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Hard water stains in the toilets...

w_r_ranch

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are a PITA!!! Sorry, I am getting frustrated...

I am about to say the heck with it & buy 3 new toilets. I have tried everything.

Various commercial toilet bowl cleaners - Useless
C.L.R. - Useless
Hydrogen peroxide - Useless
Vinegar - Useless
Muriatic acid - Barely made a dent

Tomorrow I will drain the suckers & & try 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper... GRRRRR....
 
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ErnieCopp

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I do not know anything about what causes hardwater stains but i am surprised a stronger solution of Muriatic acid did not take care of it. That is what we use to clean our waste water treatment devices on the boats.

Can you use a water filter or softener to prevent it happening again to your new toilets?

Ernie
 

w_r_ranch

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Ernie, we've had a filter & water softener on the house well since day one...

Hate the thought of spending $300 ea. to replace them & then spending a day to install them.
 
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ErnieCopp

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Hard water is one problem i have not had, thankfully. They make marine toilets from both Porcelain and Hard Plastics, If they make those for houses, the Plastic ones would be easier to lug around, and might not stain as bad. But I have seen those stained toilets in different parts of the country and i would not like to look at them all the time either.

Ernie
 

finkikin

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are a PITA!!! Sorry, I am getting frustrated...

I am about to say the heck with it & buy 3 new toilets. I have tried everything.

Various commercial toilet bowl cleaners - Useless
C.L.R. - Useless
Hydrogen peroxide - Useless
Vinegar - Useless
Muriatic acid - Barely made a dent

Tomorrow I will drain the suckers & & try 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper... GRRRRR....

Have you tried dynamite? :D J/K, have you tried Lemon juice or Hydrochloric acid yet?
 

w_r_ranch

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OK, here is what works... Buy a cheap pumice stone for $1.99 at Walmart. If you hate Walmart, you can get the same thing at Amazon of $4.99.

Put on a pair of rubber gloves even though the toilet is flushed before you start (DUH!!!).

Dampen the pumice stone in water from the toilet.

Scrub the stained areas with the pumice stone. Be careful not to scrub too hard as this may scratch the porcelain. Keep the pumice stone wet while scrubbing at all times to avoid unnecessary scratches on the porcelain.

When the stain is gone, flush the toilet to rinse the bowl.

Inspect your handiwork and touch up missed areas as needed... took all of 10 minutes.
 
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ErnieCopp

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I do not hate Walmart, but there is a good chance you spent more than 3 dollars for gas to go to Walmart. I ordered some more of the Spring driven water timers yesterday after noon, from Amazon, and the damn things were delivered this morning. about the same price as HD, and not a dime for gas. If i was HD or a retailer, i would be very worried about what Amazon is doing to the Retail segment.

Ernie
 

w_r_ranch

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I do not hate Walmart, but there is a good chance you spent more than 3 dollars for gas to go to Walmart

Ernie, I didn't say anybody here did... The example you gave regarding fuel costs is one of the reasons why I listed the Amazon price (the other is that some people actually hate Walmart, because they're "Walmart").

In our case, Walmart is right next to the grocery store here... since I have to go shopping at least once a week anyways for limes, fuel costs don't figure into it . Did I mention that our prescriptions are a fraction of the cost there compared to the local pharmacy???

Also, while I also order a lot of stuff from Amazon, they are not the most cost effective merchant for a lot of things. We shop around, I don't like wasting my money any more than the next guy.
 
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ErnieCopp

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Sam, I did not mean to sound contrary. I was born about 7 miles from Walmart's first store in Arkansas, and Sam Walton is one of my heroes, since i believe his way of doing business is the best way.

We have a Walmart just around the corner, so i had to use HD for an example of cost of gas., Some things you have to buy elsewhere, for sure,

I am glad the pumice worked for the stains, as i thought as hard as it was for you to remove that it must have penetrated the porcelain.

Ernie
 

w_r_ranch

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I am glad the pumice worked for the stains, as i thought as hard as it was for you to remove that it must have penetrated the porcelain.

Actually, the ring came off relatively easily with minor pressure. I was amazed that it all came off & that it didn't seem to scratch or penetrate the porcelain.

I'm going to do another toilet today (neither of the remaining 2 are as bad).
 
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ErnieCopp

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What do you think is causing the stains? Iron, or some other metal or chemical. I have seen those staind in various parts of the country, but never had that particular problem.

Ernie
 

w_r_ranch

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My guess is lime/calcium. Definitely not iron...

Still surprised that the muriatic acid didn't have much of an effect. I use it all the time to remove the deposits from the water troughs & it only takes minutes.
 
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ErnieCopp

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I have had a lot of the lime or calcium deposits from the ocean water, but like you, i always was able to remove that with CLR or muriatic. Glad you have found a solution to it.

Ernie
 

Rockytop

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OK, here is what works... Buy a cheap pumice stone for $1.99 at Walmart. If you hate Walmart, you can get the same thing at Amazon of $4.99.


Put on a pair of rubber gloves even though the toilet is flushed before you start (DUH!!!).

Dampen the pumice stone in water from the toilet.

Scrub the stained areas with the pumice stone. Be careful not to scrub too hard as this may scratch the porcelain. Keep the pumice stone wet while scrubbing at all times to avoid unnecessary scratches on the porcelain.

When the stain is gone, flush the toilet to rinse the bowl.

Inspect your handiwork and touch up missed areas as needed... took all of 10 minutes.

This is what I was going to recommend and you beat me to it Ranchman. This works on stains in pools as well but know, it is abrasive and it will remove stains and everything below it so be careful... It plays hell on gun-nite.. (sp ?)
 

RLwhaler

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Cypress,Texas
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OK, here is what works... Buy a cheap pumice stone for $1.99 at Walmart. If you hate Walmart, you can get the same thing at Amazon of $4.99.

Put on a pair of rubber gloves even though the toilet is flushed before you start (DUH!!!).

Dampen the pumice stone in water from the toilet.

Scrub the stained areas with the pumice stone. Be careful not to scrub too hard as this may scratch the porcelain. Keep the pumice stone wet while scrubbing at all times to avoid unnecessary scratches on the porcelain.

When the stain is gone, flush the toilet to rinse the bowl.

Inspect your handiwork and touch up missed areas as needed... took all of 10 minutes.

Yup! That is the only thing that works for us as well.My SIL showed us this.
I'am on deep water well.Whole house water filter and water softener..still have a the stain.
 
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