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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:
Thanks for the tip. After cleaning my toilets using your directions I placed the Clorox toilet tablets in the tanks and I haven’t had hard water rings for over 6 months. I used to have to clean hard water about every 6-8 weeks.
Is this method safe for septic systems? We have terribly hard water and terribly stained toilets as a result. Nothing seems to work.
Hi Anne,
Yes, Barkeepers friend is septic tank safe! It states so on their website.
Those ugly rings are FINALLY gone!!!
Thanks so much for this tip. I used on both of our white commodes and the water stain is gone. However, what about the stains that occur on the sides of the bowl running downward? We also have two black commodes that are about 25 yrs. old and the white calcium buildup is pretty bad. Previously I used hot vinegar on the black commodes which does help to erode some of the heavy white streaks of calcium but there are still some streaks. I bought a spray bottle and filled with vinegar and try to spray them about 3-4 times daily to loosen it up. Only problem is that holding the bottle sideways it will run out of spray. I am going to try the barkeepers friend and the drywall screen on the heavier streaks and perhaps it will loosen up some day. It is great not to have the white commodes with the water line stain any longer. My husband was amazed. I would advise people though that the drywall screen to be used should be a 600 as the higher the number, the softer the screen is. Same with regular sandpaper. Thanks for your help on this. Will be interesting to see how long the water line stain takes to return.
I have tried vinegar, baking soda even WD 40 and none of these worked. I took some extra water out of the bowl below the hard water mark. Then applied a thick layer of powdered Barkeepers friend to wetted stained area. Scrubbed it in a few times. Then used the fine grit drywall sanding screen. Went over area several times with light pressure. Crossed my fingers and prayed and flushed. My white toilet came out sparkling clean. Thanks for the great advise.
Thanks for reporting back Sharon!
Well Jessica, I ordered all the Bar Keepers Friend and sheet rock sanding screen from your link and then couldn’t find your post because I didn’t save it on my Pinterest board😩. I finally found your post and today I tackled my dark green toilet. The white calcium ring has been haunting me for years and I have tried EVERYTHING, just as you had. OMG! I can’t believe this wired and was so easy. I’m 68 years old and have never heard of Bar Keepers Friend! You have had so much response over this simple post that you could be called the Queen of Clean Rings! Thanks so much for helping me, as you have so many people with ring around the toilet bowl!
The Queen of Toilet Rings! I love it!!
This is the only thing that has worked! Thank you so much for sharing
Thanks for reporting back J – I am glad it helped!
This is amazing! Like everyone else I have tried everything and it never worked. I have been using Bar Keepers Friend for years and love it…not as abrasive as cleansers. But this combo was easy and worked perfectly! Thank you for the tip!
This worked so awesome, thank you so much for posting!!!!
I have terrible hard water stains in a bathroom sink that I havent been able to get out since we moved in. I was seriously about to tell my husband we just needed to buy a new sink! I am heading to Home Depot right now to go get this stuff!!! Thank you!