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Learn how to remove hard water stains from your toilet with this quick, easy method! Guaranteed to remove even the worst built-up hard water rings in less than 5 minutes – without scratching the porcelain! Watch the video below to see it in action.
You can also check out how to remove hard water stains from glass shower doors.
Hard water can be found all over bathroom surfaces, including showers, sinks, faucets, and, worst of all, the toilet. Unattractive and extremely frustrating, the last thing any one of us wants is to host a holiday party with a toilet that looks as if it hasn’t been cleaned for months.
You’ll find countless cleaning products available, and even more blogs and websites claiming that such-and-such a solution or product will rid your toilet of the dreaded ring; some even without using chemicals at all.
Most of these claims are false, I’m sorry. I know this from personal experience because I promise, before learning about this trick from my friend at The Home Depot, I had literally tried everything.
This trick works so well, in fact, that it will almost look like you went out and bought yourself a brand new toilet! But don’t take my word for it,
Reader Comment
I run an apartment complex, where unfortunately people don’t know how to clean their toilets, I thought I was going to have to replace the toilet, but I was able to clean the toilet and it looks brand new. This will save me tons of money, and time, it literally only took me two minutes to clean the hard water stains.
-Kali
Table of Contents
Difference Between Hard and Soft Water?
Hard water: that which contains an appreciable amount of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Soft water: that which contains less dissolved minerals. Or, when treated, the only ion it may contain is sodium. Naturally falling rainwater is soft water, for example.
How does water become hard? Water becomes harder as it moves through the ground and into our waterways. Along the way, this water picks up minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and lime.
Given that hard water contains essential (and super important) minerals, one may wonder why we soften our water when it’s hard.
Hard water is tough on appliances (dishwashers and washing machines, for example) and is hard to clean. Making it less effective and using more energy due to the mineral buildup left behind.
Supplies Needed
Before I say anything else, I thought it important to mention that the toilet that you see pictured in these images is “clean”. This includes the before and the after images.
In other words, I cleaned the toilet with actual toilet bowl cleaner before removing the hard water ring.
Anyway, I Googled, “how to remove toilet bowl ring” or “how to remove hard water stains from the toilet”. Everything I found led me to some cleaning product or a pumice stone.
Since Home Depot is Octavian’s favorite store in the world, we headed there. So that we could spend as much time as possible in the gardening equipment aisle, I asked a nice man who worked there where I could find the pumice stones. Then I asked him if pumice stones actually remove hard water rings from toilet bowls.
He stopped me right there.
No, no, no, no, no pumice stone, he said. Too much risk of scratching the porcelain.
Thank goodness, this toilet angel from Home Depot had a better idea – Fine-Grit Drywall Sanding Screens. YOU GUYS, this man saved my toilets!
Here’s how you can save yours.
How to: (Step-By-Step)
- Gather all of the necessary supplies.
- Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves and cut 1-2 small square pieces from a sheet of Fine-Grit Drywall Sanding Screens. Set them aside.
- Carefully open the Barkeeper’s Friend and sprinkle it inside your toilet.
- Wearing the gloves, gently yet firmly, begin scrubbing away the hard water buildup in a circular motion with the Drywall screen. Don’t press TOO HARD. Our goal is to remove hard water stains, not destroy the porcelain.
- Continue until all of the built-up hard water stains have been removed.
- Flush.
What Doesn’t Work?
- Bleach
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Vinegar solution overnight
- Those tabs that turn your toilet water blue
- Baking soda
- Borax and vinegar
None of the above worked. In fact, I later learned that bleach may make toilet rings caused by hard water worse – or even permanent!
Yay! Sparkling CLEAN toilets!
Seriously, though, that’s all it took. So easy.
If you loved learning how to remove hard water stains from toilets, you may also enjoy this How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Glass Shower Doors post.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Toilets
Video
Equipment
Materials
Instructions
- Gather supplies.
- Put on gloves and cut 1-2 small square pieces of Fine-Grit Drywall Sanding Screens. Set them aside.
- Carefully open the Barkeepers Friend and sprinkle inside your toilet.
- Wearing the gloves, gently yet firmly, begin to scrub away at the hard water buildup in a circular motion with the Drywall screen. Don’t press TOO HARD. Our goal is to remove hard water stains, not destroy the porcelain.
- Flush and be amazed!
Awesome advice, the toilet looks like new again!
Great tutorial, it worked on my nasty stains like a lucky charm!
Hi Jessica, This worked great on the toilet! Thank you — I also used this method on tile ‘rust’ stains, I’m happy to say, with a little more elbow grease and let it sit a short time, it worked great! I’ve tried several cleaning ideas and none worked on these hard dark rust stains. Kathy
I use Barkeepers Friend for lots of stuff but never thought of it for cleaning toilets or bathroom so am going to give this a try. However, I have used pumice stone on toilets (even my expensive Toto) and it has never scratched. Somehow it is soft enough to not scratch but hard enough to scrape the mineral deposits off.
This is fantastic! I have been looking at the hard water stains and our toilet for 2 years frustrated that I couldn’t get them cleaned out. I can’t believe how clean and white they are after this and it was so easy. Thank you!
Jessica: While all the buildup did not come off under the rim there certainly is a marked improvement. No one will see unless they stick their head in and look under the rim. It is hard water so any advice how to keep the buildup at bay. Thanks again for the great tutorial.
Glad I found this site. We are redoing our 30+ year old bathrooms and want to replace the toilets. Finding a toilet has been my biggest dilemma. I have looked at the American Standard toilets, but have been concerned about hard water stains that might develop right under the rim as the porcelain glazing in the bowl does not go up to the rim where the water comes down. The Toto toilets have the glazing all of the way up to the rim holes, but I have heard the Sanigloss finish isn’t what it is cracked up to be with well water which is hard. Has anyone used this cleaning technique on a Toto? I know that manufacturer says to only use Dawn dish liquid.
Hi Brenda,
If you have concerns about trying this method on a specific toilet, please test it in a small area first. I have yet to see any reports of this method not working, or scratching porcelain glaze.
Very good article with very interesting tips, helped a lot in cleaning the bathroom!
Hey,
This is a life saver! 🙂
I tried it and it works!
This worked Great! I just found your site and I love your spunk and creativity! It is hard to wait for some projects. So you have to do it yourself! DIY! You go girl. I will be following your ideas from now on. Barb
Thank you Barbara!
Will this method get rid of the ugly hard water scale buildup under the rim. I have tried everything. Please drop me an email with your opinion. Thank in advance.
Hello Marg,
If the scale build up under your rim is hard water, this method of removing hard water stains from toilets should work – give it a try and let me know the results!