A toilet, lavatory, water closet (WC), or loo is a plumbing fixture and disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes: urine and fecal matter. The word "toilet" can be used to refer to the fixture itself or to the room containing the fixture, especially in British English.

Nothing is quite as nice as a clean, white, and sparkly toilet, as anyone who has ever used a public restroom can attest to. But what happens when that gleaming white porcelain gets stained, or worse, has an unsightly ring? Face it, everyone has had a toilet that was embarrassing because it was stained, scratched or unsightly. Save yourself the embarrassment and the frustration of a stained toilet by using some simple techniques to keep your toilet clean, attractive, and stain-free.

Whatever chemicals you use, please be sure to follow directions thoroughly before using any strong chemicals and follow them exactly. Most importantly, never mix chemicals together or you could unwittingly create a bomb in your toilet and hurt yourself. Lastly, make sure you have adequate ventilation, eye protection, and skin protection.

The tips below will help to get your commode in tip-top toilet shape!

Basic Toilet Stain Removal

While cleaning the bathroom may never be your favorite household chore, it is one of the most important and toilets, in particular, can cause a great deal of embarrassment if they are not visions of gleaming white porcelain. But with a few simple precautions and effective cleaning methods, you can have a gleaming bathroom you can be proud of.

* The first thing to do is to empty as much water from the bowl as possible; not only does this enable you to work directly on stains, it also means that there is less water to dilute the cleaning agents you are using.

You can lower the water level by first turning off the water source and then either pouring a large bucket of water into the bowl as a sort of "manual flush" or just flushing the toilet, in both cases driving as much water down the pipes as possible.

* Next, give the inside of the bowl a general clean, using liberal amounts of cleaning agent or disinfectant and a bowl brush. If the toilet is still stained after cleaning, use some stronger cleaning agents or stain removers to tackle the marks.

Whatever chemicals you use, remember to respect the directions given and follow them exactly; in particular; never mix chemicals as this can be extremely hazardous. Make sure there is sufficient ventilation while you are working and ideally, wear eye and skin protection.

* In addition, always use an all-plastic scrubbing brush; avoid the toilet brushes with metal wires as these can scratch and permanently damage a toilet. Pumice stones have sometimes been recommended for tackling hard water or mineral deposits and while they can be very effective (although physically, they’re hard work!), there is a risk they could scratch the porcelain, so be careful if you decide to use this method.

Toilet Stain Removal Agents

There are alternative methods using chemicals that run less risk of scratching the porcelain.

* Vinegar is a great all-purpose stain remover and cleaning agent. Vinegar works well on toilet stains, particularly hard water deposits or lime scale. Simply pour a large amount into the toilet bowl and leave it overnight, then clean again as usual in the morning, flushing thoroughly.

* Borrowed from your laundry cupboard, bleach is stronger than vinegar and so works on tougher stains and rings. Again, simply add to the toilet bowl (half a cup should be sufficient) and then leave for as long as possible before cleaning and flushing away.

* Oxalic Acid, the acid found in products like Bar Keepers Friend, is a strong acid that is used to clean rust off decks, cars, and other heavy appliances. Be very careful if you plan to use this acid on toilets.

* If stains still persist, you can tackle them with borax powder, which can be found in hardware stores. Sprinkle it directly onto the stains and then scrub with your plastic brush. Then leave it for at least 30 minutes before flushing away. Most toilets will be gleaming white following this treatment.

* Calcium Lime Rust, more commonly known as CLR, is a household cleaning product capable of dissolving stubborn stains from many types of material, such as calcium, lime and rust deposits, that can accumulate in the home, such as the kitchen or bathroom.

* Hydrochloric Acid is also advisable. Only for very stubborn stains, this caustic chemical is very powerful and can tackle stains as old as forty years. However, be very careful in its usage and do not leave for it for any longer than the directions say, as it can eat away at the porcelain itself, thereby causing surface roughness that will make the toilet stain even quicker in future.

Special Toilet Stains

* Hard water: In areas that have a severe hard water problem, you may need to use a special commercial cleaner made for removing lime scale. Saturate the stains; scrub and leave again for as long as possible. In some cases, you may need to repeat the application several times to remove all the deposits.

When removing hard water stains, think “acid.” Anything with acidity can help clear away hard water stains on any surface. It’s best to clean stains away regularly. If they are allowed to penetrate the surface, they become more difficult to remove.

* Rust: This leaves very unsightly orange or red streaks and rings in your toilet bowl, or even tints your entire bowl a reddish orange. This is due to the water in the area containing high amounts of iron.

Your best bet for removing these stains is commercial cleaning products specifically made to remove iron deposits. Follow the directions as you would with a lime scale cleaner and again, you may need to treat the bowl with several repeated applications.

Cleaning Sinks and Other Parts of the Bathroom

Stains on other parts of the bathroom can be treated in a similar way to the toilets, with slightly less emphasis on hygiene. Most stains will be from rust or lime scale and can be treated with clean vinegar or with a paste made of borax powder and lemon juice. Rub the paste onto the stains and let it sit until dry before rinsing thoroughly.

As before, you may need to repeat the treatment a few times to completely remove the stain. Other pastes to try are cream of tartar (a mild acid) and water; and cream of tartar and peroxide. Be careful not to scrub if using on a fiberglass bathtub.

For hard water deposits around the shower or a sink, soak a cloth in clean vinegar and put it over the area for as long as possible, then scrub the area and rinse thoroughly.

You can use the same treatment for soap scum or soap stains underneath the area where the soap is usually kept—soak the area with clean vinegar for as long as possible, then scrub gently. If the stain is really stubborn and old, you may need to resort to using a solution of one tablespoon trisodium phosphate (TSP) in a gallon of warm water; dampen a cloth with this solution and then scrub the scum. However, note that this is a caustic solution so always wear gloves and take great care.

Preventing Toilet Stains

As with many things in life, the best solution is prevention. You can keep toilet and general bathroom stains to a minimum by simply keeping them clean. A thorough clean on a weekly basis will usually keep stains from building up (unless you live in an area with a particular hard water or iron deposit problem).

Unfortunately, in certain cases, the unsightly marks are not from removable stains but from scratches, usually due to the use of abrasive cleaning materials which have damaged the porcelain surface. In this case, there is no option but to replace the item.