How to Remove Hard Water Stains in the Bathroom

by Kara Carrero 32 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. 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.

Please note that affiliate links helps pay for our projects and support our family. Thank you for choosing to buy through us!

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.
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.

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?

« 5 Tips Before Replacing Electrical Outlets

Mowing the Lawn with a Toddler »

Comments

Tabs says
at

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

Reply
- Chris Carrero says
  at
  
  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
    at
    
    Can I use it on glass?
    
    Reply
    - Kara Carrero says
      at
      
      I have used it on glass with no problems.
      
      Reply
Cathy says
at

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
  at
  
  You, dear friend, are A GENIUS! Trying this TODAY!!
  
  Reply
Liz says
at

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
  at
  
  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
    at
    
    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
Nancy says
at

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
  at
  
  Great solution, thanks for sharing!
  
  Reply
- Tasha says
  at
  
  That grit might scratch your toilet if your not careful
  
  Reply
Joyce worley says
at

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

Can this be used on plastic or fiberglass?

Reply
- Kara Carrero says
  at
  
  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
Krystal says
at

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

Reply
- Kara Carrero says
  at
  
  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
Marie Shull says
at

Is it safe for septic tanks?

Reply
- Kara Carrero says
  at
  
  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
Joy says
at

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
Cheryl says
at

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
Linda says
at

The product worked extremely well…so pleased with the results

Reply
Debbie says
at

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

Reply
- Kara Carrero says
  at
  
  We just squirt it from underneath. Same results!
  
  Reply
Joan Stanley says
at

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

Reply
- Kara Carrero says
  at
  
  We have just used a toilet brush and left the water in.
  
  Reply
Lore says
at

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
Elaine says
at

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

Reply