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How to Remove Hard Water Stains in the Bathroom

by Kara Carrero 31 Comments

When we moved into our house, one of the biggest puzzles was figuring out how to remove hard water stains. So I have multiple ways of removing hard water from the dishwasher, but sometimes the toilet is tougher. Living in Oklahoma, we have extremely hard water. Being in a house that was built in the fifties, there was no hard water filter installed. This made for difficult cleaning around fixtures, in toilet bowls, and even dishes. The hard water had even corroded part of the tank of the toilet.

how to remove hard water stains

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While we are an eco-friendly household, there was just no way we could successfully eliminate years and years of hard water build up without using some sort of chemical. And even though we’ve tried (and sometimes been successful) in the kitchen, the bathroom seems to get more consistent use and is grungier in general. So the problem was that most chemicals wouldn’t even scrape the surface of the stains and build up.Hard water stains in toilet before cleaning
The one product that has solved the problem is Zep Acidic Toilet Bowl cleaner. We have not only used this on our toilets and inside of the tank we have even used this around the fixtures were orange and white build-up tend to occur just from splashes and moisture sitting there over time. This is especially true of our kitchen sink. I even used it in a bowl that we found under a sink in the house and in a bathtub that looked like it had never been cleaned.

Within five minutes almost all discoloration and calcium is dissolved and at the bottom of whatever I was cleaning. I also rinsed with soap and water on any surface that wasn’t the toilet since it is a chemical.



While sometimes this sort of build up is really easy to scrub off with a toilet bowl brush, so much of the time the lime and rust is too much to handle which is why we have had to experiment with ways to clean more effectively.

After using Zep toilet bowl cleaner

It is the one thing we always use before company and the only thing we recommend to those who ask us how to remove hard water stains. In fact, my brother’s family used it in his house, finding the same great results!  It is reliable and much simpler than the scum cleaning method my husband uses!

Have you used this product or found another way to remove hard water stains effectively?

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Filed Under: House Tagged With: Bathroom, cleaning tips, Hard Water Stains, Household Chores, Rental Cleanup

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tabs says

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    Can’t wait to give this product a try!!

    Reply
    • Chris Carrero says

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      We definitely love it, it’s the only thing that’s worked reliably for us so we hope it works for you too!

      Reply
      • Cathy says

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        Can I use it on glass?

        Reply
        • Kara Carrero says

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          I have used it on glass with no problems.

          Reply
  2. Cathy says

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    BTW after cleaning the ring from my toilet I use car wax & it’s has kept the ring at bay for over 6 months now.

    Reply
    • Shelli says

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      You, dear friend, are A GENIUS! Trying this TODAY!!

      Reply
  3. Liz says

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    Cleaning Vinegar (stronger than regular)…wet toilet paper with it and stick to etched stains (urine) on toilet; let dry overnight, then remove.

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      We actually tried this and it did not work in our case. It removed about half of the hard water stains, but we still had extensive staining that it didn’t even change in the slightest. Thank you for commenting though! We DID have some luck with it in our dishwasher (also linked in post).

      Reply
      • K says

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        Maybe try the product sno-bowl I haven’t tried what this article has mentioned but used sno-bowl a couple weeks ago and when I thought we were just going to have to replace our toilet, it is now sparkling clean. I did get all the water out of the toilet first and definitely had to scrub/scrape but it worked!!!

        Reply
  4. Nancy says

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    If stains don’t come out you can also use sand paper 100-120 grit you can use wet that is what I do it works great.

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      Great solution, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    • Tasha says

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      That grit might scratch your toilet if your not careful

      Reply
  5. Joyce worley says

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    I live in Jacksonville, FL and we have the hardest water! Tried every product with no results. I can’t believe how fast with excellent results. I’m amazed. Thank you so much!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      You are SO welcome. I remember the first time I used it how pleased I was with it. Took no effort at all which is what I needed in the moment regardless of any other circumstance. I just didn’t want to replace the whole toilet!

      Reply
      • Jo Anna Wiseman says

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        I can’t thank you enough for this post!! It worked about 98% of the stains in my toilet!! Very impressive!!

        Reply
    • Deb says

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      We are in Jax too. You might want to get a water softener or everything in your house that uses water will get ruined. Cheapest route is getting one from Sears and having them installing it if you don’t have the plumbing for it.

      Reply
    • Shelli says

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      We live near Jax too & I was just thinking, could it really be as bad as some of these other places?! Thanks for validating, that yes it is!

      Reply
  6. Dory says

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    Can this be used on plastic or fiberglass?

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      It comes in a plastic bottle and I have used it on plastic surfaces once or twice and in their frequently asked questions someone said they used it diluted half and half to soak in a plastic sink overnight with no issues. However, their customer support page mentions using Zep Commercial All-Around Oxy Cleaner & Degreaser

      Reply
  7. Krystal says

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    I’m assuming it’s not safe to use with septics?

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      We have septic and well. We just use it sparingly. So it’s not going to be an everytime product, only when there is build-up. The ZEP customer support also mentions it’s septic safe.

      Reply
  8. Marie Shull says

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    Is it safe for septic tanks?

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      We used it with a septic tank, we just did not use it constantly (but we didn’t really need to use it routinely). So something like once every other month or so unless we needed the house spotless for some reason. Their customer support mentions it IS safe for septic tanks. I still just use caution. http://ugc.zepcommercial.com/answers/0765-en_us/product/53/questions.htm

      Reply
  9. Joy says

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    I’m going to have to try this. My toilet was really bad (lots of hard water here too) I used a pumice stone and it made the toilet look like brand new. However, it’s staining up again and I want to try this before it gets too bad. While the pumice stone worked great, it was an exhausting job.

    Reply
  10. Cheryl says

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    After trying to clean the hard water stains with vinegar and baking soda with minimal results, I saw your post. I purchased the Zep Acidic toilet bowel cleaner and a small grout cleaning brush that would fit in the bend of he toilet. I left it on for 10 minutes and then scrubbed with the grout brush. The toilet is sparkling!

    Reply
  11. Linda says

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    The product worked extremely well…so pleased with the results

    Reply
  12. Debbie says

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    How do you get the buildup off from under the rim and the sides?

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      We just squirt it from underneath. Same results!

      Reply
  13. Joan Stanley says

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    Does all the water have to be removed to get down to the very bottom of the bowl?

    Reply
    • Kara Carrero says

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      We have just used a toilet brush and left the water in.

      Reply
  14. Lore says

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    THANK YOU! I’m in the UK and have tried everything to keep the loo clean with this hard water, nothing worked. Before getting snother loo fitted I thought I’ll give it a try and ordered one bottle from Amazon – the postage was about 4 times the purchase price – but it worked, I’m so glad I gave it a tey, thank you for sharing this

    Reply

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