[SOLVED] What is this discoloration in toilet? Solved

Calcium buildup from the water supply (hardness).

Muriatic acid is very effective in dissolving the minerals.

Muriatic acid is also VERY dangerous to use!! Wear eye protection and have good ventilation. Rubber gloves to protect skin.

Plunge the bowl to get rid of as much water as you can.

GOOGLE "muriatic acid" so you know what you're dealing with.

AYOR

Jim

I would try diluted muratic acid (follow directions) to clean it and rinse well. My guess is your water causes this.

-- Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

Calcium buildup. If it is a light case a product like clr might remove it.

For a heavy layer reduce the water level to the lowest point and use about a quart of muriatic acid with the window open. The fumes are nasty.

Be very careful if you use the acid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vinegar may also do it and it's obviously safer to use. Frank

hows it flushing? the build up often clogs the inner bowl passages causing poor flushing.....

muriatic acids risks are overstated, just have window open, dont splash, wear gloves. wear eye protection in case you splash by accident.

i just take a deep breathe hold it use acid and leave room immediately shutting door

years ago acids were used all the time without the safety hype

Vinegar is excellent for removing calcium spots on cars hit by sprinklers with hard water.

-- Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

Don't pour water into muriatic acid; pour muriatic acid into water.

Abandon ship....

If Jimmy Hoffa could tell us........

-- Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

It's also excellent for removing calcium deposits from the porcelain on sinks (around the faucets and drain). A few drops of white vinegar every few months does wonders for my sinks.

Not sure it will handle heavy deposits in a toilet bowl tho'. Could try let the vinegar working for a few hours, scrub with a stiff brush, and repeat. I guess one would get there in the end but it might take a few days.

Mom always sat her steam iron in a shallow dish of Vinegar to clean the bottom.

I would not use Vinegar for the picture I saw. I was scared to look.

-- Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

Stronger, I think, than vinegar but safer, I think, than muriatic acid would be Zep Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner sold at Lowes. They sell a lot of Zep products in their cleaning and janitorial section. It has hypochloric acid, which sounds similar to muriatic (hydrochloric) but is probably weaker and whose warnings are less. And it's already diluted. And it's also a bit thick so it clings to the sides better than muriatic acid would (which I have somewhere and have used a little bit.) Blue with yellow lable on white plastic bottle.

It can take several applications with soaking and brushiing inbetween to completely clean the bowl.

There used to be anohter brand, with a largely green or 3-color one of which is green bottle, and the tub cleaner by that company is still sold around Baltimore, but I never see the toilet bowl cleaner. (Not talking about CLR)

Hardwater deposits. How often do you use a toilet cleaning solution? and scrub the dark area shown.

Contrary to others, you probably don't need any special acid, regular toilet clean products usually are acidic. What you should try and probably the quickest and best approach is using a pumice block ("PUMI" or some such name). Turn the water supply off, flush the toilet, put on your rubber gloves and scrub. Probably take 1 minute to remove most of it and will probably smooth the surface enough to retard future deposits.

I usually clean the toilet every two weeks or so. I use clorox toilet bowl cleaner,bathroom cleaner, and scrub free products. Thanks for the tip.

Yeah, and a lot of people got hurt, too.

I hate it when sprinklers hit my car. Goes thunk, and leaves scratches.

Muriatic Acid = Hydrochloric Acid

Be thankful that you have hard water. Men who drink hard water get HARD erections (unlike those who drink soft water and have to re-marry every year).

Voice of experience?

That's what I said above. However Zep contains hypochloric acid.

BTW, if it doesn't work, the op can use up the bottle using the stuff like other toilet bowl cleaner.

Most people call it S*IT.......