If you do not have borax handy, a simple solution of vinegar and water could be enough to help loosen up those mineral deposits on your toilet if the buildup is not too severe. When hard water evaporates it leaves behind calcium deposits that appear as white spots.
White crusty deposits that may accumulate around the toilet bowl, the end of a faucet or showerhead or appear as water spots come from water rich in the naturally-found calcium or magnesium minerals often referred to as water hardness.
Hard water is water with especially high mineral content, containing mainly magnesium, calcium, bicarbonates, and sulfates. Mineral buildup from dried hard water, also known as limescale, can form chalky white residue and rust-colored stains on toilets, faucets, showers, and sinks.
Bacteria, fungi, mold, and mildew among other things love to grow in the standing water of our toilets and are one cause of the dark ring around the edge of the toilet water (this is also one reason you should never let your pets drink from the toilet).
Hard water stains appear as chalky white residue that results from buildup of excess minerals present in hard water. You might have noticed these unsightly hard water stains building up on your shower doors, faucets, showerheads, and other places where water is used throughout your home.
Vinegar will not damage your toilet in any way if it's left in your toilet overnight. Regardless of your toilet's material, the vinegar is not strong enough to damage the toilet or the toilet's plumbing. So, you can leave the vinegar in your toilets overnight without worry.
You might see a white or rust-colored ring forming at the waterline or staining at the base of the bowl.
Limescale, which is mainly composed of calcium carbonate, will appear in your toilet as a brown, orange or pink coloured stain.
Green or brown stains are a sign of lime buildup. It happens because of the evaporation of hard water that leaves behind mineral deposits.
If the clog still seems to be intact, start over at step 1 and repeat the process a couple of times. For extra-stubborn clogs, you can let the fizz mixture sit overnight or combine this method with plunging.
Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight. The next morning, sprinkle a little baking soda into the bowl, scrub, and then flush clean.
Vinegar is a natural acid that can dissolve calcium deposits. You can pour vinegar into the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few hours before scrubbing with a toilet brush.
For a more heavy-duty approach, you can pour an entire bottle of white vinegar over and around the bowl, remembering to cover all of it. Then, leave the vinegar to work for a few hours or overnight. Use your toilet brush to scrub any leftover limescale deposits away the next day.
Just as natural dish soap helps break down dirt, grease, and food that may be stuck on dishes and utensils, it can help break down what's in your toilet bowl.
Don't leave CLR for longer than two minutes.
Always rinse away with cool water after two minutes of contact.
These hard water stains are not permanent; however, if they're allowed to build up over time, you could end up with layers of scale in your bathroom plumbing or around the valves of your dishwasher which could lead to costly repairs down the line.
Vinegar. Vinegar is a safe, all-natural household cleaner with the amazing ability to combat hard water stains. Pour some in a spray bottle and squirt any surface where you find hard water stains. Let it sit for five to 15 minutes to give the vinegar time to break down the minerals in the chalky, white stain.
Chances are these issues are caused from a mineral in your water called manganese. Seeing manganese stains from your water isn't an emergency, but at high levels, it can have an effect on the quality of your drinking water, laundry, appliances and plumbing.
The best way to tackle this problem is with an acidic solution, which can cut through the limescale. This can be achieved by using household products like baking soda and white vinegar.
When cleaning a toilet bowl, WD-40 works by softening the rust and lime deposits, so they can be easily wiped away. You don't need to use much of it. Simply spray on the affected area, wait a minute or two and brush it away with a regular toilet brush.
Another said a dishwasher tablet removes even stubborn stains, commenting: "Drop a dishwasher tablet in the toilet and leave as long as you can before flushing it removes even thick and stubborn limescale." Cleaning experts at Kitchn also recommend using this kitchen essential to remove limescale from the toilet.