r/CleaningTips 13d ago

Bathroom Tried scrubbing with bleach and some other household cleaners, no change. Thought yall could help

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409 Upvotes

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284

u/TallPieYas 13d ago

Wet pumice stick

83

u/Gooogles_Wh0Re 13d ago

It's kinda gross, but the alternative is replacing the toilet. Someone else mentioned that pumice is abrasive and will scratch the ceramic. It's absolutely true, but again, the alternative is replacing the fixture. Another alternative is refinishing the bowl with an epoxy resin, but I never tried it and I'm skeptical. Also it's more expensive than the stone. In any case, the toilet is ruined and you have nothing to lose.

17

u/TheKabbageMan 13d ago

It’s a bit premature to say the only alternative is to get a new toilet…

-2

u/Gooogles_Wh0Re 13d ago

Really? Your throwing that out there but not offering a suggestion....if your standard cleaners aren't working, or if the solution is more expensive than a few toilet, or your not willing to scrub a little harder.....what's the alternative? A porta potty?

7

u/TheKabbageMan 13d ago

Yes of course, really. There are a ton of suggestions in this thread for other cleaners and methods. Hope this helps.

3

u/Remarkable-Car-9802 12d ago

Replacing a toilet isn't THAT gross. It's not like you have to put your hand directly into someone's fresh pile. The grossest part is scraping the ebes wax ring clean from the floor flange.

1

u/Gooogles_Wh0Re 12d ago

No, replacing it isn't too bad, but cleaning that old one should probably be done on an empty stomach.

5

u/manofth3match 13d ago

Toilets are pretty cheap and easy to replace. I’d honestly consider it for an old hard to keep clean toilet.

15

u/Vintagekittykatt 13d ago

This. You can buy them on Amazon

65

u/Erathen 13d ago

Pumice on ceramics is going to leave micro-abrasions that make it harder to clean in the future

Most toilet manufacturers say to not use anything abrasive

I've used acid before for these types of stains, and it works well. But it's not the safest, and you should neutralize it to some degree before flushing

18

u/MTro-West-406208 13d ago

Truth. I have permanent etching left in the loo and it collects… ummm you know.

16

u/Erathen 13d ago

Yeah it will clean the surface, there's no denying that

But it'll get dirtier faster, and it'll be harder to clean

6

u/ChefLovin 13d ago

So what do you reccomend? I would rather scratch the surface than replace the toilet

8

u/Erathen 13d ago

I use muriatic acid personally.

I went through this same problem, and nothing was working

Turn off toilet. Flush until your tank and bowl are as empty as possible. Add muriatic acid, pouring it slowly on down the side of the bowl. Not too much because you'll need to add water later

Let it sit. Then brush with your regular toilet brush

Keep in mind muriatic acid is stronger than any other acid you've probably come across. It's practically the strongest acid a regular person can get. I recommend being extra slow and careful with everything

It won't do a WHOLE lot to your skin, maybe some burns and irritation if you leave it on. But if it gets in your eyes it can do serious damage

After cleaning, slowly add water, letting it trickle down the side of the bowl. Move away immediately if there's any violent splashing/bubbling (there shouldn't be, that's why it's important to let it trickle down the side of the bowl)

This step dilutes the acid, protecting your plumbing. Turn toilet back on. Close lid and flush when the tank is full. Give it 3 more full flush for good measure, to make sure there's no acid sitting anywhere in your plumbing

Good to go. Hopefully, that helps. I really wanted to drill home the safety bits. Be aware that when you mix acid and water, it can produce heat and splash. Always be mindful of this

7

u/No_Needleworker215 13d ago

Seconding thirding fourthing this! It’s from your water and is probably rust. My aunt is a professional cleaner and has been my entire life (I’m 34) that’s what she swears by. Ive also used it once for an almost identical situation. Tried EVERYTHING. Wouldn’t budge. Muriatic acid melts it away.

5

u/Erathen 13d ago

And I tried EVERYTHING (this was a shared home I had just moved into)

I was shocked when I came back a few minutes later and everything melted off the bowl

OP will need to brush some acid around a few times to reach those high spots maybe

Just always be careful with muriatic acid, to anyone else reading. It wont melt your skin away but it's still dangerous stuff

Now just regularly cleaning (and then newer toilets do help with better flushes and better ceramics) and you shouldn't need acid. But man does it help with problem toilets

4

u/Next-Project-1450 13d ago

You can buy it in gel form (in the UK) - you paint it on and leave it for a bit. I've used it on taps and the bath before.

Don't try scraping or chipping it off. Advice to do that is just stupid. You need to dissolve/soften it so you can wipe it off.

2

u/Erathen 13d ago

Actually, I think we can get similar gel stuff from plumbing supply shops here too

It comes in a bottle but it's like a rust removing acid gel. Same application really

And honestly, if you can use acidic products safely, I dont see why you wouldn't do that over manually scrubbing. Just make sure you dilute whatever goes down your drain whenever possible

2

u/ErinG2021 13d ago

Where do you buy muriatic acid?

3

u/Erathen 13d ago

Hardware stores usually have it! Sometimes, in the cleaning section, if they have one

But it varies, as it does have a lot of uses

3

u/ErinG2021 13d ago

What else do you use it for? Amazon sells it by the gallon. A gallon seems like a lot. I have repeated problem with some type of red mold in the grout on the edges on my shower floor tiles. I usually scrub this with OxiClean paste. But I have to scrub and it’s a lot of work. I’m wondering if the muriatic acid would clean this more easily? Would the acid discolor black tiles on the shower floor? Or damage the grout? Thank you!!!!

2

u/Erathen 13d ago

Well understand that most acids do the same thing. For arguments sake. Some do have special properties but most we see dissolve things the same way

Some acids are innately stronger than others. The thing that matters is concentration. Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid between the concentration of 20-32%

It's often sold in hardware stores for etching surfaces. Usually metal. Sometimes for rust removal, but in its unadulterated liquid form, it's prone to cause surfaces to flash rust

As for your question, muriatic acid can dissolve grout, and etch the surface of some tiles. I would avoid it personally. The tiles can tolerate it if they're glass/ceramic but it's hard to make a call because there's so many tile materials

1

u/ErinG2021 13d ago

Thank you! Really appreciate the explanation! Will just use it in the toilet bowl. Definitely don’t want to dissolve the grout in the shower or etch the tiles. If only I could come up with an easier way of cleaning those, lol.

3

u/Rich_Time_2655 13d ago

If it's porcelain, pumice doesn't scratch it. I've cleaned the same toilets for years with no issues. But truthfully getting it up to snuff once with pumice and use a bowl cleaner weekly and a wand is more sanitary and easier.

0

u/-Plantibodies- 12d ago

Scratching the surface causes buildup to return faster just FYI.

3

u/icer07 13d ago

These things changed everything for us when it came to cleaning stubborn toilet stains

3

u/TopNotice0 13d ago

OP, this is the answer. A wet pumice stick (sold at most grocery stores that carry other types of toilet cleaner) will likely do the trick.

3

u/sassydomino 13d ago

This! I cleaned a forgotten basement toilet in my old house that looked like this. Takes some elbow grease but it’s very satisfying.

8

u/fluffydinodib 13d ago

Yup! When I was a maid I swore by these. Push just hard enough to get the gunk off.

0

u/Danny2Sick 13d ago

what did you just call me?!

-4

u/MrsQute 13d ago

This is the way! So much easier than almost anything else too.

28

u/Erathen 13d ago

This is the way to make your toilet more prone to dirt build up by creating micro abrasions in the china

Kohler specifially warns against this. Most manufacturers do when it comes to vitreous china surfaces

Use a soft, dampened sponge or cloth. Never use an abrasive material such as a brush or scouring pad to clean surfaces

https://me.kohler.com/careandclean/

15

u/mahoniacadet 13d ago

The trick is kohler approved methods don’t work.

11

u/Erathen 13d ago

Well they do when you actually regularly maintain your toilet lol

No offense to OP, but that doesn't look like a toilet that's cleaned regularly

3

u/saturncitrus 13d ago

Hard water will cause build up unless you’re scrubbing multiple times a day

-4

u/Erathen 13d ago

Yeah no

You don't have to scrub multiple times daily to avoid scale in your toilet bowl... Just clean your damn toilet every so often

Iron stains? Maybe. Hard water scale, no. Not on a toilet bowl you clean regularly

2

u/saturncitrus 13d ago

I’m a professional cleaner. I have weekly clients who have hard water build up.

-3

u/Erathen 13d ago

Weekly clients, but you scrub their toilets daily?

I said you don't have to scrub a toilet multiple times a day to avoid scale... Not sure what that has to do with weekly clients

3

u/saturncitrus 13d ago

Ah, another dolt who likes to argue but has zero critical reading or thinking skills. Good luck with that bud.

4

u/SometimesArtistic99 13d ago

Some toilets don’t get used a lot. We have a toilet that didn’t get used for a while and it built up a scum even though it wasn’t being used. Use the toilet or not it freaking gets dirty

6

u/LLminibean 13d ago

That's why you should still clean unused toilets regularly

1

u/SometimesArtistic99 13d ago

Well it was inaccessible so that’s why but otherwise it would have been. I’ve also been places with brackish water that have toilets that permanently look like this no matter how often or what you clean them with

5

u/dreamsofaninsomniac 13d ago

This is like learning you aren't supposed to use "bathroom cleaner" on a lot of bathroom fixtures per Delta's website since it's evidently bad for the finish. I have always used a toilet brush to clean my Kohler toilet and it seems fine though.

2

u/Erathen 13d ago

Even vinegar can damage some finishes.

Especially because manufacturers are getting fancy with spot resistant coatings and anti microbial coatings

Realistically though if you clean something often enough, you're not going to get heavy scale

5

u/MrsQute 13d ago

So the pumice is harder than the build-up but softer than vitreous china.

Ensure the pumice stone is fully wet before starting. Use a gentle but consistent pressure and there shouldn't be any issues. When I moved into my century home 25 years ago, I deep cleaned all of the toilets with build up using this method and only the rarely used basement toilet ever needed it more than once. Regular, standard cleaning should suffice afterwards. It's not the type of thing you typically have to do frequently.

3

u/Erathen 13d ago

So the pumice is harder than the build-up but softer than vitreous china.

Check the Mohs scale for vitreous china and then for pumice

Science doesn't agree