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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:
I’ll be damned. This worked for me. Very easy, too. Luckily I already had everything I needed on-hand. Did two toilets in less than 15 min, and both look brand new. Thanks! And thanks to the Home Depot guy for the idea.
Great post 🙂
three toilets which have had rings for years took 15 minutes in total!!!!
Thank you, Thank you. My toilets are clean again. I tried everything and nothing worked until I used your method. I am truly grateful.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU!
I watched your video, believed you and tried it. My UGLY ring is gone.
You saved my toilettes – I can’t tell you how many things I tried and finally was successful thanks to you.
By the way, you should have the DIY stuff on your site, there’s no mention of it. I happened to find you on youtube. (just a thought).
Regards,
Sue
This saved our toilet, we have spent months trying to get this toilet ring out. Our toilet was clean but it didn’t look like it. We tried everything! In less than two minutes we had a clean looking toilet again! This hack really works. Amazing!
Just as a counterpoint to this article, I want to say that the pumice stone worked better for me. I tried both methods separately on two different toilets. The drywall screen worked really great at first, but when the light hits the porcelain a certain way, I can see a slight texture on it as if the porcelain had been roughed up a bit. The pumice stone did no such thing. This is not surprising considering the pumice stone dissolves away as you use it, but the drywall screen obviously does not, suggesting that the pumice stone is a softer material and probably less damaging overall. YMMV.
THIs is the only way to take off those water rings from hard water. Thanks for sharing
Something that’s really working.
thank you Thank You THANK YOU! I had Bar Keepers Friend in my cupboard, but had never heard of using it for hard water stains. Its the ONLY thing that has worked. Easy to find and no need to buy new toilets! I have been telling everyone I know. (I need to stop because I am getting a bit annoying! lolol)
This actually works!!!! Really works, and I don’t say that lightly!!! I have tried them ALL, with mixed, and limited results…The only adjustment I made was the use of Barkeepers Friend, which I love, but can no longer use due to auto immune reactions to ingredients in many cleaning and body products. I use only baking soda and salt mixture as scouring powder, and it works on porcelain and on stainless steel. I am in constant search for non chemical solutions to EVERYTHING, and this is a definite WIN!!!! As note, using baking soda/salt combo does not require use of latex gloves either. I use no latex, nitrile or nitrile free gloves work just as well…I can’t wait to do other 2 toilets…haha!, THANK YOU