Best toilet cleaner?

Author
Discussion

Tisy

Original Poster:

615 posts

6 months

Yesterday (15:05)
quotequote all
(wife not available)

What is the current weapons grade toilet cleaner that will tackle brown staining all under the water line (limescale? very rough surface) ? Sainsbury's used to do an own brand in a black bottle called Power Plus or something which was very effective and made light work of cleaning, but they don't stock it anymore.

A few people have said Harpic Power Plus 10x gel but despite its promising name it does absolutely fk all and I would probably have better success at removing the crap with my tongue. Also Sainsbury's Ecover brand doesn't do anything either.

It's in a rental and it's been left in a terrible state, but above the water line has been tackled, it's mostly under the water line which doesn't want to play. I've removed all the water with a sponge and bucket

greygoose

8,958 posts

209 months

Yesterday (15:18)
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Our plumber recommended brick acid to get rid of limescale.

Nurburgsingh

5,337 posts

252 months

Yesterday (15:21)
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3ltr bottle of full fat coke.

Leave overnight and flush.

juice

9,232 posts

296 months

Yesterday (15:21)
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White Vinegar. You can buy big bottles of it for not much money at all.

Skodillac

7,669 posts

44 months

Yesterday (15:22)
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The only thing which worked for me was rubber gloves and a pumice stone. I used the one hanging on a bit of rope in our shower which belonged to the missus. Tried all the potions (vinegar and baking soda etc.) and branded things with remarkable promises, didn't do a thing. Rubber gloves, a pumice stone and 15 minutes. Once you've got the water out. Then buy the missus a new pumice stone, if you think she deserves it. wink

SlimJim16v

6,706 posts

157 months

Yesterday (15:40)
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K50 DEL

9,515 posts

242 months

Yesterday (15:41)
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Amazingly this question has been asked before!!

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

My answer now is the same as it was then

https://www.screwfix.com/p/zep-calcium-lime-rust-s...

This stuff is all you'll need, try to remove as much water from the bowl as you can, pour this in, agitate a bit and leave for a few hours, agitate every so often.
One final brush and flush and your khazi will be good as new.

Edited by K50 DEL on Thursday 26th June 15:43

LennyM1984

861 posts

82 months

Yesterday (15:56)
quotequote all
K50 DEL said:
Amazingly this question has been asked before!!

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

My answer now is the same as it was then

https://www.screwfix.com/p/zep-calcium-lime-rust-s...

This stuff is all you'll need, try to remove as much water from the bowl as you can, pour this in, agitate a bit and leave for a few hours, agitate every so often.
One final brush and flush and your khazi will be good as new.

Edited by K50 DEL on Thursday 26th June 15:43
I came on to say exactly this! I always have a bottle of this stuff in the house and it is great for cleaning bogs, removing rust from the chassis of my race car, cleaning the coffee machine (rinse well afterwards) etc etc

nyt

1,889 posts

164 months

Yesterday (16:32)
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00862YEYC

Works a treat.

Be very careful - it's very concentrated

Belle427

10,509 posts

247 months

Yesterday (16:59)
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Bleach overnight has usually worked for me.

Simpo Two

88,903 posts

279 months

Yesterday (18:32)
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K50 DEL said:
Phosphoric acid.

nyt said:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00862YEYC

Works a treat. Be very careful - it's very concentrated
Surprisingly even the safety data sheet doesn't say what acid it is. Citric? Acetic? Hydrochloric? Nitric? Hydrofluoric?

If you have an old car battery going spare you could try sulphuric but be really careful or your clothes will end up with holes!

TVR Sagaris

1,046 posts

246 months

Yesterday (19:01)
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If you want to give another normal cleaner a go then I've always had good results with Domestos Zero Limescale.

It has to be the Zero Limescale version, the standard one has none of the effect. It's much better than any other brands I've used for some reason. You may have to leave it overnight for a lot of staining.




https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/domest...

P2KKA

227 posts

74 months

Yesterday (20:12)
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I have a tub of citric acid. I use a baby formula scoop. a few scoops at night and then brush and flush in the morning. Its also great for getting scale off of taps and things. You can mix it with dish soap and water in a spray bottle and use it like the expensive limescale products (Viakal etc)



This is the specific one I bought but its all the same stuff.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hexeal-CITRIC-BUCKET-Anhy...


They actually sent me a tub of Epsom salts by mistake but after some very helpful conversation with them they sent me the citric FOC. So if anyone in Kent wants a 5kg tub of Epsom salts then let me know!

C Lee Farquar

4,116 posts

230 months

Yesterday (20:24)
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Hydrochloric acid, the active ingredient in brick acid, works amazingly. Clean the water out first then apply with a scouring pad

rallye101

2,384 posts

211 months

Yesterday (20:44)
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TVR Sagaris said:
If you want to give another normal cleaner a go then I've always had good results with Domestos Zero Limescale.

It has to be the Zero Limescale version, the standard one has none of the effect. It's much better than any other brands I've used for some reason. You may have to leave it overnight for a lot of staining.


This, X2!

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/domest...

RGG

668 posts

31 months

Yesterday (20:58)
quotequote all
P2KKA said:
I have a tub of citric acid. I use a baby formula scoop. a few scoops at night and then brush and flush in the morning. Its also great for getting scale off of taps and things. You can mix it with dish soap and water in a spray bottle and use it like the expensive limescale products (Viakal etc)



This is the specific one I bought but its all the same stuff.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hexeal-CITRIC-BUCKET-Anhy...


They actually sent me a tub of Epsom salts by mistake but after some very helpful conversation with them they sent me the citric FOC. So if anyone in Kent wants a 5kg tub of Epsom salts then let me know!
This is the best suggestion so far.

To add -

Buy Citric Acid Crystals - 1KG - £6

Put 3-4 dessert spoons in a kettle and boil.

That will totally descale the kettle in 2 minutes - bonus.

Empty the toilet bowl with a sponge or microfibre towel.

Pour the kettle contents (v hot water with the dissolved citric acid) into the toilet bowl and leave.

The scale will dissolve leaving a perfectly clean toilet.

No effort - no cleaning scratches on the toilet porcelain.

1Kg is sufficient for many applications.

Simpo Two

88,903 posts

279 months

Yesterday (21:33)
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C Lee Farquar said:
Hydrochloric acid, the active ingredient in brick acid, works amazingly. Clean the water out first then apply with a scouring pad
Ah so that's what 'brick acid' is, thanks.

Yes, I'd go for that as the best thing for limescale. A mineral acid not a mickey mouse one.

jimmyjimjim

7,755 posts

252 months

Another vote for pumice, one of these:

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808412578442.ht...


JoshSm

945 posts

51 months

Some of these suggestions would destroy the glaze, not just the scrubbing ones as some of the stronger acids are quite capable of etching or otherwise marring santitaryware.

Brick acid is vicious stuff as are certain other acid household products, best not used down a pan.

I would have suggested HG Limescale Remover Concentrate (a phosphoric/oxalic mix for sanitary cleaning) as a cheaper alternative to ZEP (which is phosphoric) but the price on Amazon has gone up a lot. I mostly use these on rusty stuff but they work fine for toilets especially the HG.

Citric acid as an option is very cheap (I think I last paid about £3.50 per kilo which gives a *lot* of acid), it's mild, useful for all sorts of cleaning, and will strip limescale off stuff without hurting much else. Maybe not the absolute quickest but likely the safest.

Edited by JoshSm on Friday 27th June 01:48