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How to Remove Hard Water Stains in the Bathroom

by Kara Carrero 55 Comments

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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. When we were living in Oklahoma, we had extremely hard water. It was 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?

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
      • Mark says

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        Try WD-40 before you spend lots of money…It worked for me! Got the idea from the DYI…

        Reply
    • Kirsten says

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      Myronic Acid used in cleaning swimming pools works for bad toilets but you have to ventilate and be very careful, follow directions. I had to clean a toilet at an apartment that was so bad but the manager had me use Myronic Acid and it was like brand new.

      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
    • Maleehaomar says

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      How did you get rid if the ring

      Reply
    • Donna says

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      Wow! Great tip!

      Reply
    • Tasha says

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      It doesn’t clog anything?

      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
      • Tammy May says

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        Go the the paint section of your local hardware store, and ask for drywall mesh. I tried, after trying everything else, and the stains came right off.

        Reply
      • Dorothy Parsons says

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        It did not work on the hard water ring around the toilet. I have a pumice stone that does better than anything else I have even used but can not find another one like it.

        Reply
  4. Myca says

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    I clean houses for a living and I have used a product called “The Works” it is a fraction of the cost and can be purchased at Dollar General or Wal Mart. It really does work you can see it bubbling on the stains. Similiar to what hydrogen perioxide does to blood. It is amazing and I recommend it to all of my customers. They make a shower-bathroom cleaner and a toliet bowl cleaner.

    Reply
  5. Jenn says

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    While living in San Antonio we had the same problem. I emptyed the toilet of all water and used a gray pumas stone, tiny bit of water to keep a nice paste and gently scrub. Use gloves the stone is touf on hand. But it was FANTASTIC. NO ACID NOT CHEMICALS. Original 1969 toilets and sink looked brand new.

    Reply
  6. 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
    • HE says

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      Sandpaper scratches the surface and the buildup will set in even faster. Lowes sells the Pumie Scouring Stick which is non toxic, no odors and does not scratch the surface, it removes deep stains, hard water rings, rust& paint, carbon buildups. And for $2.98+tax per stick it is a great value!

      Reply
  7. Mindimoo says

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    I use plain old citric acid for hardwater stains. It works brilliantly. I throw about half a cup of it into the toilet and leave it for a few hours, then give it a scrub with the brush. I wouldn’t be surprised if citric acid was one of the main ingredients in the product you mention. I buy citric acid in bulk on eBay as it works out a lot cheaper than buying it in small containers from the supermarket.

    Reply
  8. 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
      • Staci says

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        Where can I find this product?

        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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. Richard says

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    WD 40 works too

    Reply
  14. Donna says

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    I use all of the Zep products! I have found that they are cheaper than all of the “miracle cleaners” and buy them by the gallon at Home Depot.

    Reply
  15. Sue says

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    I live in Australia can I buy Zep here or order it from the US.

    Reply
  16. Martha says

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    I have old water buckets that were caked thick with hard water build up. I simply filled the buckets with vinegar, let them sit overnight and in the morning, the buckets looked brand new, deposits GONE. No work, easy, effective. I will fill my toilet bowl with vinegar and enjoy the easy results. I live in Hard Water Capital.. California.

    Reply
  17. Ana says

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    My master bath toilet was really bad, tried everything with no results. And found this product at Walmart and worked amazing, it’s called ‘The Works. toilet and bath.

    Reply
  18. Suji Pak says

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    where can I buy ,I try so many thing don’t work.

    Reply
  19. Kathy Gering says

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    I have not seen this at stores like Walmart……where can I find this?

    Reply
  20. 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
  21. Linda says

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    The product worked extremely well…so pleased with the results

    Reply
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. Elaine says

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    Thanks for sharing the information about the Zep cleaner. I had tried numerous products and nothing worked. This one worked like a charm!

    Reply
  26. Carmen says

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    I’m looking for something like this..I have to give it a try..I clean houses for living and I don’t have a day to be cleaning just one toilet so …I hope. I don’t get disappointed!!

    Reply
  27. Destiny says

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    I have used this with similar results but I actually stumbled across something that I grabbed that was next to this one in the hardware aisles at WM. It’s Krud Kleaner original concentrate! I am so tempted to try the others but I don’t think they’ll compare to this one! Literally didn’t have to even let it soak. I poured it in a squeeze bottle (after hard flushing the toilet with a bucket of water) and poured generously under rim and sprayed throughout. I wish I had pics! I feel like I see a slight line but I use my PUMIE for that! AND. It’s biodegradable, non-toxic, and EPA safer choice verified!!

    Reply
  28. char says

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    70 years ago i had a same problem. it also was not working. the plumber came and fixed it but said i could not remove the stains. i made a bet with him and i won. i used 2 boxes of denture tablets one box at a time and it came out great. no plumber bill.

    Reply
  29. Dee Wilson says

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    Where can you purchase this cleaner?

    Reply

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