Removing water marks (rock?0 from toilets?

[Broadback]

What is the best product fore removing it from a white ceramic toilet bowl? also is there any way to stop if forming in the future one it is removed?

[David WE Roberts]

If you are talking about hard water marks then you can slow the formation by using various 'in the cistern' products but the only fully effective long term way to prevent it that I know is to fit a water softener.

Cheers

Dave R

[Andy Burns]

The supermarket limescale removers (hydrochoric acid based) seem to do a reasonable job, leave it in the bowl for as long as possible, make sure you've flushed a couple of times after the application of any lavatory bleach though - or you'll get chlorine given off

[meow2222]

any acid removes it. Weak acids like vinegar & citric acid need an overnigh= t soak. Strong acids like conc sulphuric are almost instant, but also nasty= . Preferably avoid HCl, it tends to affect the glaze.

The only effective prevention is regular use of acid.

Supermarket acids are generally very weak and overpriced. If you've got sig= nificant crud, trying to clean it off with those products borders on hopele= ss. If you're as mean as Mr Bean, you can chuck unwanted juices and canned = syrups in the bowl and leave overnight. Bulk citric acid available online i= s good general purpose stuff, but if you're well encrusted I'd get some str= ong sulphuric acid and use with care.

NT

[Broadback]

soak. Strong acids like conc sulphuric are almost instant, but also nasty. Preferably avoid HCl, it tends to affect the glaze.

significant crud, trying to clean it off with those products borders on hopeless. If you're as mean as Mr Bean, you can chuck unwanted juices and canned syrups in the bowl and leave overnight. Bulk citric acid available online is good general purpose stuff, but if you're well encrusted I'd get some strong sulphuric acid and use with care.

Thanks for the tips. However the problem is down the bowl from where the water enters on flushing. So it is nigh on impossible to leave it on. What it really needs is a gel.

[Andrew Gabriel]

soak. Strong acids like conc sulphuric are almost instant, but also nasty. Preferably avoid HCl, it tends to affect the glaze.

significant crud, trying to clean it off with those products borders on hopeless. If you're as mean as Mr Bean, you can chuck unwanted juices and canned syrups in the bowl and leave overnight. Bulk citric acid available online is good general purpose stuff, but if you're well encrusted I'd get some strong sulphuric acid and use with care.

There are gel based descalers on the supermarket shelves. Unfortunately, they are branded products and therefore much more expensive than something like generic brick acid (conc hydrochloric).

You might also try using toilet paper wetted in acid, clinging to the scaled-up part of the bowl, which you keep wet with fresh acid. However, you might easily end up getting an acid burn or flicking some somewhere where it damages the decor. I did this on a really scaled up kitchen sink tap once -- it was horribly fiddly, although it did work.

BTW, never had any problem with brick acid (conc hydrochloric) on glaze (although if you have an original Thomas Crapper Mk 1 with crased glazing, it's probably a bad idea). Don't get it anywhere near vitreous enameled iron though (such as an iron or steel bath) - it will instantly wreck the polished surface, as will many acids and descalers on vitreous enamel.

[The Natural Philosopher]

almost never hydrochloric based. Mostly sulphamic citric or formic acid based.

seem to do a

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Get in there with an old kitchen knife and scrape it off.

Harpic Power Plus actually does work - use two blocks and leave overnight. If necessary, repeat the following night.

[Geoff Pearson]

scoop the water out and dry it - then on with the acid.

[stuart noble]

soak. Strong acids like conc sulphuric are almost instant, but also nasty. Preferably avoid HCl, it tends to affect the glaze.

significant crud, trying to clean it off with those products borders on hopeless. If you're as mean as Mr Bean, you can chuck unwanted juices and canned syrups in the bowl and leave overnight. Bulk citric acid available online is good general purpose stuff, but if you're well encrusted I'd get some strong sulphuric acid and use with care.

The acid doesn't have to be that strong. If you can do without the wc overnight, block it up with a towel, or a bunch of plastic bags, so you can fill it to the brim. Either that or keep brushing the acid on the rim every five minutes for a couple of hours (with a synthetic brush of course)

[meow2222]

night soak. Strong acids like conc sulphuric are almost instant, but also n= asty. Preferably avoid HCl, it tends to affect the glaze.

significant crud, trying to clean it off with those products borders on ho= peless. If you're as mean as Mr Bean, you can chuck unwanted juices and can= ned syrups in the bowl and leave overnight. Bulk citric acid available onli= ne is good general purpose stuff, but if you're well encrusted I'd get some= strong sulphuric acid and use with care.

Gel actually inhibits the acid from moving around to get to the limescale. = Having tried both gel and watery acid on vertical surfaces, the liquid work= s better.

HCl is often ok, but sometimes causes permanent discolouration of otherwise= invisible microscopic surface crazing that's quite common on ceramics.

NT

[Andy Burns]

Well, I suggest you check the label and/or MSDS of a few Harpic products ... I did.

I have noticed the former too.