Toilet limescale can present as displeasing brown stains in the bowl, and often resists removal by bleach or other potent chemicals. Limescale accumulates from mineral residues that are left when water evaporates; as time goes by, it solidifies into a tough, crusty blemish that feels untouchable.
Jo Boyne, a mother and the creative mind behind A Rose Tinted World, openly shared her own battle with "dreadful" toilet limescale. Despite utilizing everything from bleach to specialty cleaners and even fizzy soda, she confided: "Nothing seemed to be working, and I was getting more self-conscious about my loo.
"I hated using some of the products, as they certainly were not environmentally friendly and were full of surfactants and chemical agents.
"And then I realized I had the solution in my cupboard since making my bath bombs." Unexpectedly, Jo discovered citric acid crystals in her storage, leaving her astonished at their cleaning power.
She recounted: "I needed to clean away the final staining using an old toothbrush, but actually, I was amazed with the results! My bowl was spotless!"
Jo further exclaimed: "Now, I know that citric acid is a great natural cleaner for everyday use when diluted, but this just shows how effective it can be even in the most extreme circumstances. I am delighted to get my toilet back to looking pristine," reports the Express.
Bleach is a useful tool in your bathroom for its germ-killing properties, but it falls short when it comes to tackling limescale stains - it merely whitens them. Limescale becomes increasingly stubborn the longer it sits at the bottom of your toilet bowl, and bleach only masks the issue rather than resolving it.
On the other hand, citric acid proves to be one of the most effective solutions for eliminating limescale. This acidic compound naturally breaks down the minerals in limescale, making them easier to scrub off.
What's great about citric acid is that it's derived from the juice of citrus fruits like lemons, though a more concentrated crystallised form can be found in the cleaning section of most supermarkets. This method offers an environmentally friendly alternative to harsh cleaners for maintaining your toilet, breaking down stains to minimise the need for vigorous scrubbing.
How to remove toilet limescale
Before starting, don a pair of gloves and pour approximately 120g of citric acid into your toilet.
Follow this with some hot water, but avoid using water freshly boiled from the kettle as it could potentially crack the toilet.
Next, allow the citric acid ample time to work its magic on the limescale. A 10-minute wait can suffice, but if you have the luxury of time, waiting a few hours yields better results.
Once the allotted time has passed, the limescale should have dissolved, resulting in discoloured water in the toilet bowl. Just flush this away and scrub off any residual limescale with a toilet brush or an old toothbrush.
Your toilet will be entirely free of limescale and stains, leaving you with a spotlessly clean bathroom without much exertion.
