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Shining clean plumbing is only where it is constantly looked after. Many people believe that such care takes a lot of time and effort. But if you figure out exactly what kind of pollution appears in the toilet bowl and correctly select cleaning products for them, you can significantly reduce the time for washing. We will figure out how and how to clean the toilet from stone, rust and plaque simply and easily.

All about toilet cleaning

Types of pollution
List of effective means
— mustard powder
— Vinegar + soda
— Salt + vinegar
— Coca Cola
— Acids
— Household chemicals
Cleaning algorithm
How to keep clean

Three main types of pollution

One of the common problems is limescale, which quickly appears on the surface of the bowl. Its growth rate depends on the composition of tap water. In most regions of Russia, it is hard, with a large amount of mineral impurities. It is they that are deposited on the surface, first in the form of small inconspicuous crystals, and then a grayish-brown rough mass.

The second problem is rust. It often occurs due to the age of the pipes. The fact is that decades ago, engineering communications were assembled from non-galvanized metal pipes. Over the years, they have become rusty inside. Therefore, brown streaks appear on the surface of plumbing. Rust can also appear for other reasons. For example, due to leakage of the flush tank or due to an excess of iron in tap water. In any case, rusty spots will appear on the bowl or reddish-brown streaks will appear.

And the last type of pollution — urinary stone. Outwardly, it resembles limescale, only the color is darker, more like brown. It is formed similarly to plaque, but from the minerals contained in human urine. If it is poorly washed off or the plumbing is not used carefully enough, crystals of urinary stone are gradually deposited on the surface. Over time, a dark dense growth forms.

How to wash the toilet from rust, plaque and stone

There are different types of pollution, for each of which a different cleaning method is selected. But there are also universal methods that are also very effective. We offer a list of the most effective of them.

We talked about the best tools in a short video:

1. Cleaning with mustard powder

Act like this. Take two tablespoons of citric acid and mustard powder, add four tablespoons of starch. Mix everything well. Pour in water to make a paste. Moisten the bowl so that the mixture sticks. Apply the powder, spreading it evenly over the surface. Rub in the most polluted places. Leave for an hour and a half, rinse.

2. Treatment with vinegar and soda

Home remedies will also help to cope with the dirt. There is nothing difficult in cleaning with them. First, dampen the plumbing. Sprinkle evenly with baking soda. In the most polluted places, rub the wet powder into the growths. Leave for half an hour to an hour. Pour table vinegar or diluted essence into a spray bottle and spray liberally with baking soda. A reaction begins that destroys the dirt. You can «help» her with a brush. After the reaction is complete, clean the bowl again with a brush. Rinse off any remaining funds.

3. Treatment with salt and vinegar

This mixture is especially good at helping to clean the toilet from the stone at home. Take a glass of table vinegar or prepare a 9% solution of vinegar essence yourself. Pour it into a fireproof container and heat to 38-40˚C. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a warm liquid. Apply the mixture generously on the ceramic surface, carefully rub into the petrified deposits. Close the toilet with a lid and leave overnight. Empty the tank in the morning to wash away any remaining mixture.

4. Cleaning with Coca-Cola

One of the best options than washing the toilet from rusty drips. The composition of the drink contains carbonic and phosphoric acids. In combination with active bubbles, this gives a good cleansing effect. To clean the bowl, evenly pour one and a half to two liters of Coca-Cola into it. Leave on for two to three hours, then wash off. Strong pollution additionally rub with a brush.

5. Cleaning with acid

Various acids can be used. Provided that the proportions are correctly selected, this is one of the best means than to wash plaque in the toilet.

Acetic and citric acids against plaque and urinary stone

• Take toilet paper, soak it in vinegar, and lay it on the most soiled areas, including under the rims. Leave for a few hours, rinse the bowl with water.
• Citric acid can be dissolved, then it is used in the same way, or a dry powder can be applied, but it is more convenient to pour it on a damp cloth, and not on toilet paper.
• Instead of citric acid, you can take oxalic acid. This is another effective remedy for plaque. It is sold in powder form, used in the same way as lemon.

Orthophosphoric — from rust

The tool will well remove rusty streaks such a tool. Dissolve 100 ml of 85% phosphoric acid in 500 ml of water. Wash the bowl with any soapy solution to degrease. Apply a cleaning compound with a brush, leave until the rust dissolves. Depending on the degree of contamination, this may take from 1 to 12 hours.

To remove acid residues, prepare a soda solution: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of soda per liter of water. Clean out their plumbing.

Salt as a universal remedy

It will help with rust and plaque. Half a glass of acid is poured into a bowl, left for 15 minutes, washed off with plenty of water. This method is only suitable for plumbing without plastic or rubber parts.. Hydrochloric acid will dissolve them. For the same reason, it is not used where plastic communications are connected to the toilet.

Aqueous sulfuric acid solution

Sometimes battery electrolyte is chosen as a cleaning agent. It is an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid. Apply it to the surface of the plumbing fixture, leave for 20-25 minutes and rinse.

6. Treatment with special chemicals

There are many plumbing cleaners on the market. They can be divided into two groups. The first is all kinds of abrasives. They clean the dirt due to the presence of small hard particles, “peel off” the dirt from the base, but also leave scratches on it. These are preparations «Pemolux», «Cinderella», «Sarma» and the like. It is undesirable to often use abrasives for sanitary ware. Otherwise, the smooth surface will become rough. On it, the raid is postponed faster. The second group — preparations based on acids or alkalis. Acidic ones help better in the fight against rust and plaque, alkaline ones are more effective against urinary stone. This should be guided by when choosing household chemicals. A good result is given by the preparations «WC-gel» from Grass, «Expel», «Sanfor», «Toilet Duck», «Domestos» and others.

They produce funds in different forms: gel, liquid, spray, powder, tablets. Almost all of them include antibacterial additives to reduce the amount of pathogenic microflora. Instructions on how to wash the toilet from limescale or other contaminants are always on the package of the drug. It must be read and followed exactly before use. Then the effect of the selected chemical will be maximum.

Plumbing cleaning algorithm

Regardless of which tool is chosen, the cleaning algorithm is approximately the same. We will analyze the sequence of actions on how to clean the toilet from urinary stone and other contaminants.

1. Wear protective clothing. This is necessary for hygienic purposes, because pathogenic microflora accumulates in the toilet. In addition, you must protect yourself from aggressive cleaning agents. You need high gloves and a plastic apron that covers the torso as much as possible. If aggressive chemicals are to be used, then a respirator.
2. Prepare plumbing for cleaning. From the bottom of the plumbing fixture, you need to scoop out all the water and pour it out. It is convenient to do this with a bucket on a long handle. Soak up any remaining moisture with a cloth. Removing liquid from plumbing is the only way to clean the toilet inside where the water is. This procedure greatly increases the effectiveness of cleaning products.
3. Apply the product of your choice liberally to the ceramic. Leave for the time required for cleaning.
4. Scrub the remaining deposits with a brush or a stiff brush. Rinse off the composition and rinse the bowl.
5. Wash the seat and cover with soapy water, rinse, wipe dry.

How to keep plumbing clean

All types of dirt adhere poorly to a smooth base, but linger well on a rough one. Plumbing faience is quite porous, so it is better to choose porcelain. It is as smooth as possible, and therefore easy to care for. Small cracks and surface defects are the ideal basis for deposits. It must be remembered that ceramics deteriorate from sudden changes in temperature and exposure to very hot objects or liquids. She must be protected from this.

To prevent the formation of deposits, you can use tablets for the tank and gels that are fixed on the rim.

With each flush, a small portion of the product is released from them, which gives a good preventive effect. Once a week, it is desirable to treat the surface with any chlorine-containing compound. This will prevent the occurrence of plaque.

Rusty streaks will not appear if the tank is in good condition. But if engineering communications are rusted, brown spots cannot be avoided. In this case, replacing metal pipes with plastic ones will help. If this does not help, then the problem is in the water main. Then it is worth putting a filter at the input of communications to the apartment.