Limescale in toilets is primarily caused by hard water, which contains high levels of minerals like calcium. When water evaporates from the toilet bowl, these minerals are left behind in the form of a white chalky substance or even brown marks. One cleaning enthusiast recently took to Facebook to share her incredible results when she managed to shift stubborn limescale.
Posting on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook page, Angie Ives said: “My daughter exchanged homes and this was the loo. I used the black Harpic toilet cleaner and left it overnight. Gave it a gentle clean this morning, flushed and job done. No idea how a toilet bowl gets that covered in limescale, but I won’t judge, the results are great.”
Angie attached a before-and-after photo of the toilet, which showed the bottom of the bowl completely covered in brown limescale, compared to the sparkling limescale-free toilet after.
Harpic Power Plus Toilet Cleaner, commonly known online as black Harpic, is a powerful toilet cleaner which kills 99.9 percent of bacteria as well as removing limescale in as little as one minute.
The description of the product claims it is “10 times better than bleach” and can also tackle urine stains, dirt, rust as well as freshening the toilet.
It can be picked up from various supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s and Ocado, for as little as £1.65.
The post attracted more than 300 likes as well as several comments from fellow cleaners who were impressed with the results.
Nicki Wood asked: “Do you just use it around the rim, or did you squirt it in the actual water?”
Angie replied and said: “I put about half the bottle around the underside of the rim, then it all went in the bowl.”
Sue Quinn noted: “I’m a cleaner and this is the only toilet cleaner I’ll use, it’s better and safer than bleach. It shifts stains in minutes. I wish they used it in public toilets.”
Debbie Moulton wrote: “This is absolutely incredible, I’ve never seen results as good as this. Adding to my food shop.”
The product has impressive results, but if you’re looking for something more natural, white vinegar can also help to shift stains, as well as coke.
Simply pour some white vinegar into the water, give it a gentle brush and let it sit before flushing.