How to Remove White Stains From a Black Toilet
Those white stains on your black toilet are scale deposits. Scale is composed of mineral and lime contained within your water supply. Scale buildup is most common with hard water supplies that have high mineral content. These white deposits are simple to scrub away with the right solvent and a toilet brush. To prevent them from coming back, clean regularly used black toilets with the solvent at least once weekly.
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Turn on the exhaust fan in the bathroom and open a window to circulate the air.
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Turn off your toilet's water supply by turning the valve -- usually located on the wall just behind the toilet -- to the right until you cannot turn it anymore.
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Remove the water from the toilet. Flush it once, then plunge the toilet to force the remaining water down the drain.
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Hold the brush-end of your toilet scrubber over the bowl.
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Pour a scale-removing product that contains diluted phosphoric, hydrochloric, hydroxyacetic or muriatic acid, but not bleach, slowly over the bristles until they are thoroughly wet.
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Set the bottle down on the folded newspaper sheets to prevent runoff from touching the floor.
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Scrub the entire surface of the toilet bowl with the toilet scrubber until the white stains are gone. Scrub back and forth with slow, steady strokes. Pay close attention to the area just under the bowl's rim and any visible stains. Scale remover contains strong acids that may damage the surrounding fixtures or your skin if it splashes and splatters. Clean any accidental splatters up immediately with a wet rag. Re-apply the scale remover to the toilet scrubber as necessary.
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Turn the water valve back on by turning it to the left until it stops turning.
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Flush the toilet twice.
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Rinse the scrubber and clean-up rag thoroughly in the sink.
References
Tips
- Wear rubber gloves and goggles when handling acidic scale removers.
- If there is a bleach-based cleaning disk in your toilet's tank, remove it before you shut off the water supply in step one. Then flush the toilet three times to remove any bleach residue in the water. The bleach will react with some scale cleaners to produce a toxic gas.
- The Natural Handyman suggests using a solution of 1 teaspoon Calgon soap or 2 to four tablespoons of trisodium phosphate powder and 1 gallon water in place of commercial scale removers.
Writer Bio
Based in Houston, Texas, Meg Butler is a professional farmer, house flipper and landscaper. When not busy learning about homes and appliances she's sharing that knowledge. Butler began blogging, editing and writing in 2000. Her work has appered in the "Houston Press" and several other publications. She has an A.A. in journalism and a B.A. in history from New York University.
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