Toilet. Cleaning Advice Appreciated.
 

My Mum keeps our two toilets spotlessly clean.
The one thing she would never forgive or forget is if she came back to a dirty toilet when they've been away.

However the downstairs toilet has recently developed some grey stains, which she just can't shift.
She scrubbed and scrubbed at them, has bought an even more powerful toilet cleaner and is applying it directly to the stains with the scourer, but they are not shifting.

Now I can find lots of products recommended on the internet - more and more powerful ones - and advice about using nail files or pumice stones.
But what I wonder is whether this is a thinning of the enamel rather than a stain on top of it? This house was built in the 60s and Mum has lived in it since 1972. That's nearly 40 years of rigorous cleaning, wiping, bleaching - every day.

I can easily find her a powerful cleaner - just some Googling will do.
But I don't want to make things worse.

All I know is she is genuinely concerned about this. It doesn't bother me in the slightest - you can tell it's a clean toilet. But it has her nearly in tears. She is even thinking of telling her friends not to visit because she feels sick at the idea she will think she has a dirty toilet.

Anyone had any experience with toilets damaged by cleaning?
Is it even possible, or am I making problems where none exist?

A paste made out of bi-carb of soda??? It would be worth a go and definitely wouldn't cement the stain.

Yesterday I examined a candidate who in answer to a question about household tasks that he enjoyed made reference to cleaning the toilet. I was wondering if he'd misheard or forgot to put the 'not' in his sentence.

Pour one can of Coca Cola (no substitutes, please!) into the toilet and let it sit for an hour. It will clean stains from vitreous china. From here.

You need a service sub. No sex, please.

She may just need to replace the toilet. The enamel or whatever the finish is made of does start to wear out after enough years have gone by. I'd say if pouring a bunch of bleach in the toilet and letting it sit for a while doesn't do the trick, the finish is gone.

The bathtub in my apartment is like a thousand years old and has permanent stains in it that I can't get rid of no matter what I try. The landlord really needs to replace all the bathroom fixtures in that place, but he's a cheap slumlord and never will.

I can't wait until I can move to Durango and get a place that I'm not embarassed to have friends visit.

Have you tried it and did it work? I have some water stain that I don't know how to get out.

Sundae: good luck on that stain. Sorry, but I don't know what to do. I'm here hoping to benefit from your thread. :p: A new toilet sounds wonderful if it weren't costly, huh.

does Mum have a Bday comeing up ??
If so go in with dad to get her a New toilet

Or a bidet?

I'm going to try the bicarb paste first.
The trouble with the Coke is that these marks are above the waterline, so they will simply get a cola shower as opposed to soaking in it.

One of the things which we can't puzzle out is that she uses limescale remover already. And none of the marks are raised. Or notably indented on the flip side - neither are they in places that get particular scrubbing. Argh.

Toilets and plumbing are expensive. Approx £200+ (parts & labour).
Of course when it comes down to it they will have to work it out between them. I know how important it is to her. I also know Dad will refuse to spend the money while they still have a functioning WC.

Thanks for the responses.
I will get back to you.

Or a bidet?

HarHar har

the thing you have to do is figure out what the stain is. Is it a stain from the water or did someone use a stainless steel scrubbing brush? If it is from a stainless steel scouring pad or brush then the gray stain is from actual bits of metal ground away from by the very fine pores in the surface of the glaze. You would have to use something very powerful to remove it. Probably Muriatic Acid. They sell it at the hardware store. It's a drastic measure and may cause problems if not done properly.

that being said, 40 years in toilet years is like 32 years in dog years which would be about 197 years in people years. It's really way past time for a new toilet.

get a plastic bag and fill it with some rocks. Put the bag in the toilet. The water level will rise.

Thank you Aesop.

Also, cut way down on the red wine and artificially-colored cereals.

Smash the toilet accidentally (drop something heavy on it - a plant pot full of grungy rainwater that you were emptying into the loo bowl (or say that's what it was ;)). Dad will buy a new one. Problem solved.

better suggest mum does that or Sundae will be sent to Coventry again.