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Learn how to remove hard water stains from your toilet using this quick and easy method! Guaranteed to remove even the worst built-up hard water rings in less than 5 minutes – without scratching the porcelain! Watch the video below to see it in action.
You can also check out, how to remove hard water stains from glass shower doors.
Hard water can be found all over bathroom surfaces including showers, sinks, faucets, and, worst of all, the toilet. Unattractive and extremely frustrating, the last thing any one of us wants is to host a holiday party with a toilet that looks as if it hasn’t been cleaned for months.
You’ll find countless cleaning products available and even more blogs and websites out there claiming that such and such solution or product will rid your toilet of the dreaded ring; some even without the use of chemicals at all.
Most of these claims are false, I’m sorry. I know this from personal experience because I promise, before learning about this trick from my friend at The Home Depot, I had literally tried everything.
This trick works so well, in fact, that it will almost look like you went out and bought yourself a brand new toilet! But don’t take my word for it,
I run an apartment complex, where unfortunately people don’t know how to clean their toilets, I thought I was going to have to replace the toilet, but I was able to clean the toilet and it looks brand new. This will save me tons of money, and time, it literally only took me two minutes to clean the hard water stains. -Kali
Difference Between Hard and Soft Water?
Hard water: that which contains an appreciable amount of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Soft water: that which contains less dissolved minerals. Or, when treated, the only ion it may contain is sodium. Naturally falling rainwater is soft water, for example.
How does water become hard? Water becomes harder as it makes its way through the ground and into our waterways. Along the way, this water picks up minerals like chalk, lime, calcium, and magnesium.
Given that hard water contains essential (and super important) minerals one may wonder why we soften our water when it’s hard.
Hard water is tough on appliances (dishwashers and washing machines, for example) and is hard to clean. Making it less effective and uses more energy due to the mineral buildup that is left behind.
Supplies Needed to Clean Hard Water From Toilets
Before I say anything else, I thought it important to mention that the toilet that you see pictured in these images is “clean”. This includes the before and the after images.
In other words, I cleaned the toilet with actual toilet bowl cleaner before removing the hard water ring.
Anyway, I Googled, “how to remove toilet bowl ring” or “how to remove hard water stains from the toilet”. Everything I found led me to some cleaning product or a pumice stone.
Since Home Depot is Octavian’s favorite store in the world, we headed there. So that we could spend as much time as possible in the gardening equipment aisle, I asked a nice man who worked there where I could find the pumice stones. Then I asked him pumice stones actually remove hard water rings from toilet bowls.
He stopped me right there.
No no no no no pumice stone, he said. Too much risk of scratching the porcelain.
Thank goodness, this toilet angel from Home Depot had a better idea – Fine-Grit Drywall Sanding Screens. YOU GUYS, this man saved my toilets!
Here’s how you can save yours.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Toilets (Step-By-Step)
- Gather all of the necessary supplies.
- Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves and cut 1-2 small square pieces from a sheet of Fine-Grit Drywall Sanding Screens. Set them aside.
- Carefully open the Barkeepers Friend and sprinkle it inside of your toilet.
- Wearing the gloves, gently yet firmly, begin to scrub away at the hard water buildup in a circular motion with the Drywall screen. Don’t press TOO HARD. Our goal is to remove hard water stains, not destroy the porcelain.
- Continue until all of the built-up hard water stains have been removed.
- Flush.
Removing Hard Water Stains from Toilets – What Doesn’t Work?
- Bleach
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Vinegar solution overnight
- Those tabs that turn your toilet water blue
- Baking soda
- Borax and vinegar
None of the above worked. In fact, I later learned that bleach may make toilet rings caused by hard water worse – or even permanent!
Yay! Sparkling CLEAN toilets!
Seriously, though, that’s all it took. So easy.
If you loved learning how to remove hard water stains from toilets, you may also enjoy these other useful posts:
- DIY Upcycled Toilet Paper Seedling Pots and Painted Stone Garden Markers
- DIY Instagram Photo Display: Wall Grate
- How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Glass Shower Doors
Have you tried using this method to clean hard water from your toilets?
Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And don’t forget to tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Toilets
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Gather supplies.
- Put on gloves and cut 1-2 small square pieces of Fine-Grit Drywall Sanding Screens. Set them aside.
- Carefully open the Barkeepers Friend and sprinkle inside your toilet.
- Wearing the gloves, gently yet firmly, begin to scrub away at the hard water buildup in a circular motion with the Drywall screen. Don’t press TOO HARD. Our goal is to remove hard water stains, not destroy the porcelain.
- Flush and be amazed!
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Watch my youtube video to see me removing my toilet bowl ring and hard water stains:
Are you able to use sandpaper instead of sanding screens? And if so, what kind do you recommend?
I do not recommend sandpaper at any grit, as you will probably end up with scratches on the porcelain, instead of taking off the hard water.
The dry wall sanding screens are worth a trip to the hardware store or waiting for delivery ๐
Really works. I’ve tried it several times and always a winner. Give it a shot. Think you will
like great easy results.
I’m so glad to hear it’s worked so well for youโthanks for sharing your experience! I love that itโs been a consistent go-to for you, and I appreciate the encouragement for others to give it a try too!
This 100% worked. I have tried everything. Genius!
Hi Jessica,
I have company coming for Thanksgiving & I was stressed because no matter what I did or used, I wasn’t able to remove the hard water ring from my toilets! Well, I tried your suggestions & it worked!!! Yayyyyy! I’m so grateful!
Thanks so much!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jackie
I love hearing that, thanks for the feedback and rating, Jackie ๐
Chalk this up as a life hack. Solid gold. Thank you effort and insight.
Thanks Tim. When I learned this, I had to share it because its just so great if you have this problem ๐
This was so amazing and hardly any effort. A dream cleaning hack! I’m grateful for knowing there is somewhere to look that I can trust has real solutions that actually work–Thank you!!!
Thanks for the great feedback, Andrea ๐
After months of seriously contemplating just getting a new toilet, this worked so well and so easily! I let the Barkeeper’s Friend sit for a few minutes first and I hardly had to scrub. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback, Sarah. I am happy to hear this cleaning hack saved you from buying a new toilet ๐
Oh my goodness, thank you! Finally, something that worked! I wish I’d taken before and after pictures. My hard water stains were horrendous; long dark vertical streaks all around the bowl. It took some effort but my toilet is sparkling clean. Thank you so much!
Thanks for leaving the review, Laurie ๐
Finally! Those awful hard water stains in my toilets are gone! Thank you! I have two old porcelain coated cast iron bathtubs. Years of hard water has left impossible to remove yellow stains in the bathtubs. Would this method work on yellow hard water stains?
Possibly, but I would test it first in a hard-to-notice area to make sure before diving in… you want to make sure your porcelain-coated tubs are as strong as your toilets ๐