Hard water in your home has several disadvantages. Most people don’t like it because it tastes bad and is hard on your skin and hair. Another disadvantage of hard water – and rust – is that it’s hard to clean! In this post, we’ll offer some tips on preventing rust stains in your toilet, and keeping it and your entire bathroom clean.
PREVENTING RUST
The first step of eliminating rust is preventing it in the first place. Traces of iron in your water (part of what makes hard water “hard”) can show up as an orangish-brown ring on the inside of your toilet bowl. It’s unsightly, to say the least, especially in a place you want to keep sanitary. Here are a few ways you can prevent that embarrassing ring from forming:
- Keeping your toilet clean by giving it a good scrub on a regular basis – at least once a week – will prevent the ring from building up. This is true especially for toilets that aren’t used as often, where the water is just sitting in the bowl.
- Older homes are more likely to have iron pipes, which will naturally lead to more iron and more rust. If you’re up for some plumbing remodeling, definitely consider upgraded pipes!
- A water softener helps remove iron from your home’s water, which will lead to less rust.
CLEANING RUST
Do you know those rough rocks used in spas and nail salons to scrape dead skin from your feet? You may not know that these are called “pumice stones” and they can be used to clean rust in toilets as well. However, be gentle – scrubbing too hard with these stones could damage the finish on the porcelain.
That’s why we recommend old faithful – white vinegar with a splash of lemon juice. You can spray the mixture on the rust and scrub it right out. You may even want to leave a vinegar-soaked paper towel on the stain overnight.
CLEANING HARD WATER STAINS
Hard water can be a factor in rust stains, but contaminants aside from iron can cause stains too. The effects can vary, but it could show up as a chalky ring in your toilet, a yellow ring, or anything in between. Getting rid of toilet hard water stains can be slightly different from how you clean rust.
Once again, vinegar is the go-to, but this time mix it with baking soda to create a chemical reaction that will help in cleaning. Just let it simmer on the stain for a few minutes before scrubbing. You can also try mixing vinegar with Borax, or just using Borax paste.
WORTH THE CALL
The easiest way to deal with rust and hard water is by attacking it before it ever gets to your faucets, sinks, showers, or toilets! The Bosworth Company can install a water softener that treats water as it arrives on your property – so it’s soft and contaminant-free by the time it reaches you! Make an appointment online today, or call us at (830) 428-2764. It’s Worth the Call. Always.