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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:
For those from the UK (so no BKF on hand), I found an alternative: The Pink Stuff cream cleanser (I’m sure any other cream cleanser will work just as well) + fine-ish sanding paper (120 grit ish). Worked like a charm!
It worked! It worked! It WORKED!!!!
Wow, I am so amazed! Thank you for posting this!
I know that feeling – thanks for sharing your success 🙂
What a great solution! I already had medium drywall screens and soft scrub so I used your method with those. Worked like a charm. Thank you for a quick solution to a problem that’s been bugging me for ages.
It worked! Nothing else I tried was satisfactory. This method was perfect!
I have tried absolutely EVERYTHING…baking soda/vinegar, regular toilet cleaners…this was a last ditch effort. The hard water stains were completely gone in one minute. I am amazed– how is this technique not more widely known? Literally the only thing that works!!
You just saved me hundreds of $$! Thank you!!!
I am so glad to hear that, thanks for the feedback and rating Amy 😀
Hi,
I cleaned my toilet with BKF and an electric toothbrush, not super successful but the best I’ve done compared to sponges. I saw your page after cleaning and will try your method next!
I have a question, did the BKF eat through your gloves? I wore 5 thin medical gloves and then thicker latex gloves like yours. When I removed all the layers of gloves most were wet to a certain degree. I did get sweaty so I hope it was that…but my hands feel extra dry and now I’m wondering if the toilet water-BKF mixture got in my gloves (gross).
I have not had that issue before, as it only takes a few minutes to clean a toilet with this method 🙂
Does this work for blue stains in the toilet?
If the blue stains are from toilet bowl cleaners temporarily dying hard water stains blue, then yes, it will work 🙂
Life-changing! I, too, had tried everything I could find to get rid of the rings in both of my toilets. That includes using a pumice stone, which only barely worked in small spots after what felt like an eternity of scrubbing before I gave up.
I found your post, bought the screens and went to work. It took less than 5 minutes per bowl and the rings are COMPLETELY GONE. No scratches. I spent longer staring into the pristine bowls in wonder and victory.
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU, Jessica!
Worked like magic! So happy, thank you for sharing this trick!
I have not tried this yet, but got the 3m sanding screens and will try it. The only thing I would also suggest, and perhaps add to your site, is for people to also wear protective glasses of some sort. One drop in an eye and you could have a whole new problem, and much worse that the mineral deposit buildup. Protect the eyes as well as the hands. Thank you!
Also, did not rate this yet, but will after I try it.
bdk