Bathroom | March 15, 2024

Rust In The Toilet Bowl? (Here’s How To Remove It!)

Rust In The Toilet Bowl? (Here’s How To Remove It!)

Rust stains in your toilet bowl can be one of the most unappealing things to deal with. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks that allow you to remove rust stains from your toilet with ease. 

The best way to prevent this in your home is to have a water filtration system or a water softener installed… or both!

Let’s take a look at a few other ways to get rust stains out of your toilet.

One of the main reasons you find rust in your toilet bowl is because of your water supply. Rust most commonly forms on metal, but you can find rust in your toilet because of the amount of iron and oxygen that is found in your water. As a result, the oversupply of iron mixing with the oxygen in your water is what creates rust. 

DIY Ways To Get Rust Out Of Your Toilet Bowl

Food/Drink Items You Might Have On Hand:

  • Vinegar and lemon juice: Leaving the vinegar in the toilet bowl overnight should do the trick of removing them. If there are stains above the water in the toilet bowl, make sure you are also saturating that part of the bowl too.
  • A paste out of lemon juice and baking soda: Let the paste sit for an hour or two, then scrub the stains off with a toilet brush. 
  • Coca-Cola: Pour Coca-Cola into your toilet bowl and let it sit overnight. Make sure your water supply is turned off for this, but turn it back on in the morning to flush it. If all of the rust isn’t completely gone, you can use your toilet brush to get rid of the rest. 
  • Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar is a tartaric acid that is used in baking to help stabilize whipped egg whites. To get rid of rust stains, just sprinkle it on the areas where it is needed. Adding a few drops of water to the cream of tartar will make a paste. This is beneficial for toilet bowl stains or even shower walls.
It is said that cream of tartar is one of many materials that you have on hand at home to get rid of rust in the toilet bowl. 
It is said that cream of tartar is one of many materials that you have on hand at home to get rid of rust in the toilet bowl. 

Other Handy Materials You Might Have Around Your Home:

  • Pumice stones: A pumice stone is a stone that is created when water and lava mix together. It is often used to remove dry and dead skin from your body. Luckily, this stone can also be used as a stain remover. 
  • WD-40: This can also be a good source to use for removing rust stains from your toilet. This works great for softening up rust and lime deposits and can be easily wiped away.  

Upgrading Your Plumbing May Be Necessary

It may be time to consider upgrading certain parts of your plumbing system. If rust is prominent in your toilet, upgrading older parts is the next best idea. As a result, you will no longer have that stubborn rust issue.

These things could include:

  • Adding a water filtration system to your home to filter out the iron and other impurities
  • Installing a water softener system to remove minerals
  • Replacing old iron pipes with copper or other pipe type
sediment filter is attached with the water softener because it is filtering well water. The filter and softener is able to free the well water from things like rust, dirt, sand, and more.
Sediment filter is attached with the water softener because it is filtering well water. The filter and softener is able to free the well water from things like rust, dirt, sand, and more.

Tips to Prevent Rust Stains on Toilets, Tubs, and Sinks

First and foremost, water filtration systems and water softeners can help improve the quality of your water tremendously. Believe it or not, hard water can also affect your skin and hair, leaving it dry and unhealthy. Not only does hard water affect your plumbing, but it also affects you.

Secondly, metal cans and other decorative items you might have in your bathroom can cause rust on your bathroom surfaces. This is mainly caused by water and moisture that your bathroom holds. Things like shaving cream cans and hairspray are a major culprit. Putting them in a cabinet space or drawer is recommended. This saves you from having to deal with rust! 

Also, if you have a plumbing leak, make sure that you are taking care of those as quickly as possible. Rust can form and build up quickly from a leak.  

Lastly, check out the inside of your toilet tank. A lot of older toilets have different parts and components that are corroded and rusty. It would be ideal to have these items replaced with PVC components which will not corrode. 

If you have rust stains in your toilet tank, using PVC components would be a great replacement for the old, corroded pieces.
If you have rust stains in your toilet tank, using PVC components would be a great replacement for the old, corroded pieces.

Final Thoughts

Luckily, there are a few handy tips and tricks that can be used to get rid of stubborn rust stains in any toilet bowl and bathroom. If you ever come across rust in your bathroom, it is to your advantage to know of these. 

If you feel as if the DIY cleaners are not helping, you can always resort to a water filtration system or a water softener. In conclusion, both are known to help tremendously with iron-rich hard water and unwanted minerals.

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need any plumbing, drain cleaning, or excavation service. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem.

We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.

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