the toilet and prevent limescale from building up later.
Prevent limescale buildup in the toilet and bathroom
The easiest way to remove limescale from the bathroom is to prevent the problem from occurring at all. So how can you help yourself to remove limescale from the toilet by preventing the problem?
You can keep your toilet clean and sparkling by regularly maintaining and cleaning it. Scrub the toilet bowl daily with a toilet brush without using cleaning products, as this prevents the buildup of limescale residue in the bowl.
Also, check if the toilet is running, as this will quickly cause limescale stains. And clean the toilet once a week with toilet cleaner, so you scrub all the mineral residues out of the bowl. Be thorough, and make sure to get all around the bowl, so you clean out all corners and edges.