Even though they aren’t necessarily a sign that your toilet is dirty, they are aesthetically displeasing things that need to be dealt with immediately.
This article has been put together to do just that – deal with any and every toilet ring now, today, using household items and cleaning products.
That’s right, each of the solutions we have put together will give you the sweet satisfaction of a shiny, white toilet, not tomorrow, but today. We hope you’re ready!
What Is A Toilet Ring?
Everyone knows what toilet rings look like but what exactly are they?
Well, did you know that toilet rings are always caused by the same thing?
The leading cause of toilet rings is a crusted built-up of mineral deposits and hard water.
If, however, there are orange, black, or green streaks forming in a ring around your toilet bowl, this is likely to be mold.
Yellow toilet rings are a common sight in toilets that lack a tight cleaning schedule.
When urine is left in a toilet bowl for an extended period of time, it is highly likely that a yellow toilet ring will form.
Now that you know what a toilet ring is, we guess it’s about time you found out how to get rid of the ghastly things.
How To Get Rid Of Toilet Ring?
The easiest way to get rid of a toilet ring is to ensure it never has a chance of forming in the first place.
Cleaning your home toilets once a week is your best defense against gunk and grime building up and forming the dreaded toilet ring.
Sometimes, however, in spite of your best and regular cleaning efforts, your toilet will still fall victim to a toilet ring every now and then.
The toilet-ring eliminating methods below can be used as pre or post-solutions for removing toilet rings from toilets for good.
Baking Soda And Vinegar
On their own, baking soda and vinegar are just two kitchen cupboard essentials.
Put the two products together however and something magical happens – they turn into a formidable cleaning force.
The cool thing about using baking soda and vinegar on your toilet is they are both non-toxic products.
This is particularly handy for parents with young children who may be prone to toilet-bowl licking (it happens).
Though they may not be strong enough to remove the toughest of toilet stains they are certainly powerful enough to remove hard water stains and are a great place to start.
To start, pour one whole cup of white vinegar into your toilet bowl. Now grab your toilet brush and give the inside of your toilet bowl a good scrub with the vinegar/ toilet water mix. Make sure you swish the vinegar all over the bowl, paying particular attention to any toilet rings.
The next step is to shower your toilet bowl with one cup of baking soda. Once you have done this you will want to get another two extra cups of vinegar into the bowl to really get things moving. What will present before you should be a fizzy stew of baking soda and vinegar. Leave the concoction to mingle for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes have passed, grab a hold of your toilet brush and scrub the mixture over your entire toilet bowl. We’re talking above the water line, up and under the rim, and, of course, all over the toilet ring.
Once you have thoroughly done this it is officially time for you to put your feet up. Why? Because you have a whole 30 minutes before your final swish, scrub, and flush actions will commence.
Borax And Vinegar
Borax and vinegar are another powerhouse couple in the cleaning arena.
In fact, borax is actually stronger than baking soda.
So, if you know that your toilet ring is a particularly stubborn one, it might be clever to head straight for this combo.
Borax is a multi-purpose household product that can be purchased in just about every store cleaning and laundry isle in the country.
The thing about borax is although it isn’t as dangerous as something like bleach, it is riskier to use around kids than baking soda so a little discretion is advised.
To bring your toilet back from a life of stains and pain, sprinkle a ¼ cup of borax into your toilet bowl and give it a good and proper swish with your toilet brush.
Next, pour one cup of vinegar into the toilet and give it a swish and scrub around. You will like the next part because it gives you time away from your toilet, 20 minutes to be exact.
After 20 minutes come back to the toilet with your toilet brush at the ready. Using your toilet brush, scrub the entire bowl with a good dosage of elbow grease. Once you feel like you couldn’t possibly scrub anymore, press flush and admire the sparkly fruits of your labor.
Dishwasher Pod
Dishwasher pods don’t just do a valiant effort of cleaning your daily dishes, if you let go of your preconceptions, they can have many uses.
One such use is to clean the grime from inside your toilet bowl.
This is because they will dissolve in any water that is at room temperature or higher.
Unless you have an outside toilet, the water in your toilet should fit into this category
The cool thing about dishwasher pods is that any old pod will do. You don’t have to source the most expensive top-shelf brand of the lot. Generic home brand dishwasher pods should do the trick just fine.
To start, drop one automatic dishwasher pod into your toilet. Allow it to properly dissolve for about 10 minutes or so before moving on to the next step.
If you are starting to notice a recurring them within these methods you would be correct. Grab your trusty toilet brush and see to your toilet bowl with all the elbow grease that you’ve got.
Your toilet ring issue should be a thing of the past after such a scrubbing and all you need to do is flush the grime away and call it day.
If you don’t own a dishwasher and you don’t fancy buying dishwasher pods just to clean your toilet (we don’t blame you), then this cleaning method might not be for you.
If you do own a dishwasher but you routinely use powder instead of pods, you could always give the powder a try in your toilet. However, it is unlikely to be as effective.
Denture Tablet
It doesn’t take a huge leap to think that if a denture tablet can clean dentures, it can do a number on your toilet too.
This is because dentures are typically made from a form of porcelain or material that is similar, something like chrome or acrylic.
Either way, the cleaning agent in the tablet will offer the same results to your toilet as it does dentures.
All you need to do for this one is drop the denture tablet into your toilet bowl and leave it to do its thing.
If you drop the denture tablet in just before you go to bed, it will have the entire night to work its magic on your toilet.
Wake up in the morning, give the toilet a quick scrub, and flush all the toilet ring residue away. It really is that simple.
Bleach
For obvious reasons, bleach is a cleaning chemical that should be used with care.
Be sure to use cleaning gloves when handling bleach and try your very best to keep it well away from your clothes and skin.
Bleach is a highly effective cleaning agent that can be used to remove the toughest of toilet ring stains.
If your toilet has a bad case of mold or bacteria forming, it is time to reach for the beach.
To remove stubborn stains from your toilet using bleach, start by pouring one cup of liquid bleach into your toilet bowl.
You should leave the bleach in the toilet bowl for a maximum of 30 minutes and no longer. If the stains aren’t too stubborn, you may only need to leave it for 10 or so minutes.
After however long you decide to leave the bleach, it is time to scrub the inside of your toilet bowl with your toilet brush. Again, spend the time to really scrub every last nook and cranny of your entire toilet bowl. Though you may only be trying to remove a stubborn toilet ring, you don’t want to miss any sneaky bacteria under the rim. Any wayward remaining bacteria will only go and help another toiler ring to form, and nobody wants that.
Other Products To Give You The Cleaning Edge
If you have scrubbed at a toilet ring with your toilet brush to the point where its bristles have started to break, it is time to outsource the scrubbing job.
Each of the cleaning products below has a proven track record for removing even the most persistent toilet rings.
Abrasive Sponge
A household sponge may be all you need to get the last remnants of a toilet ring off of your toilet.
You will need to source a sponge that has at least one abrasive side for the best results.
Though an abrasive sponge probably won’t remove the toughest of toilet rings, it will do a great job on fresh ones.
Remember to wet the sponge with a little water and whatever cleaning agent you have called up to the bowl.
Yes, using an abrasive sponge means you will have to get more down and dirty than you would with a toilet brush.
If, however, it does in fact remove your toilet’s toilet ring, then surely it was worth it?
Steel Wool
For stubborn toilet rings that have been hanging around for a long time, there is nowhere else to turn to than your trusty steel wool.
Steel wool is an effective tool that removes hardened gunk and grime in no time.
The thick and rough bristles of a piece of steel wool should be able to remove toilet rings caused by mold and other such stubborn bacteria.
However, there is a caution that comes with steel wool. Steel wool is so highly effective that has even been known to leave scratch marks on porcelain toilet bowls.
For this reason, we suggest sourcing fine-grade steel wool first before going down the more coarse route.
Pumice Stone
Pumice stone is another highly effective cleaning tool to remove particularly comfortable toilet ring stains.
As the name suggests, pumice stone is a natural type of lava stone.
If you have ever needed to remove dead skin from the bottoms of your feet, there is a good chance you used a pumice stone to do it.
One cool thing about pumice stone is that it has a gentler touch on porcelain when compared to steel wool.
This means you can really get stuck in the cleaning of a toilet ring without worrying about damaging your toilet.
Cleaning-specific pumice stones even come with convenient hard-plastic handles.
When you are using cleaning pr oducts such as bleach, there are certain precautions that you must make to ensure you and your family are kept safe (Find out Is It Safe To Put Fabuloso In Your Toilet Tank?).
The biggest precaution that you can make when using such cleaning products is to try your best to contain the liquids.
Bleach, for instance, is an almost translucent liquid that can easily be missed.
Make sure you don’t leave any spills, little or big, behind in the toilet after you have cleaned it, you never know who will be in there next.
One that you can do for yourself is to always wear rubber gloves when cleaning the toilet.
Whether you are using a harsh chemical like bleach or not, wearing a pair of rubber gloves while you clean the toilet is a clever idea for hygiene’s sake.
Toilets are inherently unhygienic places. Even with your best intentions to clean the toilet, that doesn’t mean it is a hygienic place before you start.
Wearing gloves and always keeping your eyes and face away from chemicals will help to minimize the chances of any chemical mishaps or accidents happening.
Conclusion
So there you have it. You are now all the wiser on every effective method for the removal of toilet rings.
Whether you decide on giving the baking soda and vinegar combo a try first or going straight for a stronger product like bleach, we hope this article has steered you in the cleanest direction possible and your toilet will be shining brightly from here on out.
With cleaning trends and DIYs becoming more popular online every day, I feel like I am in my element. Hi, my name is Adrienne Carrie Hubbard and I have been finding creative hacks and tricks for cleaning for over 15 years now.
I enjoy looking for tips on how to clean the overall home, with a special interest in the bathroom. It’s the most difficult room to clean, after all! Yet the most important.
I run a Facebook group called Cottagecore DIY and Decor with over 18,000 members called Cottagecore DIY and Decor. We were even nominated for a Facebook Community Award in 2021!
