How to Remove Limescale From Toilet

Limescale in your toilet can be difficult to deal with. Check out our step-by-step guide on how to remove limescale from your toilet for the best methods.

Limescale is a pesky substance that builds up in appliances and pipes that are regularly exposed to hard water. The hard water evaporates leaving behind calcium carbonate which is a chalky substance that we commonly refer to as limescale. So, how does the removal of limescale from a toilet work?

Before we get started it’s worth mentioning that whilst bleach is a great cleaning agent for many bathroom surfaces, it isn’t great at removing limescale. In contrast, white vinegar can help clean shower screens effectively, as well as other parts of your bathroom like your toilet. So, leave your bleach to the side for this one and pick up the vinegar instead.

Removing Limescale From Toilet Naturally

Step 1: preparing the toilet bowl

You’ll need about 700ml to a litre of white vinegar to ensure you get the best results. Pour the vinegar in your toilet. Take a toilet brush and make sure that the vinegar is spread across the entire bowl.

Step 2: wait for the vinegar to take effect

Give the vinegar a good 3 or 4 hours to set in and start working away at the limescale stains. The longer you leave it, the more effective it will be.

Step 3: scrub your toilet

Using your toilet brush, give the entire surface of your toilet bowl a good scrub and pay particular attention to the areas that had the most limescale buildup.

Step 4: flush and inspect

Flush your toilet to get rid of the vinegar and double check that all the limescale buildup has been eradicated. If some limescale stains still remain, repeat the process again

What does white vinegar do to limescale?

Without getting too sciencey, vinegar is great for removing limescale from a toilet because it’s acidic. The acid in vinegar breaks down the calcium carbonate that makes up limescale, as well as killing bacteria in the process. This makes vinegar a great cleaning agent for bathrooms.

How to prevent limescale build up

Limescale is always going to make an appearance in areas exposed to hard water, especially hot water. Water that’s considered “hard” is just water that’s full of minerals such as calcium carbonate. When the water evaporates, it leaves the minerals behind and this is how limescale builds up. Over half the homes in the UK are thought to have hard water.

So how do you prevent limescale stains from appearing?

The best solution is regular maintenance. Instead of waiting for limescale build-up to appear, give your toilet a clean with vinegar on a regular basis. One or two times a month should be good enough if you are prone to strong build up.

Another preventative route you could take is softening your water supply. You can purchase water softening products that remove the minerals like calcium carbonate from your water supply. This will stop it from ending up in your toilet bowl.

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about limescale build up in your toilet and how to remove and prevent it. We hope these tips help you keep your toilet bowl squeaky clean.