If you still notice remaining stains after cleaning your toilet, you’re probably dealing with hard water stains. The good news is that handling this mineral residue is not as complicated as the name suggests! Keep reading to learn how.
First, are you sure they’re hard water stains?
Hard water stains are created when water filled with high mineral content runs through your toilet, leaving some residue behind. Depending on the water’s minerals, the stains can take different colors (most commonly chalky white or brownish), which is the easiest way to identify them.
If this is your case, then acidic cleaners are ideal for cleaning the mineral buildup—the most popular ones being muriatic acid and CLR.
A greener alternative
While commercial cleaners work, hard water stains are easy to clean with less chemically heavy solutions. So, if you want to skip the trip to the store, you can use vinegar and baking soda instead!
An additional benefit of these products is they are eco-friendly and less risky. If that’s not all, you can usually find them easily and for a few bucks.
How to clean hard water stains with vinegar and baking soda
Vinegar is an acidic product that works so well to dissolve minerals. Plus, since baking soda loosens greasy and oily substances, these two products are the perfect solution to leave your toilet sparkly clean!
Here is how you can use them to clean hard water stains:
Step 1. Pour vinegar and baking soda into the toilet
First, pour two cups of white vinegar into the bowl and, without flushing, let it rest for one minute. Then, pour one cup of baking soda and two more cups of vinegar into the bowl.
Fizz should start to appear—don’t worry, it’s completely normal!—and you should leave it resting for ten more minutes without flushing.
Step 2. Use a toilet brush to swish the mix
After waiting ten minutes, you need to start swishing the solution so it can reach even the highest stains. You can easily do this with the help of a toilet brush!
Step 3. Wait and rinse the solution
For the final part, you just need to let the solution work for half an hour and then flush the toilet to rinse! Pretty easy, right?
Are you dealing with stubborn stains?
If some stains remain once you’re done cleaning, perhaps it’s time to bring a stronger tool. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll need intense elbow grease to remove them!
A pumice stone is one of the best ways to deal with stubborn stains. To use this method, start by wetting the stone and toilet bowl. Then, simply use the stone to carefully scrub the stains—just make sure to wear gloves to avoid hurting your hands.
Leave the cleaning to the pros instead!
Why not skip one of the least pleasant chores when you can? Cleaning the toilet is no homeowner’s favorite task, and with the help of Think Maids, you won’t have to keep it on your to-do list anymore!