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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 tried the bar keepers friend and fine dry wall screen and I am amazed and thrilled!!! I was getting ready to replace a badly stained toilet that I’d tried EVERYTHING else on, and it worked…with very little effort really!!!! Thank you, thank you!!!!!
I was ready to buy new toilets – that’s how much the stains bothered me. Came across your post and liked the chemical free cleaning approach and so I figured for $4 I’d try it before spending $400 on new toilets! It totally worked! Didn’t use any Barkeepers friend- works wonders with just the screen! THANK YOU! I’m seriously so happy right now! ☺️
I had tried EVERYTHING!! Even the 15 dollar powder I bought over a Facebook add at got promised to get rid of hard stains… NOTHING!
Then I came across your post and I bought the mesh (I couldn’t find the one that you suggest here in Australia) I bought a similar one and after many weeks of procrastinating I tried it today… IT WORKED!
I wished it was just a ring, NO! It was hard scale and I thought it was never coming off. I went on very softly and it came off in plaques! All of it and the porcelaine is just perfect!
I wish I had taken pics, but part of me was ashamed for leaving it for this long… this was my teenager son’s bathroom and I don’t clean as often as I do mine, mea culpa!
Anyway, thank you so much for such a great tip.
I poured some of the expensive powder first and then softly scrubbed.
Thanks!!
By the way, this option is so much cheaper than all the other chemical people swear by!
Thanks!!
Hi Mariella,
I am glad it worked well for you! That’s the exact same way I felt the first time I tried this method! Which is why I had to share it on my website.
This worked amazing! And in a matter of minutes my toilets looked brand new. Thank you for your help.
I first got my drywall screen from our local plumber, but they also have it at the hardware store. I have used it in the old porcelain sinks too. I have never used the Barkeeper’s Friend. So it works perfectly good without it. I have told several friends about it and even gave them all a small piece of it. There is plenty to share and it lasts forever.
It worked exactly as you said…..like one of the persons above, I’ve been looking at that toilet ring for far too long. Thank-you!!!!
Thanks Richard – I am glad it worked well for you.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m going to give it a try. My hard water stains are under the rim. If I don’t keep them under control, they “drip” down into the bowl. That looks lovely. I’m hoping this will work under the rim too!
This really worked and took no time! Thank you. I’ve been looking at those hard water stains for WAY too long!
Thank you for your suggestion on getting rid of hard water stains in the toilet.
I would love to join your group to receive family recipes and other cleaning
ideas you may have.
Discovered this trick when we lived in Seattle and nothing would get those hardwater stains – until this! I still use it and works like a charm. Glad to see your post.