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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:
It absolutely works I am so grateful to you thank you so so much
Hi Rose,
I am so thrilled that this worked for you 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know! Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m going out today and getting these supplies. This toliet issue has been bugging me. thanks for the tip!
Hi Elba! Fingers crossed this little tip has your toilets sparkly clean. All the best!
Jess. Great tip! It really works & I even shared the tip with my cleaning girls. Thx. Ps like ur new blog name. U go girl.
Oh good! I have yet to hear any negative feedback 🙂 Love you xo
This is truly a lifesaver. I live in Las Vegas, Nv. and our water is really not friendly to keeping a gleaming toilet. I went to Home Depot and got the dry wall screen and I already had barkeepers friend and went to work. Within an hour I had all the toilets in my house looking like new. Thanks.
Does it have to be the powder or does the liquid version work as well?
Hi Sharon, I have not used the liquid version myself, so, unfortunately, I cannot give a concrete answer. That said, assuming they are composed of the same chemicals, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. The most important part, however, is the drywall sheet 🙂 It’s magic! Good luck!
Do u have to use sandpaper or could you use a non abrasive scrub pad?
Hello!
I do not recommend using plain sandpaper – it will probably scratch the porcelain and ruin your toilet.
These specific sanding screens are what I recommend, and you can see of the rest of the comments work great – Fine-Grit Drywall Sanding Screens. I have not tried a non-abrasive scrub pad, so I cannot comment on that.
I hope that helps.
Jessica
I am going to try your tip on my bathroom stool and I will get back with you.
OMG!!! 4/1/18. JUST TRIED IT ON TWO TOILETS AND IT WORKED just liked you stated! Thank you so much for sharing this method as I’ve tried everything and hated looking at the ring! Happy Easter!
I’ve never heard of Barkeepers Friend but I definitely want to try this. Thanks for the tip 🙂
Wow, wow, wow…after trying many things over the years and being disappointed, this finally worked! I had a combination of the blue toilet tablet build up on top of hard water. I spent about a total of 1 hour working on two toilets running from one toilet, scrubbing with medium grit dry wall screens (as Fine was not available), then poured more powder, let it sit and then scrubbed until it was gone. I used the Bar Keeper’s Cookware powder version as it works miracles on my stainless steel cookware and I liked it more than the liquid version. I am so grateful for this post. Thank you so much!
Amazing! Worked great! I didn’t think the stains would ever come off! If you ever see the guy at Home Depot again, tell him “Lisa says thanks!”