How To Clean Limescale From Your Toilet Naturally
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I think we can all agree that limescale in your toilet is a giant pain in the backside.
If you live in a hard water area, you’ll be familiar with the pesky white stuff that takes over your kitchen and bathroom.
You might have been told you can’t keep limescale at bay without toxic chemicals, like bleach, but I disagree.
Keep reading if you want to know how I remove built-up limescale from my toilet without bleach.
While I dislike using hazardous chemicals in my home because of the kids, I still prefer to use evidence-based alternatives.
When I say chemicals, I mean endocrine (hormone) disruptors, carcinogenics and substances that can trigger asthma (technically everything is a chemical).
I also try hard to avoid using liquid microplastics in products that could end up in the sea.
I find it helps to understand what we’re dealing with so I thought I’d explain why this works naturally first.
Scroll to the bottom it you want to get straight to the 4 simple steps
What is limescale?
Hard water naturally has minerals, like calcium, in it. Limescale appears in places where water is heated or left sitting. When the hard water evaporates the chalky mineral deposits are left behind.
Common places you will find limescale
Limescale usually shows its pale, chalky face on your appliances and in the bathroom. The most common areas are:
Taps
Sinks
Kettle
Shower pane
Toilet
Dishwasher
Washing machine
Pipes
Coffee machine
Some of the places it shows up are invisible, like your washing machine, so it is important to regularly descale them (I aim for once a month).
Why do you need to remove limescale?
Limescale is harmless - calcium and magnesium are an important part of your diet.
It becomes a problem when it builds up too much in your appliances and causes them to break. When mineral deposits collect in your appliances it also uses more electricity which increases your energy bills.
Luckily, limescale in your toilet can be prevented with barely any effort.
How do you remove limescale naturally?
The trick to removing limescale is with acid and heat.
Commercial cleaners tend to use hazardous substances such as hydrochloric acid or sulphamidic acid which are toxic to aquatic life and unpleasant to inhale. They are definitely not the sort of chemicals I want in my home now that I have children.
The acid of my choice is citric acid.
Alternatively, you could use white vinegar but I find citric acid is more effective and works out cheaper. It is also better for the environment as you don’t have to pay to ship the water weight which reduces the carbon footprint.
Citric acid costs less than £2 and comes in a cardboard box from Ethical Superstore (who I recommend as a great alternative to the tax-avoiding, unethical giant marketplace I shall not name). Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not produce it in bulk so I buy all my eco-friendly cleaning, home and skincare products from there to save on postage.
I like to use a homemade citric acid and (boiled and cooled) water spray to regularly squirt on areas that are likely to be affected by limescale, like tiles, taps and sinks
How to clean your toilet when the limescale is really bad
There are four steps:
Before you go to bed, make sure everyone has got an empty bladder. If you need a pee in the night then don’t flush until the morning.
Fill the kettle but stop it before it gets to boiling.
Tip hot water down your toilet.
Tip half a box of citric acid down there and leave it overnight.
In the morning scrub the limescale away with your toilet brush.
If it’s particularly bad, you may need to repeat it a second night. A pumice stone can be helpful to remove any limescale from the waterline.
Prevention:
To prevent it from getting bad again, keep a box of citric acid near your toilet. You can keep it in a plastic tub or jar - anything really. Add a spoonful in there each night before you go to bed.
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I’d love to hear how you get on in the comments below.