Toilet water may rise too high when flushed if your toilet has a blocked drain, vent, or faulty components. You can use a toilet plunger or auger to clear the blockage, and you’ll need to check the roof vent for any debris. After that, confirm that the parts in the cistern are functioning properly.

If you’re noticing that your toilet isn’t flushing normally, we’ll go through each of these common causes and also run you through the solutions so that your toilet will go back to flushing just like it was brand new.

Why Does Your Toilet Water Rise When You Flush?

There Is a Drain Blockage

The first thing is to inspect your toilet to see what is happening. Remember that due to how a toilet operates, the atmospheric pressure will cause the water to rise slightly before draining after it is flushed. This is a regular operation and is nothing to worry about.

If water is not constantly flowing into the toilet bowl from the cistern, then you likely have a blockage of the outgoing drain. A backup will prevent excess water from flowing away and keep the water level in the bowl too high.

There Is a Blockage in the Vent

Another reason water may be rising when flushed is issues with the toilet vent. Toilets work by pressure, and that requires an intake of air. This takes the form of a vent, generally on top of a pipe poking out from the roof above the toilet.

The Toilet’s Internal Components Are Faulty

Inside the cistern are components that allow water to flow into the toilet when the flush button is pressed. First, check the flush valve seal at the bottom of the cistern. A faulty flush valve is a common cause of flushing issues.

Sometimes referred to as the flapper, this is the plug that seals the drain hole on the bottom of the tank. The flapper will allow the tank to drain when prompted by a press of the flush button and then will also enable the storing of water in the cistern for the next visit.

How to Stop Toilet Water From Rising Too High

1. Clear a Drain Blockage

Home remedies should be your first option; a mixture of hot water and dish soap may help dislodge a drain. Pour the solution into the toilet bowl and then flush the toilet.

You can purchase drain cleaners that will try a chemical approach to remove any blockages. Sometimes referred to as main drain openers, you can pick up a bottle of Green Gobbler Drain Opener from Amazon to work its magic. It’s an affordable drain cleaner and works well to dissolve scum that could be causing blockages.

The downside with drain cleaners is that they can take some time to become fully effective.

If you see obstructions in the drain, clear these by hand or a plunger. You will need to see whether there are any total or partial blockages before or after the trap, the part of the pipe that holds water to prevent the sewage smell from wafting back.

The drainage pipes include the bends of pipe coming off the bowl and those parts of the internal plumbing. Any blockages in the line going into the wall or similar will likely need to be dislodged with a toilet snake, which we will discuss later.

A blockage in this area, sometimes referred to as the colon, means every time you flush, the combination of the water in the bowl and added water from the cistern causes the level to rise.

Use Long Sleeve Rubber Gloves

Grab a pair of rubber gloves and try to clear the drain and check for obstructions. If you grab a pair of arms-length or long sleeve rubber gloves, you will be able to reach further back into the plumbing.

As a rule, you shouldn’t put anything down the toilet except for toilet paper and body waste. This includes paper towels, baby wipes, female hygiene products, food, and anything else that is not toilet paper.

Some of these products are notorious for causing clogs, particularly paper towels, as they will not dissolve in the plumbing or water. The toilet is not an all-purpose disposal unit; use the bin for garbage disposal.

Use a Toilet Plunger

Plungers are your next best bet to remove obstructions that may be further back. If you don’t have one, grab a proper toilet plunger, like the JS Jackson Supplies Professional Toilet Plunger, which has flanges and will seal the bottom of the toilet properly. It has an ideal design to get rid of blockages and it is compact enough for easy storage.

Toilet plungers are more likely to be bell-shaped than the traditional sink plunger, which has a suction cup on the bottom.

Take the plunger and position the tip over the hole. Start the plunging motion, adjusting the angle so that the vacuum and seal are the best they can be.

Use a Toilet Auger or Snake

Toilet snakes work by extending a tube into the toilet plumbing and hopefully dislodging any blockages. This tool has a J-shaped mechanism that contains a cable that can be pushed along the piping to remove any clogs.

The best toilet snakes are the ones that use a rotating handle to feed more cable into the toilet. You can grab one that extends to three feet (0.9m) Cobra Products Toilet Auger, which should be enough to clear any deep blockages. This incredibly affordable product will usually do the job and is much cheaper than calling in a plumber!

Insert the cable into the toilet bowl and start rotating the handle. Sometimes you can give a blockage a slight nudge, and it will flow down the pipe, or you can try to hook it with the toilet snake and pull it out.

Once you see an improvement in the water drainage, the job is probably done. Turning the handle back and forth in partially blocked areas may be enough to clear them.

2. Clear a Blocked Vent

Debris from trees and other sources can cause blockages. The vent pipe will have some type of opening, likely with a protective mesh. Depending on how it is constructed, it may be worth bringing some basic tools with you, like a screwdriver.

If there is no evident degree or blockage at the opening, use water to flush the pipe itself.

Bring a hose up with you to the vent opening and pour water into the vent pipe.

You can also use an auger in this situation if you suspect you have a blockage further down. Vent pipes can be very long. So, I suggest using a long plumbing snake to get down to the jam.

3. Fix a Bad Flapper

First, turn off the water supply valve. Remove the flapper and inspect to see if the seal is broken and not compromised the whole way around.

You can pick up quality replacement flappers like the Fluidmaster 502P21 on Amazon, which are reliable and affordable.

One form of maintenance that you can try is that most flappers use a chain to function. Over time, it is common for these chains to develop an issue.

Try reseating the chain or removing any kinks. Sometimes adding extra links or lengthening the chain will help if the flapper is not sealing correctly.

4. Adjust Fill Level

The float level determines the water inside the cistern, and if this is set incorrectly, it may cause overflowing issues with flushing.

If you look inside the cistern, you’ll see the float attached to an arm. The arm will generally have an adjustable screw on it to lengthen or shorten the arm. This will make your cistern hold more or less water.

Sometimes, this component is referred to as a ballcock and is a commonly adjusted part of a toilet.

Experiment with lowering the amount of water in the tank, particularly if you notice that the tank valve seal is not looking in good condition.

When to Call an Expert

If none of the above steps have been successful, but you still suspect a blockage, consider calling a plumber. Often the jams are so far back in the pipes that you need special tools and a bit of dexterity to remove them.

Blockages in your pipe are nasty not only because they don’t allow your toilet to flow correctly, but over time will lead to increased pressure in the pipes, possibly causing them to burst and causing massive damage to the property.

Summary

To fix drainage issues, you’re looking for blockages in the toilet’s drain, trap, or other plumbing. This may even be a blockage in the vent pipe.

A toilet plunger will remove most blockages, or harder to get blockages; a toilet snake may also do the job. If you suspect a blockage that you can’t get to, it’s best to get the services of a plumber.

Finally, there could be issues within the cistern. Seals inside the cistern can fail over time, check inside the cistern and replace if necessary. A reset of the internal water level can also help.

The post Toilet Water Rises Too High When Flushed: Causes & Solutions appeared first on HomelyVille.

A toilet will eventually unclog itself if normal things like toilet paper and feces are stuck in it. It will take as fast as an hour for a toilet to unclog itself if the thing clogging it is easily degradable, or as long as over 24 hours if an abundant amount of organic matter clogs it.

In this article, we will talk about things that clog toilets and what you can do when your toilet is clogged. We will also discuss how to unclog a toilet with or without a plunger and keep a clogged toilet from overflowing. It’ll also tackle why you keep having toilet clogs.

Things That Clog Toilets

The most common materials that clog toilets are organic matter: feces and toilet paper. When these clog your toilet, you can usually expect the toilet to unclog itself eventually.

Next to organic matter are wipes, diapers, cotton, and feminine hygiene products. Many people often flush these without thought, but they weren’t meant to be flushed in the first place. They’re not degradable, so their chances of clogging your toilet are high. If these objects clog the toilet, the toilet won’t be able to unclog itself either.

You should also avoid flushing hair down the toilet as it may get tangled in the pipes, eventually causing clogs that are hard to remove.

At times, the occasional kid’s toys may be flushed on toilets, too, and that can cause toilet clogs as well. When this happens, your toilet won’t unclog itself, so you’ll have to either unclog it or call a plumber.

What to Do When Your Toilet Is Clogged

When you find yourself with a clogged toilet, you usually have three choices:

• You can wait for the toilet to unclog itself.
• You can unclog the toilet by yourself.
• You can contact a plumber to unclog the toilet for you.

If you decide to wait for the toilet to unclog itself, make sure that the materials clogging your toilet are organic waste. Likewise, consider the amount of materials that are blocking your toilet so you can judge how long your toilet will take to unclog itself.

Meanwhile, if you choose to unclog the toilet by yourself, getting a plunger is the easiest way to do this. However, if you don’t have a plunger on hand, you can also use liquid soap, hot water, wire hangers, enzyme cleaners, and toilet bowl cleaners.

Lastly, you can opt for the services of a plumber instead. To look for a plumber, you can call your friends, check your local phonebook, or search for plumbers near you. Hiring a plumber is your best option if you’re impatient over waiting for the toilet to unclog or if you’ve already tried some methods to unclog the toilet but failed.

How to Keep a Clogged Toilet From Overflowing

So, you’re faced with an annoying problem, your toilet is clogged. Whether you decide to call a plumber or wait it out, your goal will be the same: prevent overflow until help arrives or the toilet eventually unclogs itself.

To keep a clogged toilet from overflowing, check its shutoff valve, tank flapper, and tank float. The shutoff valve is the switch behind the toilet, the tank flapper is a rubber disc inside the tank, and the tank float is the rubber ball within the tank.

The shutoff valve allows the water to enter your tank, so turning it off will cut the toilet’s water supply and prevent the overflow of your clogged toilet. You don’t need to find the tank flapper and float if you manage to turn the valve off.

However, there are some instances where the shutoff valve may have been unused to the point that it’s no longer turnable. When this happens, you’ll have to resort to the tank flapper and floater for help.

The tank flapper controls the water that enters the toilet bowl, so holding it down with your fingers or an object will help you. Meanwhile, the tank float signals the tank to fill with water, so holding it up will prevent the tank from filling.

How to Unclog a Toilet

If you decided you’d rather unclog your toilet now than wait for it to unclog itself, then the plunger is your best friend. To do this, start by turning off the shutoff valve. This will make sure you don’t get any unwanted overflows.

Next, grab your plunger and slowly push it down your dowl drain. Do your best to seal the bowl with your plunger. Then, pull the plunger up and down. You should feel some resistance as you do this, and when the resistance lessens, remove your plunger to check if the clog is gone.

You’ll know that the clog is gone once the water and other materials go down. If the clog is still there, repeat the process until it clears. Once the clog is gone, turn the shutoff valve on and flush.

If you don’t have a plunger yet, check out SteadMax Toilet Plunger and mDesign Plunger and Brush from Amazon. SteadMax is built to be durable, so it’ll also be an excellent replacement plunger if you’re only trying to replace your old, worn-out plunger. Meanwhile, mDesign is compact, sleek, and a two-in-one, so it’ll suit you if you’re thinking of adding some flair to your bathroom.

No products found.

How to Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger

A plunger is an essential bathroom tool, but maybe yours is broken, or you’ve decided not to have one. If this is the case, you can try other methods of unclogging a toilet without a plunger.

Besides a plunger, you can use liquid soap, hot water, wire hangers, enzyme cleaners, and toilet bowl cleaners to unclog a toilet.

• Use liquid soap. Any soapy liquid may help you unclog a toilet. This means you can use shampoo if you’re stuck in the bathroom. However, the best soapy liquid will be dish soap. To unclog a toilet using liquid soap, pour an abundant amount of the liquid into the bowl. This liquid will help lubricate the materials clogging the toilet. For best results, wait for at least 15 to 30 minutes before flushing.
• Use hot water. Hot water can dissolve the clog faster, and all you have to do is pour the hot water into the bowl. However, be sure to use hot water instead of boiling water. Boiling water may crack your toilet’s base, so be careful about that. If your sink has a hot water function, you can use that and pour it into the bowl. You may also use your shower’s hot water.
• Use a wire hanger. Using a wire hanger to unclog your toilet is easy. To do this, you need to untwist your wire hanger until it’s a straight wire that’s good enough to reach inside your bowl and the clog. Once you’re done, use the wire to poke the clog to dislodge it or tear it enough for water to push it down.
• Use an enzyme cleaner or a toilet bowl cleaner. Enzyme cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners have substances that can help break down a toilet clog. Enzyme cleaners are best for people with old houses since these cleaners won’t harm metal pipes, while toilet bowl cleaners are just good overall.

For more ideas and better visualizations, check out this awesome video:

Why Do I Keep Having Toilet Clogs?

If you’ve found yourself in a clogged toilet situation countless times already, it’s only natural to wonder why you keep having toilet clogs. It’s annoying, it’s inconvenient, and it’s definitely something you want to solve.

The common reasons for constant toilet clogs are having flushed a non-flushable item before, a low-flow toilet, a blocked plumbing vent, and a clogged sewer line.

Flushing materials not meant to be flushed in toilets can cause plenty of future clogs for you if the said materials remain within your pipes. Unlike toilet paper, feces, and other organic materials, non-flushable things will remain undegraded and cause trouble.

Meanwhile, having a low-flow toilet means having an older version of a toilet. If your toilet is of this version, you’ll likely keep having clogs since their flushes are weak.

On the other hand, a blocked plumbing vent and a clogged sewer line are best left for plumbers to solve. If you suspect this is why your toilet is always clogged, it’s wise to call a plumber for help.

Conclusion

If normal materials like toilet paper and feces clog your toilet, your toilet will eventually unclog itself. It can take as little as an hour for the unclogging to happen or as long as 24 hours.

If you can’t wait or decide to unclog the toilet yourself, you can use a plunger, hot water, liquid soap, a wire hanger, toilet bowl cleaners, or enzyme cleaners. More importantly, you can prevent future clogs by ensuring only flushable and degradable materials are flushed in your toilet.

The post Will a Toilet Eventually Unclog Itself? appeared first on HomelyVille.

Why Does the Toilet Gurgle?

You might already suspect the cause of the sound — a blockage. Toilets use air pressure to allow water to flow through. Blockages create negative pressure, meaning that water and debris struggle to flush. As a result, the air is being pumped back into the toilet, making noise.

There are multiple areas of the toilet that may suffer a blockage, causing the water to gurgle. Some of them are easy to unclog, while others may require professional help. Before you start working — turn off the toilet water supply to avoid flooding your bathroom. Otherwise, you might have more trouble than you bargained for.

The Toilet

The easiest blockage to fix is the one located in the toilet bowl. Look out for any floating pieces of toilet paper or any debris, and dispose of them.

The Toilet Tank

Toilet water tanks are the heart of the flushing system. They contain two mechanisms: one that is supposed to release the water into the toilet bowl, and another one that fills the tank after a flush. Sometimes, those systems block or break down and so, will need to be replaced.

The Toilet Drain

A toilet drain block is usually caused by excessive amounts of toilet paper, or other sanitary products disposed of in the toilet. Clear the surface waste and try to flush the water. If you’re still having issues, then it’s clearly a drain blockage.

The Vent Stack

A vent stack is a vertical pipe that is used to ventilate the plumbing system. The purpose of such a pipe is to allow oxygen into the waste pipes while also removing any toxic sewer gases. Not only that but the vent stack equalizes the air pressure inside the pipes, allowing water to move freely.

Because it’s placed on the roof, the vent stack can often get blocked by leaves, branches, or even dead animals. This in turn causes the pressure to go negative, resulting in gurgling. 

The Main Sewer Drain

All the drains in your house connect to the main sewer drain which carries waste and water to the city sewer system. Aside from the usual causes like waste and debris, blocks can also be caused by bad or old plumbing.

6 Ways to Fix a Gurgling Toilet

There are multiple ways to fix a gurgling toilet, depending on where the issue is located. From simple fixes to hard plumbing, you should give all of them a shot before calling the big guns.

1. Toilet Tank Maintenance

Sediments can build up inside the toilet tank, often blocking the flowing water. You should start by lifting the toilet tank and checking the color of the water. If it’s anything close to red or brown, you have a sediment buildup. However, if the water is dark, then you should clean the inside of the tank as soon as possible.

The good news is that a good scrub, using bleach and cleaning chemicals, will dislodge any sediments. However, in case the situation is getting worse, you might need to replace the toilet water connector.

While you are at it, you can also check the flushing systems. Like previously mentioned, those can break and will need to be changed. You can choose to change the whole toilet tank, but the cheaper option is to get a new flush valve. 

2. Drain Cleaners

Sometimes the clog is small enough that a simple solution such as drain cleaners might work. Drain cleaners are chemicals that activate at contact with water in order to dissolve a blockage. You don’t need to worry about potential health hazards, as most drain cleaners use natural enzymes to break down any waste found in the drain.

Drain Cleaner Recommendation

One of the best drain cleaners is Disposer & Pipe Cleaner by Rejuvenate. There is no small blockage that will resist the powerful — and safe for your health — foaming action of Rejuvenate’s product. Affordable and well-rated, this lavender-scented drain cleaner is a great tool for anyone.

3. Use a Plunger

While you may have already tried plunging before, it’s possible that you have been doing it wrong. You should first prepare the plumbing system by sealing off all nearby drains. Doing that will block any possible exits for air. As a result, the only way for air would be back through the toilet, bringing any waste up with it. It’s best to use a plunger for light clogs, usually located in the toilet bowl or its drain.

Plunger Recommendation

Picking a plunger might seem simple, but in fact, there are several options on the market. Ultimately, the heavy-duty Neiko toilet plunger is the right tool for the job. A state of the art 4-step suction cup, mold-resistant handle, and an all-angle design are just some of the perks of this plunger.

4. Use a Snake

If you are unfamiliar with plumbing terms, a plumber snake is a flexible auger that can dislodge stubborn clogs. An average snake is up to 15 feet long, so it can reach much deeper than a plunger.

The most commonly used snake is the hand spinner. As the name suggests, it works based on a spinning mechanism. You simply place it inside the toilet drain and start spinning while also trying to move it forward. If the snake stops, it means that you found the clog and need to pull it out by trying to wiggle the snake back and forth.

Alternatively, canister or drum snakes are similar to spinners. The difference is that canister-fed snakes are much easier to push inside the drain. This kind of device is best used with medium to large clogs. 

In case a hand spinner or canister doesn’t work, you can always try a much more powerful roto-rooter. Most roto-rooters can reach up to 100 feet or even more. The only downside is that you would need to remove the whole toilet to reach the deepest parts of the drain.

Tip: If you have trouble using a plumbing snake, try following this great tutorial.

Plumbing Snake Recommendation

The DrainX Auger Pro is one of the best plumbing snakes out there. The drum design and instructions sheet help even amateurs unclog almost any type of block. Not only that but DrainX includes a bag and work gloves so you don’t have to get your hands dirty. Add to that the great price, and you’ve got yourself an unmissable deal. 

5. Consult With Your Neighbors

Although you might try everything you can to fix the toilet, sometimes the problem is not on your end. You should ask around the neighborhood and see if more people have the same problem. There is a chance that the fault is with the city sewer system. If that’s the case, a call to the local authorities might save you more headaches later on.

6. Call a Plumber

When everything seems to fail, it’s better to just call a plumber. Equipped with inspection cameras and powerful augers, they have the experience to deal with most types of problems. Not only that, but plumbers can remove and change parts of the system that are broken or damaged.

Toilet Care Tips

It’s better to prevent than to fix — use the following tips to avoid further trouble down the pipe:

• Avoid flushing anything other than waste — you can dispose of hair, wipes, or food in a trash can instead.
• Switch to a different toilet paper — some brands of toilet paper may be too thick for normal flushing, consider picking a thinner brand.
• Have regular plumbing inspections — this can save you a lot of time and money down the line.
• Protect the vent stack — you can use a vent stack filter to avoid debris and waste.
• Clean the water tank — use toilet tank blocks that release chemicals which clean the tank whenever it’s used.
• Don’t force it — while it may be fun to fix it yourself, if you ever feel overwhelmed, call for help. Otherwise, you might do more harm than good.

Related: How to Dispose of an Old Toilet

In Conclusion

All in all, a gurgling noise is usually not something to worry about — it’s annoying but harmless. Unless your house has a history of bad plumbing, you can pinpoint the source of the noise pretty easily. Nevertheless, you should take care of your toilet and at least do the bare minimum maintenance. Don’t forget that a good, well-cleaned toilet will rarely break on you.

Do your research, and keep in mind that you should not be afraid to ask for help. Call your plumber, or ask your friends, someone might have gone through everything you are going through right now. And remember — you should try to prevent, not fix later on.

The post Toilet Gurgles When Flushed: How to Fix a Gurgling Toilet appeared first on HomelyVille.

The best way to get rid of stains on your toilet bowl is through a process of soaking and scrubbing. Soak your toilet bowl with cleaner like vinegar, bleach, borax, or a product like CLR, scrub the stains with a toilet brush or abrasive pad, and flush the bowl to remove the cleaner and stains.

Depending on how stained your toilet bowl is, you may need to repeat the above process more than once. In this article we will address:

• Determining what type of stains you have
• What is hard water
• Why your toilet bowl gets stained
• The most effective ways of cleaning your stained toilet bowl
• When to call a professional
• How to protect yourself while cleaning

What Type of Stain Is in Your Toilet Bowl

If your toilet bowl is stained, first you should determine what type of stain it is. If it’s a stain from daily use, it can probably be easily cleaned with a regular store-bought toilet bowl cleaner and a toilet brush. This should be your first step in trying to remove your stains, whether you think it’s a regular stain or not.

If the stains in your toilet bowl persist even after you’ve cleaned it, then it’s likely that you have mineral stains from your plumbing.

Rust Stains

These could be caused by a rusty component of your plumbing. The rust particles can turn your toilet water brown, and leave rust stains on the sides of your toilet bowl. If this is the case, then not only will you want to clean your toilet, you will want to contact a professional to examine the pipes in your bathroom.

Rusted pipes will need replacing, and the longer you leave them, the higher chance of further complications and more expensive repairs.

Hard Water Stains

The stains in your toilet bowl could also be caused by the hard water in your plumbing. Hard water is one of the most common reasons that your toilet bowl or bathtub will develop stains or soap rings.

What is Hard Water

There are two common types of water in our households. These are referred to as hard water and soft water.

Soft water has little to no dissolved minerals in it. It is less abrasive to home appliances and plumbing systems than hard water.

Hard water contains a high level of minerals, mostly calcium and magnesium. Hard water can leave residue on your appliances as these minerals build up over time. The calcium in hard water also reacts with soap to create a film. This is often referred to as “soap scum”. This can build up over time in sinks, bathtubs, dishwashers, and washing machines.

You may find that your clothes and dishes are not coming out as clean as they should be after a wash, and that could be because there was not enough soap to conquer the soap scum. When you live with hard water, you may find yourself having to use extra soap to get rid of this slimy film.

When hard water is heated, the calcium can solidify and create hardened deposits of calcium carbonate. This can build and damage your home appliances.

Hard water in your toilet can cause the same soap scum and mineral build up as in other areas of your home.

Why Your Toilet Bowl Gets Stained

Most toilet bowls are made of porcelain. Porcelain is a non-porous material that is easy to clean, but is not immune to the effects of hard water.

As hard water evaporates, the mineral content of the water is left behind. Over time, this can create stains on your toilet bowl. That’s why often the stains will be rings that sit right around the water level.

These stains are often called by different names.

• Mineral deposits
• Limescale
• Hard water stains
• Calcium build up

Alternatively, your toilet bowl could be stained from the rust content of your water. This is because as iron and other metals rust, they turn a copper colour. They lose structure and particles will break off of the rusted objects. These rust particles then enter the water, and stain your toilet bowl.

The Most Effective Ways of Cleaning Your Toilet Bowl

Whether your toilet bowl is stained from rust or from hard water deposits, the way of cleaning them is similar.

There are three different approaches to take when cleaning your toilet bowl.

• Natural solutions
• Chemical or store bought products
• Professional help

Cleaning Your Toilet Bowl With Natural Products

If you want to stick to natural products to try and clean your toilet bowl. Follow the steps below.

Scrub Your Toilet

Go over the stains in your toilet with a toilet brush. This will loosen any debris that is easy to take off. Flush your toilet to remove the loosened debris.

Empty the Toilet Bowl

Turn off the water supply valve to the toilet. Then, plunge the water in the bowl, this will force the water in the bowl to be pushed into the drain. The bowl needs to be empty so that the cleaners can sit on the stain directly.

Choose Your Toilet Cleaner

Choose which natural product you would like to use on your stains. Some of the most effective products are:

• Vinegar. The acidity of vinegar can break down the mineral stains.
• Baking soda. The abrasiveness of baking soda is extremely effective when scrubbed into toilet stains.
• Borax. Borax is effective as a cleaner because when it is combined with water, it reacts, and converts some of the water molecules into hydrogen peroxide. Unlike vinegar and baking soda, Borax is not safe for human consumption, so keep this cleaner away from the kitchen.

Apply the Cleaner

Once you’ve chosen your cleaner, the next step is applying it to the stains.

Vinegar

If you’re using vinegar, the easiest way to apply it is via a spray bottle. If you pour vinegar on the stains it will be harder to get the bottle in the right places. A spray bottle will also deliver a more even application of the vinegar, and less of it will run off.

Spray the stains generously with vinegar.

Baking Soda

Baking soda sticks best to surfaces when they are slightly damp. Spray your toilet bowl with water from a spray bottle, or splash water on it from the sink. Your toilet bowl may also still be wet from the water that was in it, so you may not have to add anything.

Sprinkle the baking soda directly onto the stains. Make sure your application is thick enough to cover the stains fully.

Borax

You may also want to wet the stain’s surface before you apply the borax. It is also a powder-like substance and will stick better to the toilet bowl if it is damp.

The water is also crucial for the effectiveness of Borax, as it reacts with the water to create hydrogen peroxide, and that is the main reason that Borax is so effective.

Apply Borax generously to the stains.

Vinegar and Baking Soda Mixture

You can also use a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to maximize the effectiveness of both products.

Spray the toilet liberally with vinegar, then sprinkle the baking soda on top. The two will fizz as they meet. The acidic vinegar will work to loosen the stains, while the baking soda will be a great abrasive agent when it is time to scrub.

Let the Product Sit

The next step is the easiest; leave your toilet alone.

These products need time to react with the stains and loosen them up. 30 minutes is usually enough time for the products to reach maximum effectiveness. Try not to disturb the product for the entire 30 minutes.

Scrub the Toilet

The next step involves elbow grease. Scrub your toilet with an abrasive sponge, a pumice stone, or your toilet brush. You may find it easier to do this when the toilet is a little wet, so feel free to spray the stains with water at this point.

You should see most of the stains disappearing as you scrub. Any stains that don’t disappear may either wash off when you flush the toilet, or may need another attempt.

Rinse the Toilet

Next, refill the toilet with water. To do this, turn the water source for the toilet back on, and flush. Repeat this two to three times to fully rinse out the toilet bowl. Hopefully, the stains will have disappeared. If not, repeat the process above or move onto a chemical product as demonstrated below.

Cleaning Your Toilet Bowl With CLR

CLR, which stands for Calcium Lime Rust, is an effective agent against both hard water stains and rust stains. It is non-toxic, and contains no harmful chemicals, yet still cleans efficiently.

How to use CLR depends on where your stains are in your toilet bowl. If they are above the water line, you can simply apply CLR to the stains and scrub them with a toilet brush. Let the product sit on the stains for two minutes and then flush the toilet multiple times to effectively rinse away the excess product.

It is important to not let CLR sit on the bowl for longer than two minutes, as it can cause damage to the porcelain finish.

If the stains in your toilet bowl sit below the water line, then you’ll have to empty the toilet water. To do this follow the steps below.

1. Turn the water source for the toilet off
2. Plunge the toilet to force the water down the pipe

Once the toilet has been emptied of water, you can apply the CLR to the stains. Scrub the stains and let the solution sit for two minutes. Turn the water source back on, and flush the toilet immediately to rinse the residual CLR out of the bowl.

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If the stains persist, you may have to repeat the process, or use something more abrasive to scrub with. Try using a pumice stone soaked in water, or a ball of steel wool. Take care not to scrub too hard, as you can damage the porcelain finish of the toilet.

Why Bleach Might Not Work on Your Hard Water Stains

The most effective products against hard water stains are acids. Acids will soften and dissolve the mineral deposits in the toilet. This is what makes vinegar so effective against the stains.

Bleach, however, is a base. In its concentrated form, it is strong enough to burn human skin on contact. This same product may not affect your hard water stains at all.

In fact, using bleach on rust stains is a bad idea. Bleach can help rust stains set, and make them even more difficult to remove.

Cleaning Your Toilet Bowl with Coca-Cola

As strange as it sounds, Coca-Cola is an effective product to use against the hard water build ups in your bathroom. Coca-Cola is acidic, which, as we learned above, is what is needed to clean hard water stains.

To use Coca-Cola against your hard water stains, follow the directions below.

1. Turn off the water source to your toilet
2. Plunge the toilet to remove the water from the bowl
3. Fill the bowl (at least above the hard water stains) with Coca-Cola
4. Leave for a few hours, or even overnight
5. Turn the water source back on
6. Flush the toilet
7. Scrub the toilet with the toilet brush to remove any stains that didn’t flush away
8. Flush the toilet again to rinse the bowl

When to Call a Professional

If you have tried all of the processes above and the stains on your toilet just won’t budge, your toilet could be past the point of no return. You should call a professional plumber to get their opinion.

They should be able to tell you if your toilet is a lost cause, and probably needs to be replaced. They may also have further recommendations of ways to remove stubborn stains.

Even if you were able to remove your stains, if they were caused by rust then you still need to contact a professional. Old iron pipes, usually installed before 1960, were often made of iron. These pipes are particularly prone to rusting, and will probably need to be replaced.

Ignoring rust in your plumbing can lead to extensive and expensive damage.

If the stains in your toilet bowl are caused by mold, there is the potential for it to be dangerous to your health. A professional should also be contacted when you expect that you’re dealing with any source of dangerous mold or mildew.

How to Protecting Yourself While Cleaning

Many products that are effective against tough stains in your toilet bowl will also cause irritation to your skin upon contact. It’s important to use proper PPE (personal protective equipment) when you’re using any sort of tough solution.

It’s also important to protect yourself against germs and bacteria that may be living in your toilet.

To protect your hands from chemicals, use gloves like these Soft Scrub Rubber Gloves. They are reusable, and are extremely effective as a barricade between your skin and your toilet cleaner. They also have raised rubber on the fingertips, which is useful for increasing your grip.

Rubber gloves should be long enough to cover most of your forearm, as your skin can get splashed with soiled water, and you may need to reach far into the toilet to scrub all of the stains. Be sure to wash your hands with disinfecting soap if you come in contact with toilet water or cleaning chemicals.

If you have long hair, tie it back before cleaning your toilet. This way chemicals don’t come in contact with your hair and it doesn’t get damaged or discoloured. You also don’t want your hair to touch the toilet and get any harmful bacteria on it.

If your toilet stains are caused by mold, you may want to take extra precautions when cleaning them. Wear a mask proven to block dangerous particles from entering your lungs.

Summary

To clean a very stained toilet bowl, you must use the proper cleaning agents, time, and a little elbow grease. Toilet bowls (and toilet seats) should be cleaned regularly to prevent the stains from becoming caked on, and difficult to remove.

Let’s review the steps to cleaning a tough toilet bowl:

1. Identify the type of stain and clean the bowl regularly
2. Apply your chosen cleaner to the stains
3. Scrub the bowl with a toilet brush, pumice stone, or steel wool
4. Flush and rinse the toilet multiple times
5. Repeat as needed to provide a deeper clean and to keep your toilet clean for the future
6. Contact a professional if you think you have rusty pipes or persistent mold

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