Rust stains are unsightly. There’s no getting around that. Even if you carefully clean your bathroom and toilet every day, those orange streaks take away from your hard work. Fortunately, they’re not permanent. Below are some of the best tips and tricks to keep the rust at bay and get your toilet bowl sparkling again.
What Causes Rust Stains?
Before diving right into how to get rid of rust, it’s best to understand why it happens in the first place.
Water with high amounts of iron oxide causes orange and brown rust to appear in toilets, bathtubs, and sinks. It’s especially common with well water. Iron oxide binds with materials like ceramic and porcelain (aka what most toilets are made with) and rust stains are born. Iron oxide can come from groundwater or galvanized pipes.
Can You Prevent Staining?
There are a couple of steps you can take to break up the cycle of rust collection and removal. Consider adding a water softener if you have hard water. If your home has galvanized pipes, replace them with PEX or CPVC.
Tips for Removal
Now you know where rust comes from and how you might reduce or prevent it from happening again, but how can you get rid of the stains that are already in your toilet? Here are some of the best methods around.
Distilled White Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is a powerful cleaning tool for just about every area of the home. Grab a bottle of cleaning vinegar (it has a higher acetic acid content) and pour two cups into your toilet bowl. Scrub it until the stains are gone. If they’re being stubborn, empty all the water from the bowl and let the vinegar sit for a couple of hours (or overnight) and scrub again.
Citric Acid
Grab powdered citric acid or citrus fruit for this. If you’re using actual fruit, such as a lemon, coat it with baking soda and scrub the stains. Otherwise, mix baking soda and citrus juice into a paste, apply it to the stains, and scrub. You can also combine lemon juice with borax for a similar effect.
If you have citric acid, just mix it with a small amount of water until it forms a paste. Cover the stains with the paste and scrub them away.
Coke
All you’ll need for this is a bottle of Coca-Cola. Remove the water from the bowl and pour the coke all over the stains. Let it sit for a few hours, flush it clean, and scrub away any stains that remain. Coke has several acidic components that break up the rust.
Cleaners
There are several brands of effective cleaners out there. They’re stronger than the methods above. If you’re comfortable using chemical cleaners, try CLR to remove the most common toilet stains.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to live with rust stains. With proper maintenance and following the steps above, you’ll keep them at bay. For all your other plumbing needs near Mobile, contact Walley Plumbing Company today!
Sources:
https://www.thespruce.com/remove-rust-stains-from-toilets-tubs-4109490
https://greenenergymech.com/removing-stubborn-rust-stains-from-your-toilet-bowl/
https://www.hunker.com/13423780/what-are-the-causes-of-rust-in-a-toilet-tank