Nasty stains

Retha McKenzie of Johannesburg writes My toilet bowl is stained and I’ve tried to clean it, but nothing works. It’s rather embarrassing – any advice?

Chris Maujean, director of Absolute Plumbing, replies There’s nothing more off-putting than a stained toilet in an otherwise spotlessly clean and hygienic bathroom.

If your toilet remains stained after bleaching and scrubbing, it is probably due to the build-up of iron that has oxidised and flowed into your toilet along with the water. This indicates a higher-than-normal level of iron in the water supply. It could be caused by hard water or it’s an indication that your pipes are old and deteriorating. However, there are ways to remove these unsightly stains and prevent them from recurring.

Although our usual go-to for stains is a traditional toilet bowl cleaner or bleach, avoid using these in this instance as they could cause the rust stains to become chemically charged and even more resistant. Also, take care when scrubbing your toilet with abrasive products as this can scratch the porcelain and make stain removal even trickier in future.

THE SOLUTION

Open a window to ensure good ventilation and turn off the valve to your toilet to stop water from flowing back into your toilet bowl once you’ve flushed it. Now that your toilet bowl is empty, try the following:

1 Create a mixture of one part vinegar to three parts bicarbonate

of soda and smear it onto the stained area. Leave it to fizz and sizzle and then give it a good scrub with a toilet brush. Reapply the mixture as necessary until the stain is removed.

2 Another method is to rub borax powder onto the toilet stains, spray with vinegar, let it soak in and scrub the stains with a toilet brush. Reapply as necessary.

CONTACT absoluteplumbingcapetown.co.za