We've had a stubborn toilet ring situation that wouldn't go away. Looking into various methods of removing it, we came across several sites mentioning using a pumice stone. It sounded like a good theory, so we tried it out. Read our experience after the jump...
[image via improvementscatalog ]
First off, we have to admit, the idea of using a stone to scrape away the residue made sense, but also seemed a little scary. Would it damage the porcelain? Most of what we read said no, it wouldn't - so we gave it a go. Here's the before (sorry, for the blurry picture and bad lighting):
Now, we have to admit, we've never used a pumice stone before. So, we went in blindly. We purchased a brush at the local drug store in the cosmetics area that had a pumice stone attached on the back of it (NOTE: it actually looks like this, not the one in the picture above). We got our gloves on, got the stone wet, and gave it a go. At first it appeared that it was getting some of the residue off, but after awhile, it seemed like a lot of effort for little results. A friend of ours said she had a similar experience and ended up just using a stronger cleaner, like a CLR or LimeAway. We had some LimeAway and decided to pour it in. We noticed that certain areas of the ring immediately started fizzing and it looked like it was eating it away, but then after awhile and a little light scrubbing with the normal toilet brush, the ring was lighter, but still there. Finally, we decided to give the pumice stone another try and sure enough, we could see it was effectively removing all the residue and within a few minutes the ring was completely gone.
Here is the after: (ok, yeah, we added the sparkles but you get the idea...hehe)
Perhaps we just needed to loosen up the residue? In the end, a combination of both cleaner and pumice stone worked well for us. And indeed, the stone did not harm the porcelain. We're curious if anyone else has had any experiences with using a pumice stone for toilet ring stain removal? Anyone have any other tips? Please share in the comments!
Check out AT:NY's post about other recommendations found on the web for toilet ring removal
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Yes, I've done this a few times, and yes, it works when nothing else does. My impression has always been, though, that it isn't a technique meant for regular use, that with repetition there is some chance of damaging the porcelain finish. But still great for stubborn cases.
view Mella DP's profile
My experience with pumice-ing a toilet was in college. The roommates and I moved into a cute house right off of campus... that four guys had lived in for 5 consecutive years and had literally never cleaned.
The toilet that the owner wasn't replacing was entirely black. One of my roomies used up two stones in a couple hours on it getting it to the original gold color, and I spent a week sanitizing the kitchen and fridge.
So it does work, but I think in extreme cases like that, it's less of a pain to just put a new toilet on.
view HipLadybug's profile
Dear Baby Jesus, who scrubs their toilet in a longsleeve sweater?
view jon's profile
Thanks, Jon. Sometimes the out of the box comments just make my day.
view LauraE's profile
ditto -- i needed that laugh.
view selena's profile
The easiest thing is "toilet ring remover" from any hardware store. It comes in a white bottle with blue or black writing and works great.
view siska Ott's profile
refraining from a rude scatological phrase to express how much I care about toilet rings from hard water... but before my daughter's wedding party a friend came to help me prepare for the party equipped with vinegar, soda, rubber gloves and a pumice and to my dismay proceeded to scrub off the ring and making the bowl snowy and clean. Chastened, I got my own pumice and after about 7 years I have scrubbed off the finish on the porcelain.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
LOL. Thanks Jon. Though you almost busted me reading a blog at work when I busted out laughing, whilst pretending to work on some tedious task.
view shari's profile
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