This $3 hack to remove tough toilet bowl stains will ‘change your life’
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Struggling to keep your toilet bowl looking spotless? You’re not alone! I’m sure many have complained about the black stains, calcium marks, and mould that’s scattered across our toilet bowls. Not to mention, cleaning the toilet can be one of the toughest – and least enjoyable – jobs in the home.
And while there are several commercial products available to help get rid of those pesky stains, one mum recently discovered a brilliant cleaning product that only costs $3!
The majority of us would rather not think about the bacteria living in our toilets. But the last thing anyone would want to do is spend a fortune on chemical products to get their toilets clean.
Thankfully, a simple and affordable solution has been found by a savvy mum, who took to Facebook to share her discovery.
The woman shared her story of how a small can of citric acid was able to clean the tough black stains from her toilet bowl and tanks. She poured a generous amount into the toilet bowl, left it overnight, gave it a quick scrub, and then flushed the dirty water.
To the woman who suggested I use citric acid to clean the black from my toilet bowl, I love you!’ She exclaimed.
She added that she has seen people use Scalex (a heavy-duty home descaler) and various acids, but shared that the cost of having to possibly buy multiple bottles just to clean her toilet made her hesitate.
‘I have to be very conscious of how I spend my money. So, to find that just one small can of citric acid that costs less than $3 could move that muck with just an overnight soak and a scrub from the brush. I am more than thrilled…plus I already had it in my pantry. WIN WIN,’ the woman explained.
You can buy 75g of citric acid for $3 at Woolworths.
After reading the post, many social media users said they were excited to try the tip at home.
‘I literally cannot wait to try this,’ one commented. They added that they joined the group to try and ‘deal’ with the same problem, aka the black stuff on the bottom of their toilets that just won’t budge.
Another responded: ‘Wow, thank you for sharing. I have issues with harsh chemicals and can’t use them as it brings on an asthma attack. This is great.’
But what causes toilet bowl stains in the first place?
Well, there are many causes for these stubborn stains to appear.
Rust appears on porcelain too. Those dark brown or red spots could indicate corrosion in your pipes. Toilets with these kinds of stains mean that it’s time to bring in an expert to fix the source of the problem.
Mould, which thrives in moisture and humid areas, can grow inside your toilet – especially if it’s a toilet that is used less. Similar to other kinds of mould you might find in your house, treating the cause is important. Otherwise, it will just keep coming back.
Finally, calcium causes those yellow stains to appear in your toilet bowl. Keep an eye out for these and remove them immediately if you spot them.
So, how can you clean toilet bowl stains if you can’t find citric acid in your local supermarket? Here are some of the options you can use.
Scalex
Like the woman mentioned in her post, Scalex is a popular product for cleaning toilets. It’s a powerful cleaner that is said to remove calcium, lime, and rust. Similar to citric acid, you can pour Scalex into the bowl, leave it there overnight, and then clean it the next morning.
However, since this is a chemical-based cleaner, those with difficulty breathing or lung-related illnesses should be careful when trying this cleaner out.
Vinegar or bicarb of soda
Vinegar is a favourite among home cleaners and cleaning experts alike – and for good reason. Just be careful to never combine vinegar with bleach. This creates toxic gas that is extremely dangerous to your health. You wouldn’t want to end up like this woman who mixed both cleaning agents and…well, you can read the rest of her story here.
Bicarb of soda, once you make it into a paste with a couple of tablespoons of water, is also a wonderful cleaning agent. You can read how to deep-clean your toilet using these cleaning agents here.
Coke
Got a can of coke in your fridge? Pour it into the toilet bowl and let it sit for at least two hours or overnight, if possible. Once ready, flush your toilet to remove the coke, give the bowl a scrub and another flush and you should be good to go.
For other homemade cleaning solutions that are safe for you to try (and with no harsh chemicals!), you can check out our list here.
Ready to give the $3 toilet bowl cleaning hack a try? Let us know your success stories below! Maybe you know some other great alternatives for cleaning the toilet? Whatever your ideas, share them with us here!
And while there are several commercial products available to help get rid of those pesky stains, one mum recently discovered a brilliant cleaning product that only costs $3!
The majority of us would rather not think about the bacteria living in our toilets. But the last thing anyone would want to do is spend a fortune on chemical products to get their toilets clean.
Thankfully, a simple and affordable solution has been found by a savvy mum, who took to Facebook to share her discovery.
The woman shared her story of how a small can of citric acid was able to clean the tough black stains from her toilet bowl and tanks. She poured a generous amount into the toilet bowl, left it overnight, gave it a quick scrub, and then flushed the dirty water.
To the woman who suggested I use citric acid to clean the black from my toilet bowl, I love you!’ She exclaimed.
She added that she has seen people use Scalex (a heavy-duty home descaler) and various acids, but shared that the cost of having to possibly buy multiple bottles just to clean her toilet made her hesitate.
‘I have to be very conscious of how I spend my money. So, to find that just one small can of citric acid that costs less than $3 could move that muck with just an overnight soak and a scrub from the brush. I am more than thrilled…plus I already had it in my pantry. WIN WIN,’ the woman explained.
You can buy 75g of citric acid for $3 at Woolworths.
After reading the post, many social media users said they were excited to try the tip at home.
‘I literally cannot wait to try this,’ one commented. They added that they joined the group to try and ‘deal’ with the same problem, aka the black stuff on the bottom of their toilets that just won’t budge.
Another responded: ‘Wow, thank you for sharing. I have issues with harsh chemicals and can’t use them as it brings on an asthma attack. This is great.’
But what causes toilet bowl stains in the first place?
Well, there are many causes for these stubborn stains to appear.
Rust appears on porcelain too. Those dark brown or red spots could indicate corrosion in your pipes. Toilets with these kinds of stains mean that it’s time to bring in an expert to fix the source of the problem.
Mould, which thrives in moisture and humid areas, can grow inside your toilet – especially if it’s a toilet that is used less. Similar to other kinds of mould you might find in your house, treating the cause is important. Otherwise, it will just keep coming back.
Finally, calcium causes those yellow stains to appear in your toilet bowl. Keep an eye out for these and remove them immediately if you spot them.
So, how can you clean toilet bowl stains if you can’t find citric acid in your local supermarket? Here are some of the options you can use.
Scalex
Like the woman mentioned in her post, Scalex is a popular product for cleaning toilets. It’s a powerful cleaner that is said to remove calcium, lime, and rust. Similar to citric acid, you can pour Scalex into the bowl, leave it there overnight, and then clean it the next morning.
However, since this is a chemical-based cleaner, those with difficulty breathing or lung-related illnesses should be careful when trying this cleaner out.
Vinegar or bicarb of soda
Vinegar is a favourite among home cleaners and cleaning experts alike – and for good reason. Just be careful to never combine vinegar with bleach. This creates toxic gas that is extremely dangerous to your health. You wouldn’t want to end up like this woman who mixed both cleaning agents and…well, you can read the rest of her story here.
Bicarb of soda, once you make it into a paste with a couple of tablespoons of water, is also a wonderful cleaning agent. You can read how to deep-clean your toilet using these cleaning agents here.
Coke
Got a can of coke in your fridge? Pour it into the toilet bowl and let it sit for at least two hours or overnight, if possible. Once ready, flush your toilet to remove the coke, give the bowl a scrub and another flush and you should be good to go.
For other homemade cleaning solutions that are safe for you to try (and with no harsh chemicals!), you can check out our list here.
Key Takeaways
- A mum shared the success she had with a $3 cleaning hack to remove black toilet bowl stains by simply leaving citric acid in the bowl overnight.
- Other social media users commented on the post to say they were excited to try this at home.
- An alternative to citric acid for removing stains is Scalex, however, this is a powerful cleaning agent and may be harsh to those with breathing problems or with lung-related illnesses.
- Other popular methods for cleaning up toilet bowl stains are vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, or Coke.
- Calcium, rust and mould can also cause toilet bowl stains.