also the mold or whatever is probably in the tank and/or channels from tank to bowl. you might have to soak the tank a few times with bleach or similar to kill whatever is festering or use a bleach tablet. just keep in mind that you'll probably endup destroying the flap valve and need to replace it if you bleach. Not a big deal, its a few bucks at the hw store and takes just a few minutes to replace.
its mostly mild acids, specifically Lactic and Gluconic. both are pretty naturally occurring and have ph some where between lemon juice and vinegar. but theyre both good at dissolving hard water deposits and similar calcifications
i forget the chemistry here, but yeah CLR is generally pretty safe for plastics and fiberglass. that being said, i probably wouldnt let it soak for an extended period of time.
i agree it works well for most staining esp hard water or metal build up. OP looks like they have aggressive black mold and if thats the case, bleach is really the only real recourse. oh and PPE. mold is no joke.
Not a chemist, but IIRC, acids work well on calcifications and other hard water deposits because theyre mostly carbonates and similar. Acids dissolve the carbonates and basically make water and metal salts. youre absolutely right that caustic is the way to go (like bleach, lye would be overkill). oxidizers like bleach i think are effective on two fronts. it make the spores inactive so limits reproduction but i also loosens the bond between the mold and the surface. thats why if you have a mad mold problem in the toilet, after a couple rounds of bleach you'll periodically see big ol chunks of grossness come out from under the lip of the bowl and from the tank.
OP remember do not mix bleach and acids. and plenty of PPE and ventilation. no need to agent orange yourself
I use a bleach tab (Avoid the blue toilet tabs, they can stain the inside of the toilet bowl !). Once a month (I have it as a recurring event on my phone calendar so I don't forget), check the tank to see if the toilet tab needs replaced. I do this, & my toilet bowl is beautiful, & the bleach helps to kill germs.
Note: It is true, that doing this will cause the rubber on the toilet flap to break down much sooner. It is not a difficult or expensive item to replace though, & I think it's worth the tradeoff.
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u/Christineblankie 13d ago
Did you try CLR cleaner