How to Clean a Limed Toilet

Limescale forms unsightly dark patches or rings inside your toilet bowl. These develop from mineral-rich, or "hard," water sitting in the toilet bowl for prolonged periods. Bleaching the toilet merely whitens the stains. Attacking them exclusively with a scrub brush offers mixed results, especially against heavy encrustations. Using an acid, such as vinegar, dissolves the limescale. Couple the acid with technique to restore your toilet's porcelain shine.

Rubber gloves
Bowl
White vinegar
Paper towels
Toilet brush
Spray bottle (as needed)

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the toilet water supply valve. The valve juts out of the wall behind the base of the toilet. The valve channels water to the toilet from the main line.
- 2
  Turn the valve knob clockwise as far as it will go.
- 3
  Flush the toilet and open the toilet bowl lid. Closing the water supply valve prevents the bowl from refilling with water.
- 4
  Fill a bowl with white vinegar. Wear rubber gloves to keep your hands dry and moisten a paper towel in the vinegar solution.
- 5
  Paste the paper towel over the lime stain inside the bowl. Press the paper towel firmly against the bowl to cause it to adhere. Depending on the extent of the limescale, use further vinegar-moistened paper towels to cover all areas affected.
- 6
  Allow the paper towels to remain in place for at least a couple of hours. During this period occasionally check the paper towels for moisture. If necessary, fill a spray bottle with the white vinegar and spray the towels to rehydrate them.
- 7
  Remove the the paper towels and discard.
- 8
  Scrub any remnants of the limescale away with a toilet brush.
- 9
  Open the water supply valve. Allow the bowl to refill with water, then flush the toilet to rinse any remaining vinegar from the bowl.

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