Cleaning the bathroom is a task that no one relishes, particularly when it comes to the toilet. And if you live in an area with hard water, maintaining cleanliness can be even more challenging.
Over time, limescale can leave unsightly marks inside the bowl that seem impervious to regular scrubbing. Many of us might instinctively reach for the bleach to combat these stains.
However, cleaning expert Lynsey Queen of Clean suggests this may not be the best approach. The cleaning guru recently shared her secret on TikTok for keeping your toilet gleaming and stain-free, advising against using bleach – as two other products can do the job even better.
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She said: “I always get asked about stubborn toilet bowl stains. The truth is, they’re actually super easy to fix! Bleach only masks the problem-it doesn’t get rid of it for good.”
Instead, she champions citric acid as her ‘go-to’ product to dissolve those brown hard water stains. If they’re ‘really bad’, you should use around 250g, typically a full box, reports the Express.
Pour this into the toilet and let it work overnight; by morning, the stains should have dissolved and will vanish upon flushing. The primary advantage is that citric acid prevents the marks from reappearing, unlike bleach, which merely conceals them.
Lynsey, a cleaning expert, has shared her second tip for tackling stubborn toilet stains – using a pumice stone. She explained: “These ones have been designed specifically for toilets. Once you’ve used them, give them a really good wash with some antibacterial washing up liquid, let them dry, and keep them in a sealed bag.”
For usage, she advises donning rubber gloves and gently scraping away any unsightly marks with the stone, which is non-abrasive and won’t leave scratches.
“It works so, so well,” Lynsey said. “You literally have your hands down there for a minute, and you’re going to pull all that horrible hard water limescale away.”
Citric acid, useful for cleaning, can be found in most major supermarkets; it’s priced at £1.75 from Asda and Tesco. Additionally, Amazon offers a two-pack of toilet pumice stones for £5.99. By following Lynsey’s guidance on cleansing and storage, these stones can be a lasting investment for keeping the loo spotless.