How To Clean Calcium Build Up Toilet

toilet cleaning hack

Mineral buildup, calcium deposits, mineral deposits, or hard water stains; no matter what you call them, you don't want to see them in your toilet bowl! These stubborn marks can be tricky to scrub off, and can make your toilet look dirty even when you just cleaned it.

DIY Toilet Cleaner Tabs

What Causes Those Mineral Deposits In Your Toilet Bowl?

When dealing with mineral deposits in your toilet, it's important to address the problem at its source. Often, the root of the problem is hard water that creates mineral buildup in and around your toilet's siphon jets.

Not too long ago I shared an effective method for cleaning out your toilet's siphon jets. While that method is very useful and helps prevent future mineral staining, it only addresses the siphon jets (the hidden source) and not the toilet bowl itself (the visible problem.)

toilet cleaning hack

A More Complete Solution For Toilet Mineral Deposits

The inspiration to find a more complete solution to the mineral deposit problem came from an OGT reader named Cheryl! She shared her own experience with removing hard water stains from her toilet bowl caused by their mineral-rich well water.

Cheryl's story inspired me to find my own solution for toilet bowl stains, one that could be used in tandem with the siphon jet cleaning method I had shared previously. And that's exactly what I did!

So without further ado, here's a step-by-step explanation of a simple method you can use to remove mineral buildup from your toilet bowl. Combine this method with the siphon jet cleaning method for a total toilet deep cleaning treatment! :-)

toilet cleaning hack

Tools & Supplies

Here's what you'll need to clean mineral deposits or calcium stains off your toilet bowl:

Bowl
Thin towels or rags
White vinegar
Gloves
Spray bottle (optional)
Pumice stone (optional)
Lemon essential oil or Simple Clean essential oil blend

How To Clean Mineral Deposits Off A Toilet Bowl

toilet cleaning hack

Step 1 – Prepare To Clean

Start by placing a few thin towels or rags in a big bowl. Pour enough white vinegar over the towels to saturate them completely. For a little extra disinfecting kick and a wonderfully clean scent, add a few drops of lemon essential oil or our own cleaning blend, Simple Clean.

You'll also want to remove all the water from your toilet bowl. You can turn off the water and flush the toilet, or just dump a bucket of water straight down the center of your toilet. (It forces most of the water in the toilet down the drain without any extra effort!)

Related: These 9 Problem-Solving Toilet Hacks Are Weird, But They Work

toilet cleaning hack

Step 2 – Line The Toilet Bowl

Next, pull on a pair of gloves. Take the vinegar-soaked towels and position them around the inside of the toilet bowl.

Try to cover as much of the surface as possible, especially the areas that are the most stained or discolored.

toilet cleaning hack

Step 3 – Let It Sit

Leave the rags in the toilet for several hours, or up to overnight if possible! The longer you can leave the rags in place, the better for dissolving those tough mineral deposits.

If the towels start to dry out after a while, no worries! Just use a spray bottle to apply more vinegar to the towels.

Related: How to Unclog A Toilet The Easy Way

toilet cleaning hack

Step 4 – Scrub

After you've let the vinegar works its magic, remove the towels and scrub the bowl thoroughly with a toilet brush. (And if there are any lingering bits of mineral gunk, a wet pumice stone should take care of them!)

And just like that, you've triumphed over those unsightly mineral deposits! Repeat this process once a month or so (depending on how hard your water is) to maintain a stain-free toilet!

Do you deal with mineral deposit stains in your toilet bowl(s)?