Have you ever used the restroom only to be horrified to find a hard water stain that you are unable to remove? You could even find it so embarrassing that you won’t let any visitors use that restroom out of concern for their perception of you. Unfortunately, the hard water in Torrance and many other parts of Southern California makes your fixtures and glassware vulnerable to stains. But fear not—having hard water stains does not imply that you are unclean! In any case, our plumbers have compiled a list of risk-free methods for getting rid of these pesky stains, so your toilet bowl will appear clean and presentable in no time.
What Causes Hard Water Stains?
Any water that contains excessive amounts of sediments and minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, is referred to as hard water. Hard water will continue to accumulate as you use your fixtures and appliances, eventually leaving rust and scale stains that appear impossible to get rid of. Because they contain standing water, toilet basins are particularly vulnerable.
Avoid using harsh, chemical cleaners from the shop in order to preserve your fixtures and appliances.
Tip #1: Baking soda & vinegar
This combo may bring back memories of science fair projects from elementary school. These two common products are wonderful for getting rid of any kind of stains in addition to being handy for producing a fake volcano erupt.
If your toilet bowl has hard water stains, do the following:
- After flushing the toilet, add one cup of vinegar to the bowl and stir it with the brush to combine it with the standing water. Wait one to five minutes before using the combination.
- After that, add one to two cups of vinegar and another one to two cups of baking soda. The liquid will begin to boil up and fizz, much like your last science fair experiment. After allowing it to continue to bubble up, let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Swish the solution about and clean the hard water stain in your toilet bowl with a toilet brush. Make sure to clean the region above the stain as well.
- Put off flushing for now. In order to thoroughly remove the stain, scrub with the brush a couple more times after letting the liquid set for another 20 to 30 minutes.
- Enjoy the toilet’s stain-free appearance by flushing it.
Tip #2: Vinegar and Borax
It could be time to get out the chemical cleaning agent Borax if you’ve tried the preceding solution and the hard water stains haven’t disappeared. Prior to adding the quarter cup of Borax, flush the toilet. After that, add the Borax and swirl it around with the toilet brush. One to two cups of vinegar should then be added, and the mixture should settle for 20 to 30 minutes. To reveal a fresh, clean bowl, scrub the stains away with a toilet brush and flush the toilet.
Tip #3: Scrub with steel wool
Try using 0000-grade (the finest) steel wool to brush away any remaining ring around your toilet. As such fine quality steel is less likely to damage the porcelain of your toilet, we advise using it.
Still Having Problems With Hard Water? Think about putting in a water treatment system.
It’s crucial to develop the practise of consistently cleaning your toilet bowl in addition to utilising any of the aforementioned methods to remove hard water stains. This will make it more difficult for stains and buildup to persist. Get into the habit of using Borax, vinegar, or baking soda since they all work to remove hard water stains.
Additionally, we advise installing a whole-home water filtration system or a water softener, which will entirely get rid of hard water and provide you fresh, clean water that will leave your fixtures pristine.
