Cant believe i actually watched this entire Scientific video. I need a life. Thank you for keeping me glued to my phone for the Scientific resolve to the issue. Man , I really, really need a life.
Don't feel bad. Welcome to the cool kids club of old farts anonymous 😄Dear Lord I don't know when I went from checking out hot chicks at the mall to being glued to a video about how to keep my toilet clean. but it happens to the best of us. 😂 I damn near died when it hit me that listening to Iron maiden and Metallica is today is like our parents listening to 50s music as a kid😭 someone shoot me😭
For everyone who teased about the gentleman cleaning this toilet....I for one appreciate all the effort he put into trying to show us the why and wherefore of that disgusting toilet ring and the best way to combat it.
I never had to clean toilet. When my husband was drafted 6 months after we married. When he came back he always cleaned the toilet, I cleaned the rest. He cleaned several times a week.
To help keep your toilet from getting rings this is what I do: After cleaning bowl I will drain bowl of water than dry with am old towel. Afterwards I will wax the inside the toilet bowl with Turtle wax. It will keep your bowl clean for months.
I used LIME-A-WAY from your video on my toilet bowl over two weeks ago. First of all after applying it and letting it sit there for about 15 minutes, I took the SCOTCH BRITE Blue scouring pads and the stain ring around the water line wiped off as if it was a spill. Tomorrow will be three weeks since I cleaned it with this miracle product and still no recurring stain has returned.
BUT, after spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time? ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at. This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved! Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
Today is 11-23-24 and, after 3 weeks after I put a thin coat of Synthetic Lubricant where the ring stain might appear again, there is NO ring stain appearing ! Did I actually figure out how to stop toilet ring stains from reappearing ?! I will wait another 3 weeks to see what happens........
Now, the abrasive Scotch Brite has added tiny microscopic scratches to the smooth ceramic glaze of the toilet, and that gives all the minerals normally found in water, and all the other bacteria and other crap normally found in... crap, little micro crevices to hang onto and grow faster. Your ring problem has now developed an addiction to Scotch Brite. This addiction will escalate, and soon you'll have to use #400 grit emery cloth.
I’m convinced it because the poorer quality of porcelain they are using in manufacturing now! I never had trouble with a ring until my toilet was replaced in recent years
I wondered about that. We have a thirty year old toilet that stays cleaner than the other one which is three years old. Did they make smoother porcelain back then?
BUT, after spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time? ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at. This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved! Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
BUT, after spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time? ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at. This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved! Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
5 years later, Clorox finally came up with their "Clinging Bleach Gel." Let me tell you, it does work without scrubbing. My toilet was brand new and it started developing the ring after a few months. So, it's not about having old vs new. but. appreciate you taking the time to demonstrate this.
I used the clorox stamp in gel that cleans every flush on my brand new toilets in our hard water and nada, didn't work. I was the sole user of the toilets and used the gel stick blobs, and voila rings.
It started staining my toilet with a black stain. My mom read the toilet instructions and they recommend NOT to use Clorox gel. It’s bad for the porcelain
2 місяці тому
@@breevellalos This guy did NOT figure out how to STOP the stains from reappearing :-( BUT I figured out how to STOP those stains from reappearing by using my own clever ingenuity! if you want to know what I used to stop the rings from reappearing just asked me.
Totally agree. He didn't really solve the problem from a cleaning standpoint just like the modern-day science "religion" can't solve all scientific problems, but they believe they can. Personally, I (or he OCD in me), would have put some bleach in that toilet bowl and left it there for two weeks and then waited for another two weeks to see what happened. Just my unimportant OCD thought. A cleaning service does not have that option as there might be young children or other circumstances to prevent this action.
Well, though I got impatient and skipped through the last 3/4 of the video, I don't think he said whether the toilet had been in use in the intervening two weeks. In scientific reporting you can't leave out variables, no matter how icky they may be. Nor did he say by whom. Some urine leaves more crystalline precipitate than others. So there's a little science here, but it's not quite Faraday-class.
What about hard water? I would have checked sinks for a sign of rust and shower glass for spots. I would also talk to neighbors to see if they have a softening system to help with hard water.
Being in the cleaning business for 35 years now , I have found that the best way to prevent these rings is to scrub under the rim really good. Make sure all those little holes are clean and free of mold. This is where all the trouble begins
Interesting life lesson to share. Anything more than a ring in a toilet, such as excessive mold, is often a sign of high blood sugar in the occupants. My husband is diabetic and when he went off his meds, I kept having a big mold problem and could not figure it out until he got his blood sugars corrected. Just a little FYI. Thanks for the solutions to the problem.
@@violet2048 The excessive minerals in water that hard is what causes it. If it suddenly became a problem and never seemed to be before, first thing is to check your water softener to assure its working properly. When this occurs in the toilet, it's most likely doing it in all the appliances you own that require water😳
Wow! That happened to me too!!! When my blood sugar was outta wack!! I was cleaning several times a week and wondering why!! Realized it was all the sugar in my urine!! When there was the shortage on Ozempic 😮
@@la196 No water softener. Husband said no for years, now he's gone and I can't afford $7,000.00. Yep that's the price in California. And that doesn't include the permit or what it will do to my property taxes.
I had a friend who had a car detail business come in and he drained my toilet and applied a rubbing compound to the bowl to clean it then he applied a ceramic coating to it and let it cure overnight. Ever since he did that nearly three years ago nothing sticks to the bowl and no ring appears at all. It was the best $35 I spent.
I plan to try a dry erase pad in a circular motion. I am going to use my ceramic car wash (which is FIRE on my car, used correctly) and see what happens. Thanks!
I have been using Lime Away for years. It is the only thing that I found to work with the hard water stains in my area. It does not, however, prevent the stains from coming back quickly.
I had that going on and we bought a new toilet. The black ring came back on a new toilet. So when my plumber was here to follow-up other pluming things he had done, I showed him the black ring. He said I had a hard water issue and said he could install an additional part to my water softener that would cover Iron build-up. It worked like a charm. No more black ring.
I keep a spray bottle with 100% white vinegar and a little Dawn. Once a day, after flushing, I spray the water line before it completely refills. No scrubbing. Works good between cleanings.
Such a vexing problem. It's the new low flow toilets I think. Never remember this problem. I use the anti-bacterial blue spray by Method. After the fill water stops, give a spritz, let it slide down the porcelain to the water line by itself. Leave it until the next use. Actually, I think it's only once a day needed, but faithfully. If the line has formed, try a swipe with the corner of a bar of Lava soap, a dedicated bar you hide nearby, obviously. There's pumice in Lava bar soap. No need to use a pumice stone , the bar soap far less harsh. Or, sprinkle Ajax or comet or barkeepers friend , and leave it without flushing, until the next use. I don't like having to use so much, the big holes on the can and all. Might be better to use a dollar store squeeze bottle with a tip, less waste because you have better control. Experiment. Maybe add water to the Barkeepers Friend, keep it in a squeeze bottle, let it run down the side to the water level. I think BKF has oxalic acid. It's letting water not stand, break the standing surface. Otherwise, a line forms. Use tissue around the water line, then spray. The tissue will hold the spritzed spray against the porcelain surface, until the next use. Might only be once a day for this. We're spending a small fortune with this stuff. Manufacturers need to figure it out. With low flow, it's probably that they need to allocate more water to the bowl. We need to contact the manufacturers, why is this happening?
HAD a 40 yr old toilet, and NO probs. The building owner of my apartment decided I needed a new toilet. Now after a few months with a NEW toilet, I find I need to scrub every 3 days, and .....NOW I have a ring! The old toilet I scrubbed about once a month, but only cause I imagined it a necessity. Same manufacturer, but new toilets are now made in Mexico. Need a new toilet? Buy an old one from 'American Standard'.
I congratulate the poster of this video. You gave complete and honest information despite not getting the ideal outcome. If there is pitting, you have to put up or clean more often or buy a new toilet. That's just the way it is
@@raybuck8260 that made me shiver, I am hoping he washed his face and neck after that YUCK!!! I do give him props for his dedication to solving his toilet issue.
Lived in an 100 yr old house before downsizing, never had a water buildup issue. Moved into a 5 yr old condo, not only had this happening in the three toilet bowls, but also had build up on shower head and kitchen faucets. Dish drain and dishwasher had lots of funky staining. Had water analyzed and got a whole house water treatment/softener system. Within a week all bowls and faucets clean, worked like a charm! No need to often scrub, just drop a cleaner in tank and maintains bowl clean with every flush.
That ring has nothing to do with the age of the house or the fixtures. The stains are caused by hard water (mineralized water). If you live in a place with naturally soft water, or if you add a water softener to a home with hard water, the rings will not form. If your water is hard, and untreated, the rings will form, and the only solution is daily cleaning with some sort of acidic cleaner (like the CLR used in the video, or vinegar, or muriatic acid) If you let the toilet sit uncleaned for weeks, the hard water evaporates, and the minerals become concentrated in the remaining water. The minerals (usually some variety of calcium) naturally collect on the porcelain as the water evaporates.
I have 2 toilets. One is 50 years old and the other 15. The 15 year old toilet developed similar problems and my blame is the newer toilets do NOT have as good of a porcelain coating. The newer toilets are designed to develop these problems as you stated every 10 years for the purpose of a need to replace them more often. My advice, keep the 50 year old toilets if you can. The 50 year old toilet is not only painted better, but is also insulated and will not sweat in the summer.
We have three toilets in our home. One has been there since the home was built in 1989. It has NO stains or pits. One is about 20 years old and has NO stains or pits. The third one is about 4 years old and HAS stains AND pits. So I think it's also the quality of the material in the toilet. The stained toilet is one from Home Depot and it's very hard to keep it clean...
Older toilets used more water, tended to dilute the minerals in the water more and were less subject to blockages than the stupid EPA 1 gallon flush toilets. The porcelain was more substantial in the older toilets, but a glass fired glaze doesn't depend on thickness but simple surface integrity. We have an old upstairs toilet connected to old steel piping that will form a red/black ring if not used frequently. (The inside of that tank is also rust colored) The other two have copper piping and the one that's rarely used gets a whitish calcium ring. All three are easily cleaned with mild chemical solutions, HOT water and a brush.
@UCpXNRPl4KpPg0IDSvIa1XSg and P Schmied, We keep the Clorox tabs in every toilet. All are plumbed with the same type of pipe. The oldest one, that stays the cleanest is the old style 3 GPF toilet. I doesn't really make sense that more water equals a cleaner toilet, since the same percentage of minerals are in 3 gallons of water that are in 1 gallon.
You are absolutely correct , If they use a low quality glaze and/or not put it on heavy enough B4 firing it in the kiln , is definitely a contributing factor
I was cleaning a Dr's house weekly. At least 3 people used one toilet. Always a black ring. My boyfriend is a diabetic who let his sugar run wild. His toilet always had a black ring too. I mentioned to the Dr maybe someone was having high blood sugars. 4 months later she got checked out and was running 700 to 800 blood sugars!!! All that sugar in urine promotes bacteria growth in the toilet and needs cleaned more than weekly.
My solution to clean a toilet--in clean water pour in bleach- then lay tissue partially in water and ip sides- all the way around- don’t use toilet for 8 hours or more- Flush and it will B clean- never fails- if under edge use brush there
I do understand the hard work that went into this video and appreciate you showing us the cause of the ring. My solution to getting rid of the ring and cleaning my toilet is so much easier without ever using a brush. The ring is common for all of us unless you are using a whole house filtered water supply that removes all of the lime and hardness in the water. I do not have that and use a very simple solution. So there are a few general toilet bowl cleaners and they work if you allow them to work. So before I go to bed at night I use the toilet bowl cleaner and all around the inside of the toilet bowl lip and let it sit over night and into the next day when you get ready to use it again. You will find the toilet bowl completely clean, no scrubbing is required.
@@henriettalowe4689Either the clorox or lysol and it works great on tile and tubs that needed it too. I squirt it on and let it sit overnight for most of the toilet bowls. Rarely do I ever need to use a brush to clean them.
I use Zep and do have to use a toilet brush but it comes right off fairly easily. I have hard water though.It's less work than brushing your teeth.@@henriettalowe4689
We had a summer rental and the toilet was always dirty even with in the tank additives. It was very old so I asked a plumber he suggested to use hot (not boiling) vinegar soaked paper towels to line, penetrate and disinfect ring area. Then let dry overnight. Next day use silicone for fish tanks (use gloved finger to spread over ring area.) It fills the crevices but, is clear and won't show. We never got rings again. The owner even called us about it when we left and was very grateful as her whole house had same issues.
I had a similar thought... after the ring has been cleaned, put something on the surface to fill in the pitted surface. The first things that came to mind were a spray-on furniture wax (like Pledge) or a car wax.
Ok , 2 notes here. My new toilets ( 2 less than 1 year old ) do this. And 2nd why does it on,y occur at water line at top and not entire filled area? Seems related to oxygen at surface? But all this shallow water would have oxygen also? Maybe solution is something in water that floats at surface??? Maybe we float a drop of say Dawn on top after each flush? Ot drop of Clorox? We are on well water w a water Softner FYI!
At work the toilets are cleaned everyday, and some still have rings. I may start using the bartender's friend every two weeks. I watched this video because I was genuinely interested. I appreciate the information and the visuals.
Great video, I have a toilet that is about 70 years old, and I have very hard water here in Whittier, Ca. It does get a ring at water level sometimes. But, I brush it every time, after I use it. It is very clean, so far. I have used every thing, under the sun, to clean it, including (Coke a Cola), which works well, by the way. But, I brush it every time, after I use it. Just the toilet brush and water is all that it needs. Keep up the good work!! BOB R
I appreciate the video and the effort you put in the experiment. I've been using pumice stones in my toilets due to hard water for over 25 years. They work well with no etching, and we've never had to change a toilet because the surface was pitted or scratched. One of the main reasons for the pumice stone is our septic system. Pumice stones clean nicely and don't hurt it. Everyone needs to make sure what type of system they're on, septic or sewer, before using cleansers on their toilets. You need to make sure that any products used are safe for the system you have. Check the labels and search the internet. With our septic system, we have to be very careful with the microbial balance in our septic tank. The wrong types of products flushed down the toilet affect that balance and the parts of the system itself causing costly damage.
I’ve used pumice stones for 30 years. Never scratched the porcelain. The only way to control the line forming is to clean it every 3 or 4 days. 30 seconds. That’s it. Non toxic / safe for cats and dogs who prefer the toilet to their water bowls😑
I struggled with nasty toilet rings for years because we such have very hard well water. My husband scraped the calcium ring off with the pumice stone. To maintain the sparkly porcelain finish, I put a cup of powdered dish detergent in the toilet tank (not the bowl) once a week. A swish with the brush only once a week, keeps the toilet sparkling clean. If dish detergent keeps your porcelain dishes clean without scrubbing, it will also keep your porcelain toilet bowl clean.
At first I thought ‘do I really need to watch 17 minutes on cleaning my toilet ring’? But I’m glad I did, and kudos on spending 3+ weeks gathering the research!
Hmm, I thought it was just necessary to scrub once a week. All of my toilets have needed once a week cleaning, old and new. My mother taught me to scrub once a week. EDIT: Thanks for the in-depth, high quality video. You really put your all into this video.
You just addressed a problem I've been having with one of our toilets. And I've tried everything, I thought. Bleach seemed to do the best. But, then it comes back. Well, now I know about the pitting. Thanks...
As a car detailer, car paint has microscopic pores in it, that end up doing the same thing, catching dirt. So what we detailers do is to close up those pores by using compounds that wear down the paint so the pores are shallower and then polish it over. So in this application, I would add bleach to the water and let it sit for about 10 mins with water at level, then flush and clean as normal, that's just the cleaning part, now you need to fill in those tiny pits, my guess would be a some sort of ceramic filler or a ceramic coating that coats the entire bowl. Just a thought from a detailer's perspective.
Very informative, describes the problem I had. After scrubbing it with Barkeepers friend, about every 2-3 days I spray it with Clorox Cleanup. KEEPS it clean until I scrub again to get hard water marks off. Water softener sometimes helps.
If you try a little boat wax on the water line when it's clean. That fills in the pits keeping that water line cleaner loner. But you do have to reapply after every cleaning. Great for older units.
I have to give you a great 'thumb's up' for taking the time to work on this problem that we all have in our hard-water areas like Phoenix. Great effort and results. Thank you.
By keeping the toilet tank clean, keeps the toilet clean. Pour in 2 cups of Cleaning White Vinegar before you go to bed so it can soak & neutralize the scum & deposits within the tank. By doing this monthly it will help keep your toilet clean. Thanks!
@@susanjsnook7826 ...or you could have proper water filtration installed for the price of a year's worth of cleaning agents and time wasted cleaning your toilet bowl. Turns out your faucet fixtures, skin, and hair would benefit too....
Having a sense of humor is one of the MOST ATTRACTIVE feature one can have….and it doesn’t go away with age! Love it and thanks for making so many people laugh!
I like how you show the top of your barkeepers friend that you don’t open all the holes it keeps control of how much cleanser comes out. My mother taught me that decades ago.
I had a ring like this that kept returning again and again after a couple of days, I used the WalMart Great Value Mold & Mildew Remover on this ring and it stays off for a lot longer. It does eventually come back but this is the best stuff so far that I have used and would strongly recommend it to all.
The pumice stone can actually badly scratch a toilet bowl (happened to 3 of mine). Only thing that improved the bowl surface was an automotive windshield glass sealer (not RainX - you'll need a ceramic coating designed to bond to glass). Applying the sealer to my bowls has dramatically reduced their tendency to create water rings. Optimum GLASS coat is available directly from Optimum Technology.
I must have some super thick porcelain toilet bowls because none of them got even a single scratch and I use the pumice stone all the time. I am done using toxic chemicals.
I used to clean homes for a living for 25 years. I noticed that homes whose toilets contained in a small closet or water closet would develop a ring faster or worse than toilets that were not contained. I attributed it to perhaps having less airflow in the closet
The toilet in our half bathroom also tends to develop mold buildup in the tank as well as along the rim, whereas the toilet in the full bathroom doesn't. Like you, I believe the problem is insufficient airflow, as the half bathroom has no HVAC vents.
What needs to be addressed is the inner cavity of the bowl itself by pouring a solution of distilled vinegar into the fill tube, this cleans the cavity vents around the inner top side of the toilet that fills up the toilet 😊 it could take several cleanings to kill the mold.😊
I moved into a home that has a mineral ring and mildew issues in the toilet and mildew around the holes along with mineral depos. I cannot get off. Is it septic safe. The toilet is only 3 yrs old.
I just found your video. We live in an older home. I can't tell you how many years we've struggled with our yucky toilet. I tried the sponge using the scrubbing side (plus bleach & ajax). The nasty ring came right off!! It looks like a brand new toilet! You are amazing & thank you so much for helping us!!!
If you’re familiar with Moh’s hardness scale, you can see why the pumice stone will NOT scratch the porcelain. I’ve been using the stone for years. THE most effective!
Pumice has always amazed me. I guess it floats. I have scoured my pool porcelin and it doesn't seem to hurt it. It isn't a miracle either. Well, we all have toilets, but pools are a bigger version.
My bowl has been in this unit as a rental with limey water for decades. Its already so scored inside i could probably use orbital sander with 60 grit on it and not scratch it any worse, haha. Problem is the flooring is installed after the toilet by tenants or slumlord going up to the toilet not under it so if i replace the toity i gotta replace the vynl flooring to avoid a nasty footprint mismatch. Good thing wifey isnt toooo concerned about it and we just throw a full stick of dynamite in there before company comes. Well i think we could use dynamite ha.
The other take away from this, is the new stuff (toilets included) is half as good as the old quality. And, for only twice the price. There's that progress again. Ahhh
There is something wonderful and beautiful for a woman to see, that’s to watch a man who is so dedicated to cleaning as this man is. You’ll make or you’ve made a lucky woman a great husband.
I cleaned homes and Businesses for years and I cleaned a store once a week..when I first started cleaning there, they had an ugly ring in the Ladies toilet in the restroom...I cleaned the toilet and got rid of the ring but to prevent the ring from coming back, I would drop by a couple nights a week after the store closed...you know what a package of powered Kool-Aid is...you know what the kids drink mixed with water...No sugar added....Get the Lemonade flavored...Pour 2 packs in the toilet and do not flush...leave overnight...someone will flush the next day...The owner asked me what I did and as long as I cleaned the store, the ring never came back...it does work!!
Check the comments. You'll just have to see what works. My old house had city water and I just sprayed mold & mildew remover and let it sit. This doesn't work with my well water.
Wait ! I figured out how make that hard crusty ring stain very easy to remove next time ! : After spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time? ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at. This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved! Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
@@CypressThinking Sadly true. So, to jackc's point, the video is a waste. I should have just gone to reddit in the first place since it's the AUDIENCE who helps here, certainly not this guy. Oh well, lesson learned.... not subscribing :-).
One thing that has worked for me to extend the period before a ring develops: last flush of the night as the bowl is refilling, add a small squirt of environmentally friendly dish detergent, and the action of the water will swish it around. I think it helps bacteria or whatever it is from clinging to the sides.
Agree! And people who are talking about closing there Toliet lids?( Keep them CLOSED) There's so MANY GERMS,that come from an open Toliet lid! SERIOUSLY look it up.keep flushing!
I had this problem for quite a while, then realised that the water in the cistern also had a ring plus small black debris on the bottom. I found out that the inflow hose had started to decay and was shedding tiny black rubber particles. I changed the inflow hose and solved the problem. No more bowl ring.
The inflow hoses are to be replaced every 5 years at least, they hardly ever are . Mine wasn’t, I only found out accidentally when trying to repair the toilet drip. These tiny particles also get caught between the seals and can cause the toilet to leak.
Elisabeth see it always takes a woman to figure THINGS out before a man does!! My wife asked me why is our newly installed toilet's water in the toilet bowl not as much as it used to be?! She said it also sounds louder when you flush it as its filling up! I said ok ill check it out later. Well she wouldn't wait for me to fix it so she GOOGLED it and found what was causing the low toilet bowl water level ! Here when the plumber installed the new toilet somehow the small tube with a clip on it came unclipped to the larger tube in the tank !! So she Clipped the smaller tube back onto the larger tube and it was fixed!! I said that's great honey!! Thank you !! She said sure anytime!!
When that happened to my toilet I used the pumice stone. That helped and now I wash my toilet every other day to prevent that ring. That was the solution. I think it’s the water, depending where you live if you’re closer to the ocean than you get more hard stains.
Dr. Toilet’s passion for the science of toilet cleaning is amazing. I think he just invented a new scientific term “ceramic pitting”. His tireless scientific work into the research of toiletry should not go unrecognized. He should be the leading contender for the Noble prize in chemistry! 😂
Your presentation is terrific. If everyone approached life in the manner that you used to explain your topic the planet would be a better place. Thank you kind sir.
The man who put my new septic system in told me to put a pint of white vinegar in toilet & a full package of yeast packets to keep system dissolving paper& feces,well while using the white vinegar I noticed it helps keep it clean too. I don't think using something abrasive on porcelain is a good idea.. pretty soon u will have no protection from stains.Dont wait wks to clean your toilets, like I should have to tell anyone that even if you have a service- don't be lazy- duh.
I've been thinking about using yeast because the cost of RID-X is getting out of control. The last box I bought was almost a $20 bill .... crazy... and basically that's what RID-X is ... yeast, as I understand it..
@@LoneWolf-yp2mo the man who had to dig up& replace my septic system said to me Not to use Rid X,that plain old bakers yeast- the 3 packet strip along w a quart of white vinegar every month will do it.he said bc I have a water softener & septic tank that ridX wouldn't do the job,and that what I was using before my septic crash& back up.this gentleman has been in the business since he was a young man& is at least retirement age so I believe him.Also my mother would put the 3packet strip in the toilet and didn't have a problem..Old ways might just be the best ways😄
I've heard that many times ! I'm going to buy some yeast and vinegar and give it a try ! Rid-X has gone up to $20 for a small box. As far as I know, yeast is cheap ..... or at least effective !!
Our toilet ring problem was actually in the tank! It had moldy mildewy stuff in it along with red algae. We just scrubbed it good and followed up with a couple of toilet tablets. The tank was clean and it also stopped the reoccuring ring in the bowl as well. It's been months since, but now we know what to look for if it returns again. Usually happens in the summer when the incoming water is warmer etc. We have a treatment system/softener on our water supply and there is no chlorine left afterwards. We started putting a cup of bleach in our toilet tanks every couple of months. Seems to work very well.
@@iamshewhowalksalone820 Nothing special. Just a cup of bleach to kill the bacteria or other slime in the tank. The next flush or two gets rid of the bleach. Doesn't return for several months.
I don't ordinarily use chemicals, but it would be nice to get rid of this ring. I believe mine too, comes from the cistern. It's not a permanent stain. It's just developing via the cistern somehow.
This was a very interesting video...particularly because several of my viewers asked about the ring in their toilets and I was doing a little research about how to handle it. I like the Bar Keepers Friend idea with the green pads because when I've tried the regular cleaners, it fades the ring but doesn't completely get rid of it. I'll also recommend that they clean their toilets more often. Maybe every couple of days or possibly try vinegar in the toilet bowl overnight. Thank you so much for this information. It was really nice to see your scientific approach!
That is very helpful; thank you! I've got toilets that are 40 years old; they flush great, BUT the one in the guest bathroom has a ring that doesn't go away no matter how hard you scrub (or with what). And yes, I have hard water of pH 8.5 and have tried pretty much everything out there, including vinegar/baking soda. Luckily for me, I don't care about it enough to waste my time scrubbing the toilet every few days. Oh well...if guests are disturbed by it, they can go find another toilet! LOL
Muriatic acid with water does a real wonder cleaning a bunch of stains and hard water deposits. Pour a bunch of the acid into the water, swirl it around, and fill the toilet so its fuller (past the fill line at the very least). Let it sit for 20 minutes, go and give it small scrubs here and there. Don't breathe in the fumes, its harsh. Flush and you should be good. Vinegar is a very weak acid, pretty much useless. Muriatic acid is some crazy good stuff.
@@Vortechtral Seriously dangerous fumes!! Please tell us the AMOUNT used in tiny amount of water in the toilet! Seriously etches concrete!! "A bunch of the acid" could take a person's life!!!!
i have hard water, a septic system, and three toilets. my best weapon is my stainless steel scour pad- made with heavy-gauge stainless- not the wimpy ones that are hairy like steel- wool. works like a charm and doesn't mess with the septic digestion.
Clean the tank too. For hard water stains I like the Lysol lime and rust remover in the black bottle. It's with the other bowl cleaners and Target usually has a pretty good deal.
@@moorejazznowdepending on where you are well water can be very hard or not so much. It should work although you may need to apply, scrub, rinse a couple of times.
This suggestion for periodic cleaning seems OK. I used to use various tank-mounted cleaners, but found that over time they all caused the tank apparatus to deteriorate, requiring premature replacement in whole or part. They were not totally effective at removing red stains, either. That was a decade ago plus or minus, so maybe the cleaners and/or apparatus have improved. I suggest that anyone using mounted tank cleaners monitor what they are doing to the innards.
It happens with new toilets too. I use the NeverScrub device that hangs in the tank, and a hose runs into the filler tube. This keeps the chlorine tablets from ruining the rubber seals on the flapper valve. The tablets can last up to 60 days and really help to keep that calcium ring off the toilet!
I bought my house several years ago. It's a 70-year-old house. One of the toilets had a terrible looking ring that I could not get rid of. I bought everything under the Sun to attempt to get rid of this ring. I finally came across some stuff, about a year ago, called "Restore 4". Plunged the toilet out and brushed the stuff on. The ring disappeared. It looks like new and the ring has never come back. Two stores that I know have this "Restores 4" is Ross's Dress 4 Less and Menards. Periodically you can also get it at Big Lots. It's also great for sinks and tubs.
I love this video. So I figured after your inspection with the magnifying glass the issue is mold. So I scrub and scrub, used the pumice stone and wala a sparking bowl. Then I coated the bowel with Graphene ceramic wax, then I installed sparkle and flush-(system)with BLEACH, plus a bleach tab in the tank. After 2-weeks the bowl is staying sparkling clean. I think bleach works best as a maintenance additive to kill the sticking mold and bacteria. I’ll wax the bowl with Graphene ceramic monthly to see if this is in fact the solution plus continue to use the sparkle and flush system.
I am Soo glad no you did this video! Even though I doubt seriously if any of my customers past or present will see it and and apologize to me! I have been a cleaning lady for over 20 yrs! I have tried all the things you did! One lady has the scouring bar she asked me to use..and was furious when she realized it scratched! For some folks when I explained that their toilet needed replacing..well that was the last straw and they let me go!😄Goodbye I said to the toilet that I had tried to keep clean for many years! So yes I see the lovely cleaning crews with their cute little uniforms! I started that way and they look so young! I truly feel for you and wish you the best! I retire next year! I hope I can finally be rid of toilet nightmares!👍🙋♥️🕊️🕊️🕊️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
1500 grit sandpaper removed what appeared to be pitted porcelain but was in fact pitting of a very thin calcium buildup at the waterline. The toilet has been in use since 1954. It's been about a month now and the ring has not returned. 1500 grit is usually used to smooth automotive paint finish. It didn't do a thing to the porcelain, but the calcium buildup was quite visible on the sandpaper as a white powder.
I have to thank everyone for the comments. I have just spent about 15 minutes reading them and laughing so hard that I have tears streaming down my cheeks.
Bless his heart for trying. Yep, I just realized I watched the whole video. There must be something else I should be doing....LOL Love ya for keeping my attention.
I have really hard water and after a week, a thick dark water line would appear. I bought one of those descaling magnets that you can put in your toilet reservoir. Now, it will be several months before it gets to the point that it used to after a single week. To clean, I turn off the water and drain the bowl. I soak some toilet paper in vinegar and place it all around the bowl on the ring. Let it sit for 30m. Come back later and scrub off the ring. Sometimes a little bit still remains and I just add some more vinegar soaked tp onto it for a bit longer. But in general, after adding that magnet, the cleaning process has become so much easier too.
I am a ceramics instructor. I make dolls and various other things. The worst thing for your toilet is to use cleanser and scrubbies. Instead, use the cleaner for glass top stoves and a "cleaning erasure". You wont pit the toilet, or remove the glaze. Also, after cleaning the toilet, put some olive oil or any liquid cooking oil on a soft cloth and rub around the water line.
Using a spray cleaner that has chlorine bleach in it will keep the ring from ever coming back after you have scrubbed the toilet. Spray every other day without rinsing, including under the rim, works like a charm. Been doing this for years and it works. The black ring is mold and mildew (sewer organisms) caused by hard water. You will find the same residue mold inside drain and sewer pipes. It’s not just pitting that exasperates the problem, new toilets can also get the same ring, know this as fact. I would tell my customers to continue with spraying after maids had cleaned, they were happy with the results. Don’t use that pumice stone, it eventually will sand away the protective enamel coating, making it more porous where mold and mildew have an easier way to hide in nicks and crannies and it will grow quickly.
We have the same problem in Gilbert, Az ( suburb of Phoenix). I used a pumice stone for several years until I discovered an easy way , labor free. Squirt the Clorox gel toilet bowel cleaner along the rim where water comes out , because it builds up there too and then another squirt all around the ring right above the that appears and leave it for an hour or so , even longer if you want and it disappears completely. To prevent it coming back , do it wants a week .. Once it id gone you can also use a brush and then squirt around the ring and leave it . .
I watched this video a long time ago, at least a year ago. I was amazed at how his method got rid of the ring in my toilet. It has just now started coming back. I just watched this again to refresh my memory. Many, many thanks for this. I really appreciate your advise.
I appreciate your thoroughness! I have found this to be terribly frustrating! I scrub, pumice and Bar Keeper Friend only to find the return of the "familiar"... I guess this has not only been me....
Thanks for this video. We have toilets that are over 90 years old and they do not have this problem. We have a toilet that is about 20 years old with this problem. I think as you observed, the porcelain on the new toilet is pitted and the pits form a nucleus for mineral precipitation. I think our new toilet porcelain did not have the quality of the porcelain on our old toilets and so mineral ring deposits (mainly CaCO3) form more quickly. One thing that will damage porcelain is NaOH (lye). Often you can observe tubs that have been etched by using drain cleaners that containing lye that was allowed stand in contact with the tub.
Our toilet is made of pine wood. Never had this problem with it. It's about 75ft from the house. Never been cleaned and it still looks new. Did recently have to replace the door though.
@dianem7677 put a pound of lime in it every month. Kills the odor. Too cold wear a coat. My 1st year of grade school was 1st time using a toilet inside.
The best way I found so far is using a 600 grit sandpaper and so far the black mold has not been back. As it is a very fine grit, you have to scub it many times. The advantage is that the ceramic remains shiny. This is the same grit used to polish a car paint.
Nice presentation, and your analysis was very useful! The micro-pitting WAS on the toilets in my home, and I used a glass-polish compound (from an auto-parts store) after drying the toilet out and that helped. I noticed that "Coaching with Kelly" suggested wax and that made me think about the polish. We have well-water and the iron/calcium was getting stuck in those pits and hardening like little diamonds.
Thanks for this video/experiment. I’ve heard that cleaning it and then putting wax around the ring can prevent the stain from coming back as frequently. I’ve heard this can last for up to 6 months.
I had this happen. If the water sits in the bowl too long then mineral deposits form a ring stain. I poured CLR liquid into the bowl and let it set overnight and then lightly scrubbed the bowl in the morning and flushed toilet and ring was gone. No fuss no mess and no pumice stone scratches. Be sure not to use the CLR spray as it is diluted and infective.
Must use a chemical to clean deep down into the pitted ring area. Seal the toilet with a sealer to prevent the ring from coming back. Or buying a new toilet and sealing it .
Since all three of my "water saver" toilets had the "recurring rings", I purchased flush kits that had adjustable components ("flapper" flush valve and bowl fill tube valve). By adjusting the "flapper" for a short interval flush time and the bowl fill valve for a more limited fill time, I achieved a "random" bowl water level result, thus rarely allowing the water level in the bowl to remain at the same level. After months now, the rings gradually faded with each cleaning and are now gone. It SEEMS that the rings MAY have involved organisms that live in the pitting. It SEEMS that they can't survive without the CONTINUAL critical balance of air and water that apparently occurs only with a consistent water line. It SEEMS that having a water line that is inconsistent destroys the "habitat" for the "little microbial monsters" accordingly. (Note: This adjustment requires "skillfully" holding the flush lever a bit longer when you do a "big job" & shorter for "little jobs". It also seems to save water & thus $$$.)
Our first “water saver” toilet is impossible to keep clean. I hate it we have hard water and I so many toilet lines. The worst part is we don’t use that bathroom daily so it evaporates too.
Over the last three years we replaced all of our toilets. Immediately, all four continued to do this very thing. It’s my opinion it’s due to hard water. We’re now considering a whole house water softener system.
White vinegar and baking soda work great. Pour in some vinegar. Add baking soda, a bit at a time (watch it bubble), then leave it for a while. Brush as usual. Hydrogen peroxide also does a great job. I had an old container that I wanted to get rid of, so I emptied it into the toilet, before putting the container in with the plastic for recycling. I let it sit, then brushed it, as usual. Nice and clean. I like these two methods because I think they're easy on the environment. EDIT: I forgot to mention that there hasn't been a ring in my toilet since I started using the above methods. There was when I used Windex. I also put baking soda in the toilet tank, every so often. Oh, and my toilet is over thirty years old.
We live with a well, and frequently get hard water deposits... not bad for a well, but we get them. The toilet was awful. Not just the ring, but basically stained everywhere the water was. So, I tried Dr. Pepper!! I poured a 2 liter bottle into the bowl slowly, no prep before hand. Left that overnight, maybe even 24 hours. Then I used the toilet brush (old, worn, but still useful) and scrubbed it out. Not only did it come clean, it's been so much better over the last year! Because of the septic, I really don't like having to ever use any chemicals. But the Dr. Pepper did a fabulous job!
Here’s a small issue you may also wish to consider (especially in older homes or rentals): We all clean our toilet bowls, mind you the frequency varies, but have you ever cleaned the tank? After I sold my house and moved into a retirement apartment, the toilet bowl would get brown algae insanely fast. Popped the tank lid off and.... EWWW ICK! It looked like slow stagnant pond growth. Like brown ‘hair’. So a few cups of bleach into the tank, wait 30 minutes, then a good scrub brush. I didn’t have this problem in my home, but with 2 kids (and all their constant friends), the toilet got flushed way more often. So I think the less frequent use of a retired couple was the bigger contributor? Also the previous tenant was an older senior. *another contributor was the ‘half flush or full flush’ feature on the toilet.
Mine gets the ring plus the same "dirtyness" near the top rim... I'm assuming the water in the tank or even things inside the upper rim is the culprit that keeps it coming back
Did you ever consider that you might have hard water ? it's going to leave a deposit no matter what but a lime away type product removes it easily if done often enough
Once you get the calcification of mineral off. Keep a brush close by, flush bowl a couple times, and put a couple drops of Dawn..in. Swirl around to degrease and let it sit. The body produces grease that clings to the sides. Minerals like Iron cling to the grease eventually hardening. Using Dawn, a couple times a day keeps it from accumulating....and building up.
The tank needs to be cleaned with muriatic acid. The tank has a fungus growing in it. The fungus needs air , so that is why you see it coming back at the water / air line.
I like the way you take a scientific, experimental approach to reach your conclusions. Use use your intellectual approach that I appreciate. I shows we need to clean the bowl about once a week for sure!
I've been a cleaner for 30 years and have been through this whole routine I've also tried clorox cleaner, the problem is hard water in the home I have clients with brand new toilets that got this way immediately. Don't you love the way 90% of the clients have toilet bowl brushes right next to the toilet and they can't manage to swish that bad boy out between cleanings 🙃
@@mamabear9509 , bleach tabs are not good if you have a septic tank. The chlorine kills the septic bacteria that break down solid waste in the septic tank.
I had the same thing.what I DID was shut the water valve off to occlude the water flow, then I flushed the toilet to get more water out of the tank.i then had gone to the .99 store and bought 2 liters of cola and let it sit. It did desolve the calcium HOWEVER..... someone had used that stupid Pumas Stone on the Ring so what that did was leave fine cuts into the ceramic toilet and that's where the bacteria rested until the next cleaning. The cola did a great job but, again, the scratches on the bowl was the game changer for me. I went down to Lowe's and for less than $100 I switched out the toilet. I use the old toilet in the yard as a recessed fountain.its whimsical!!
Just dump a bucket of water into the toilet bowl that will flush the water out of the the toilet bowl ! Then clean the bowl and flush it and the water will return to the bowl !!
Very thorough. Thank you. I have the same problem, but have hard water and my toilet is more like 45 or 50 years old. And you are so right.....................those pumice stones do scratch, then the scratched area will stain more easily.
Cant believe i actually watched this entire Scientific video. I need a life. Thank you for keeping me glued to my phone for the Scientific resolve to the issue. Man , I really, really need a life.
LOL right!
Don't feel bad. Welcome to the cool kids club of old farts anonymous 😄Dear Lord I don't know when I went from checking out hot chicks at the mall to being glued to a video about how to keep my toilet clean. but it happens to the best of us. 😂
I damn near died when it hit me that listening to Iron maiden and Metallica is today is like our parents listening to 50s music as a kid😭 someone shoot me😭
Honey for some of us this is our life….
Pooping is a part of life. We spend alot of our times on toilets. You're improving the quality of your life by improving your toilet experience!
I'm with ya , need a life 😂
For everyone who teased about the gentleman cleaning this toilet....I for one appreciate all the effort he put into trying to show us the why and wherefore of that disgusting toilet ring and the best way to combat it.
I never had to clean toilet. When my husband was drafted 6 months after we married. When he came back he always cleaned the toilet, I cleaned the rest. He cleaned several times a week.
Me too. I clean houses for a living and I so appreciate the work he put into it
@@TinleyDrewDearmon1 what a jerk
Good 4you
muriatic pool acid within 5 mins
To help keep your toilet from getting rings this is what I do: After cleaning bowl I will drain bowl of water than dry with am old towel. Afterwards I will wax the inside the toilet bowl with Turtle wax. It will keep your bowl clean for months.
What about using a newer car coating technology like Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating??
Lovi eaves cornith ms
Turtle wax makes you turds slide right down, corn and all.
@@Texasgirl10Growing - pour lots of water into it.
Genius! I have this problem all the time! I have just always just cleaned it with reg toilet bowl cleaner!
I used LIME-A-WAY from your video on my toilet bowl over two weeks ago. First of all after applying it and letting it sit there for about 15 minutes, I took the SCOTCH BRITE Blue scouring pads and the stain ring around the water line wiped off as if it was a spill. Tomorrow will be three weeks since I cleaned it with this miracle product and still no recurring stain has returned.
BUT, after spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time?
ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at.
This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved!
Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
Did it work?
Today is 11-23-24 and, after 3 weeks after I put a thin coat of Synthetic Lubricant where the ring stain might appear again, there is NO ring stain appearing ! Did I actually figure out how to stop toilet ring stains from reappearing ?! I will wait another 3 weeks to see what happens........
@@jrxvo6080I’m going to try your method and see if it works for me! Wish me luck! 🤞
Now, the abrasive Scotch Brite has added tiny microscopic scratches to the smooth ceramic glaze of the toilet, and that gives all the minerals normally found in water, and all the other bacteria and other crap normally found in... crap, little micro crevices to hang onto and grow faster. Your ring problem has now developed an addiction to Scotch Brite. This addiction will escalate, and soon you'll have to use #400 grit emery cloth.
The fact that I am watching this on New Year's Eve is proof that my life has gone horribly wrong.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 same here
Or down the toilet
same here
Hell, I'm watching New Year's day! Eeeeeekkkk!!!
Me:New Years Day. And...I don't even clean often or well! How sad is my life?? Happy 2019!
I’m convinced it because the poorer quality of porcelain they are using in manufacturing now!
I never had trouble with a ring until my toilet was replaced in recent years
Maybe...
Agree!
I wondered about that. We have a thirty year old toilet that stays cleaner than the other one which is three years old. Did they make smoother porcelain back then?
BUT, after spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time?
ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at.
This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved!
Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
it’s a fact !!!! greed !!!!!
Taking toiletry to a whole new level. You're a toilet scientist, sir!
BUT, after spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time?
ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at.
This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved!
Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
5 years later, Clorox finally came up with their "Clinging Bleach Gel." Let me tell you, it does work without scrubbing. My toilet was brand new and it started developing the ring after a few months. So, it's not about having old vs new. but. appreciate you taking the time to demonstrate this.
I used the clorox stamp in gel that cleans every flush on my brand new toilets in our hard water and nada, didn't work. I was the sole user of the toilets and used the gel stick blobs, and voila rings.
Agreed. Same here. The gel keeps it clean and now I only clean with a brush every 3 months or so
It started staining my toilet with a black stain. My mom read the toilet instructions and they recommend NOT to use Clorox gel. It’s bad for the porcelain
@@breevellalos This guy did NOT figure out how to STOP the stains from reappearing :-( BUT I figured out how to STOP those stains from reappearing by using my own clever ingenuity! if you want to know what I used to stop the rings from reappearing just asked me.
@JJ.ANDERSEN.201 I just got that and used it. it is good, but imma try the turtle wax and see.
Takes a real man to make a video on a topic many would never dream of appearing in. I think it's cool because real life includes problems like this.
Ah! At last! The practical sciences, what we need to know, cleanliness is next to godliness. Thank you.
Right-on!& Yep they sure do lol
stupid comment - most janitors are men
Never combine comet with bleach!!
he is the owner of a maid cleaning company and sells training courses to housecleaners online
This is actually good (domestic) science. The fellow makes hypotheses, does tests, reaches rational conclusions. Give him credit.
Totally agree. He didn't really solve the problem from a cleaning standpoint just like the modern-day science "religion" can't solve all scientific problems, but they believe they can. Personally, I (or he OCD in me), would have put some bleach in that toilet bowl and left it there for two weeks and then waited for another two weeks to see what happened. Just my unimportant OCD thought. A cleaning service does not have that option as there might be young children or other circumstances to prevent this action.
Absolutely! I watched the entire thing :) I think it's cool he tried solving the issue.
Well, though I got impatient and skipped through the last 3/4 of the video, I don't think he said whether the toilet had been in use in the intervening two weeks. In scientific reporting you can't leave out variables, no matter how icky they may be. Nor did he say by whom. Some urine leaves more crystalline precipitate than others. So there's a little science here, but it's not quite Faraday-class.
What about hard water? I would have checked sinks for a sign of rust and shower glass for spots. I would also talk to neighbors to see if they have a softening system to help with hard water.
Being in the cleaning business for 35 years now , I have found that the best way to prevent these rings is to scrub under the rim really good. Make sure all those little holes are clean and free of mold. This is where all the trouble begins
Interesting life lesson to share. Anything more than a ring in a toilet, such as excessive mold, is often a sign of high blood sugar in the occupants. My husband is diabetic and when he went off his meds, I kept having a big mold problem and could not figure it out until he got his blood sugars corrected. Just a little FYI. Thanks for the solutions to the problem.
now that's good info.
That's amazing, thanks for the heads up
@@violet2048 The excessive minerals in water that hard is what causes it. If it suddenly became a problem and never seemed to be before, first thing is to check your water softener to assure its working properly. When this occurs in the toilet, it's most likely doing it in all the appliances you own that require water😳
Wow! That happened to me too!!! When my blood sugar was outta wack!! I was cleaning several times a week and wondering why!! Realized it was all the sugar in my urine!! When there was the shortage on Ozempic 😮
@@la196 No water softener. Husband said no for years, now he's gone and I can't afford $7,000.00. Yep that's the price in California. And that doesn't include the permit or what it will do to my property taxes.
I had a friend who had a car detail business come in and he drained my toilet and applied a rubbing compound to the bowl to clean it then he applied a ceramic coating to it and let it cure overnight. Ever since he did that nearly three years ago nothing sticks to the bowl and no ring appears at all. It was the best $35 I spent.
That is a great idea!
did all that only35.
WOW, I AM CALLING AROUND BUT I BET IT WILL COST ME MORE THAN THAT.
I plan to try a dry erase pad in a circular motion. I am going to use my ceramic car wash (which is FIRE on my car, used correctly) and see what happens. Thanks!
I have been using Lime Away for years. It is the only thing that I found to work with the hard water stains in my area. It does not, however, prevent the stains from coming back quickly.
I had that going on and we bought a new toilet. The black ring came back on a new toilet. So when my plumber was here to follow-up other pluming things he had done, I showed him the black ring. He said I had a hard water issue and said he could install an additional part to my water softener that would cover Iron build-up. It worked like a charm. No more black ring.
Will the iron stick to a magnet in the tank behind the toilet?
@@lewis9888 It isn't metallic iron, it is an iron compound which isn't magnetic.
Another solution would be no more white toilets. All black.
I never thought I'd sit thru an entire video on toilet cleaning, 😆but you're so funny and personable it was actually fun to watch. Good job! 🌸
I never thought I would either 🎉
@@KerryCahill-n2usame here too😅
I keep a spray bottle with 100% white vinegar and a little Dawn. Once a day, after flushing, I spray the water line before it completely refills. No scrubbing. Works good between cleanings.
This seems better.Less work!
Great idea!
Makes sense since this works in the shower for lime, calcium and other build up! Where I live has hard water so build up is an issue.
Such a vexing problem. It's the new low flow toilets I think. Never remember this problem.
I use the anti-bacterial blue spray by Method. After the fill water stops, give a spritz, let it slide down the porcelain to the water line by itself. Leave it until the next use. Actually, I think it's only once a day needed, but faithfully.
If the line has formed, try a swipe with the corner of a bar of Lava soap, a dedicated bar you hide nearby, obviously.
There's pumice in Lava bar soap. No need to use a pumice stone , the bar soap far less harsh.
Or, sprinkle Ajax or comet or barkeepers friend , and leave it without flushing, until the next use.
I don't like having to use so much, the big holes on the can and all.
Might be better to use a dollar store squeeze bottle with a tip, less waste because you have better control. Experiment.
Maybe add water to the Barkeepers Friend, keep it in a squeeze bottle, let it run down the side to the water level. I think BKF has oxalic acid.
It's letting water not stand, break the standing surface. Otherwise, a line forms.
Use tissue around the water line, then spray. The tissue will hold the spritzed
spray against the porcelain surface, until the next use. Might only be once a day for this.
We're spending a small fortune with this stuff. Manufacturers need to figure it out. With low flow, it's probably that they need to allocate more water to the bowl.
We need to contact the manufacturers, why is this happening?
I think I will try that.
HAD a 40 yr old toilet, and NO probs. The building owner of my apartment decided I needed a new toilet. Now after a few months with a NEW toilet, I find I need to scrub every 3 days, and .....NOW I have a ring! The old toilet I scrubbed about once a month, but only cause I imagined it a necessity. Same manufacturer, but new toilets are now made in Mexico. Need a new toilet? Buy an old one from 'American Standard'.
I congratulate the poster of this video. You gave complete and honest information despite not getting the ideal outcome. If there is pitting, you have to put up or clean more often or buy a new toilet. That's just the way it is
They sell kits to refinish the porcelain.
I must be bored... I'm watching this while being quarantined and eagerly waiting to find out the results!
What was the results
@@davecooley2675 don't know
It's minerals in the water causing the ring.
Impressed with the head almost in the bowl! That is dedication.
Steve Cousins 😂🤣
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 yepp
Chin on the rim!
@@raybuck8260 that made me shiver, I am hoping he washed his face and neck after that YUCK!!! I do give him props for his dedication to solving his toilet issue.
this is how corona virus started !!!
Lived in an 100 yr old house before downsizing, never had a water buildup issue. Moved into a 5 yr old condo, not only had this happening in the three toilet bowls, but also had build up on shower head and kitchen faucets. Dish drain and dishwasher had lots of funky staining. Had water analyzed and got a whole house water treatment/softener system. Within a week all bowls and faucets clean, worked like a charm! No need to often scrub, just drop a cleaner in tank and maintains bowl clean with every flush.
Old fixtures were built to last.
That ring has nothing to do with the age of the house or the fixtures. The stains are caused by hard water (mineralized water). If you live in a place with naturally soft water, or if you add a water softener to a home with hard water, the rings will not form. If your water is hard, and untreated, the rings will form, and the only solution is daily cleaning with some sort of acidic cleaner (like the CLR used in the video, or vinegar, or muriatic acid) If you let the toilet sit uncleaned for weeks, the hard water evaporates, and the minerals become concentrated in the remaining water. The minerals (usually some variety of calcium) naturally collect on the porcelain as the water evaporates.
Same. I never experienced this until I bought a new home. It is ridiculous. My old homes never had this happen.
I have 2 toilets. One is 50 years old and the other 15. The 15 year old toilet developed similar problems and my blame is the newer toilets do NOT have as good of a porcelain coating. The newer toilets are designed to develop these problems as you stated every 10 years for the purpose of a need to replace them more often. My advice, keep the 50 year old toilets if you can. The 50 year old toilet is not only painted better, but is also insulated and will not sweat in the summer.
Agree
what do you mean about sweating? Sounds like the toilet for Prince Andrew
Same here. Newer toilet has a constant stain and old toilet does not
Within weeks of installing 2 new Kohler toilets we had rings…
I bought an American Standard toilet that did this in first week of install.
I've bought many of those scouring sticks.
We have three toilets in our home. One has been there since the home was built in 1989. It has NO stains or pits. One is about 20 years old and has NO stains or pits. The third one is about 4 years old and HAS stains AND pits. So I think it's also the quality of the material in the toilet. The stained toilet is one from Home Depot and it's very hard to keep it clean...
Older toilets used more water, tended to dilute the minerals in the water more and were less subject to blockages than the stupid EPA 1 gallon flush toilets. The porcelain was more substantial in the older toilets, but a glass fired glaze doesn't depend on thickness but simple surface integrity.
We have an old upstairs toilet connected to old steel piping that will form a red/black ring if not used frequently. (The inside of that tank is also rust colored) The other two have copper piping and the one that's rarely used gets a whitish calcium ring. All three are easily cleaned with mild chemical solutions, HOT water and a brush.
@UCpXNRPl4KpPg0IDSvIa1XSg and P Schmied, We keep the Clorox tabs in every toilet. All are plumbed with the same type of pipe. The oldest one, that stays the cleanest is the old style 3 GPF toilet. I doesn't really make sense that more water equals a cleaner toilet, since the same percentage of minerals are in 3 gallons of water that are in 1 gallon.
You are absolutely correct , If they use a low quality glaze and/or not put it on heavy enough B4 firing it in the kiln , is definitely a contributing factor
@Pun Jab IIt can't be the water as the same water is going into all three toilets.
@Bill Brown I have a whole house filter and a water softener installed. If that was the problem, all the toilets would get dirty, not just one.
I was cleaning a Dr's house weekly. At least 3 people used one toilet. Always a black ring. My boyfriend is a diabetic who let his sugar run wild. His toilet always had a black ring too. I mentioned to the Dr maybe someone was having high blood sugars. 4 months later she got checked out and was running 700 to 800 blood sugars!!! All that sugar in urine promotes bacteria growth in the toilet and needs cleaned more than weekly.
I came to see if someone mentioned diabetes. When my sugar is wonky I get the black ring as well!
Wow! I'm going to test my husband's blood sugar!
TY for the advice. I am borderline so I will keep an eye out for any black ring.
Chin on toilet makes me want to upchuck
My solution to clean a toilet--in clean water pour in bleach- then lay tissue partially in water and ip sides- all the way around- don’t use toilet for 8 hours or more- Flush and it will B clean- never fails- if under edge use brush there
I do understand the hard work that went into this video and appreciate you showing us the cause of the ring. My solution to getting rid of the ring and cleaning my toilet is so much easier without ever using a brush. The ring is common for all of us unless you are using a whole house filtered water supply that removes all of the lime and hardness in the water. I do not have that and use a very simple solution. So there are a few general toilet bowl cleaners and they work if you allow them to work. So before I go to bed at night I use the toilet bowl cleaner and all around the inside of the toilet bowl lip and let it sit over night and into the next day when you get ready to use it again. You will find the toilet bowl completely clean, no scrubbing is required.
What toilet bowl cleaner do you use, please?
@@henriettalowe4689Either the clorox or lysol and it works great on tile and tubs that needed it too. I squirt it on and let it sit overnight for most of the toilet bowls. Rarely do I ever need to use a brush to clean them.
I use Zep and do have to use a toilet brush but it comes right off fairly easily. I have hard water though.It's less work than brushing your teeth.@@henriettalowe4689
not an option for a live septic system...unless you use a wet-vac to drain the bowl and trap in the morning
A man obsessed with the cleanliness of his toilet is a beautiful thing.
John Butner Love your comment, and I agree!👍
Unless he is married to a woman that is full of crap.
@@larryhinze2557 marriage is always full of crap
If he’s waiting 2 weeks to clean it, I don’t think he’s obsessed.
@@MrsButtersworth82 he stated this was a client's toilet, apparently the owner of the toilet has a cleaning service come every two weeks.
We had a summer rental and the toilet was always dirty even with in the tank additives. It was very old so I asked a plumber he suggested to use hot (not boiling) vinegar soaked paper towels to line, penetrate and disinfect ring area. Then let dry overnight.
Next day use silicone for fish tanks (use gloved finger to spread over ring area.) It fills the crevices but, is clear and won't show. We never got rings again. The owner even called us about it when we left and was very grateful as her whole house had same issues.
Thanks. That sounds smart and nontoxic. Will do.
I have those black rings and was told it was from the black plastic that they use inside the toilets now
Apple cider or white vinegar
I had a similar thought... after the ring has been cleaned, put something on the surface to fill in the pitted surface. The first things that came to mind were a spray-on furniture wax (like Pledge) or a car wax.
Ok , 2 notes here. My new toilets ( 2 less than 1 year old ) do this. And 2nd why does it on,y occur at water line at top and not entire filled area? Seems related to oxygen at surface? But all this shallow water would have oxygen also? Maybe solution is something in water that floats at surface???
Maybe we float a drop of say Dawn on top after each flush? Ot drop of Clorox? We are on well water w a water Softner FYI!
At work the toilets are cleaned everyday, and some still have rings. I may start using the bartender's friend every two weeks. I watched this video because I was genuinely interested. I appreciate the information and the visuals.
I aspire to be this passionate about something work-related in the future.
Got some rentals and a renter left some “rust away behind”.I brought it home and wow. Works great on the hard water drip marks and ring. No scrubbing.
Great video, I have a toilet that is about 70 years old, and I have very hard water here in Whittier, Ca. It does get a ring at water level sometimes. But, I brush it every time, after I use it. It is very clean, so far. I have used every thing, under the sun, to clean it, including (Coke a Cola), which works well, by the way. But, I brush it every time, after I use it. Just the toilet brush and water is all that it needs. Keep up the good work!! BOB R
that's just nuts. But whatever works.
That's crazy cleaning it after every time you use it
Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I appreciate the video and the effort you put in the experiment. I've been using pumice stones in my toilets due to hard water for over 25 years. They work well with no etching, and we've never had to change a toilet because the surface was pitted or scratched. One of the main reasons for the pumice stone is our septic system. Pumice stones clean nicely and don't hurt it. Everyone needs to make sure what type of system they're on, septic or sewer, before using cleansers on their toilets. You need to make sure that any products used are safe for the system you have. Check the labels and search the internet. With our septic system, we have to be very careful with the microbial balance in our septic tank. The wrong types of products flushed down the toilet affect that balance and the parts of the system itself causing costly damage.
Ppl
Darn tootin! Whose the one now with a flush complexion?
I’ve used pumice stones for 30 years. Never scratched the porcelain. The only way to control the line forming is to clean it every 3 or 4 days. 30 seconds. That’s it.
Non toxic / safe for cats and dogs who prefer the toilet to their water bowls😑
I use what ever cleaners work best. I am on a septic and I just have it pumped out every two years.
What about vinegar or peroxide
I struggled with nasty toilet rings for years because we such have very hard well water. My husband scraped the calcium ring off with the pumice stone. To maintain the sparkly porcelain finish, I put a cup of powdered dish detergent in the toilet tank (not the bowl) once a week. A swish with the brush only once a week, keeps the toilet sparkling clean. If dish detergent keeps your porcelain dishes clean without scrubbing, it will also keep your porcelain toilet bowl clean.
I don't know of any powdered dish soaps?
The problem is, people who have bidets don't need a squirt of water with powdered dish detergent in it.
Do you mean dishwasher detergent?
At first I thought ‘do I really need to watch 17 minutes on cleaning my toilet ring’? But I’m glad I did, and kudos on spending 3+ weeks gathering the research!
I click on Closed Caption as I read fast, set it on 2+ speed and watch. Much better than spending 17 minutes.
A lot of it can be skipped.
@@Jibbie49 Now THIS is some life-changing advice. I'm using 2+ CC on everything. Thank you, Jibbe49, you have changed my life for the better.
@@Dethmeister Yes, I do that too, on some parts of videos.
Hmm, I thought it was just necessary to scrub once a week. All of my toilets have needed once a week cleaning, old and new. My mother taught me to scrub once a week. EDIT: Thanks for the in-depth, high quality video. You really put your all into this video.
You just addressed a problem I've been having with one of our toilets. And I've tried everything, I thought. Bleach seemed to do the best. But, then it comes back. Well, now I know about the pitting. Thanks...
As a car detailer, car paint has microscopic pores in it, that end up doing the same thing, catching dirt. So what we detailers do is to close up those pores by using compounds that wear down the paint so the pores are shallower and then polish it over. So in this application, I would add bleach to the water and let it sit for about 10 mins with water at level, then flush and clean as normal, that's just the cleaning part, now you need to fill in those tiny pits, my guess would be a some sort of ceramic filler or a ceramic coating that coats the entire bowl. Just a thought from a detailer's perspective.
I read that some use auto wax to plug that pitting with good results.
Very informative, describes the problem I had. After scrubbing it with Barkeepers friend, about every 2-3 days I spray it with Clorox Cleanup. KEEPS it clean until I scrub again to get hard water marks off.
Water softener sometimes helps.
If you try a little boat wax on the water line when it's clean. That fills in the pits keeping that water line cleaner loner. But you do have to reapply after every cleaning. Great for older units.
Never done that but had thought of if but what to use? Thank you.
Yup. Alternatively, Gel Gloss was designed for this kind of application.
I have to give you a great 'thumb's up' for taking the time to work on this problem that we all have in our hard-water areas like Phoenix. Great effort and results. Thank you.
By keeping the toilet tank clean, keeps the toilet clean. Pour in 2 cups of Cleaning White Vinegar before you go to bed so it can soak & neutralize the scum & deposits within the tank. By doing this monthly it will help keep your toilet clean. Thanks!
@@susanjsnook7826 ...or you could have proper water filtration installed for the price of a year's worth of cleaning agents and time wasted cleaning your toilet bowl. Turns out your faucet fixtures, skin, and hair would benefit too....
@David Wang Yep. Soft water pits ceramic super easy. My bad.
@@k3xq856 WHAT?? I just had soft water system installed. Serious?
@@kennedyadams7159 Sorry, I was being sarcastic lol
Having a sense of humor is one of the MOST ATTRACTIVE feature one can have….and it doesn’t go away with age! Love it and thanks for making so many people laugh!
I like how you show the top of your barkeepers friend that you don’t open all the holes it keeps control of how much cleanser comes out. My mother taught me that decades ago.
I had a ring like this that kept returning again and again after a couple of days, I used the WalMart Great Value Mold & Mildew Remover on this ring and it stays off for a lot longer. It does eventually come back but this is the best stuff so far that I have used and would strongly recommend it to all.
Ok, my toilets are 50 years old. Time to get rid of them. Thanks to the Maid Academy.
The pumice stone can actually badly scratch a toilet bowl (happened to 3 of mine). Only thing that improved the bowl surface was an automotive windshield glass sealer (not RainX - you'll need a ceramic coating designed to bond to glass). Applying the sealer to my bowls has dramatically reduced their tendency to create water rings. Optimum GLASS coat is available directly from Optimum Technology.
I'm going to try the ceramic coating. Never thought of that before.
Can you let us know the brand name of what worked? Thank you.
Optimum Glass Coat
Awesome idea. Where can you get such a product?
I must have some super thick porcelain toilet bowls because none of them got even a single scratch and I use the pumice stone all the time. I am done using toxic chemicals.
I used to clean homes for a living for 25 years. I noticed that homes whose toilets contained in a small closet or water closet would develop a ring faster or worse than toilets that were not contained. I attributed it to perhaps having less airflow in the closet
The toilet in our half bathroom also tends to develop mold buildup in the tank as well as along the rim, whereas the toilet in the full bathroom doesn't. Like you, I believe the problem is insufficient airflow, as the half bathroom has no HVAC vents.
Higher humidity in an enclosed space.
I agree,I never had this problem until I moved to a smaller town house.
Could also be that the windows are smaller or nonexistent, causing less or no sunlight. Sunlight kills fungus
What needs to be addressed is the inner cavity of the bowl itself by pouring a solution of distilled vinegar into the fill tube, this cleans the cavity vents around the inner top side of the toilet that fills up the toilet 😊 it could take several cleanings to kill the mold.😊
How much do you add to the tank and how often
I moved into a home that has a mineral ring and mildew issues in the toilet and mildew around the holes along with mineral depos. I cannot get off. Is it septic safe. The toilet is only 3 yrs old.
I just found your video. We live in an older home. I can't tell you how many years we've struggled with our yucky toilet. I tried the sponge using the scrubbing side (plus bleach & ajax). The nasty ring came right off!! It looks like a brand new toilet! You are amazing & thank you so much for helping us!!!
If you’re familiar with Moh’s hardness scale, you can see why the pumice stone will NOT scratch the porcelain. I’ve been using the stone for years. THE most effective!
Pumice has always amazed me. I guess it floats. I have scoured my pool porcelin and it doesn't seem to hurt it. It isn't a miracle either. Well, we all have toilets, but pools are a bigger version.
My bowl has been in this unit as a rental with limey water for decades. Its already so scored inside i could probably use orbital sander with 60 grit on it and not scratch it any worse, haha. Problem is the flooring is installed after the toilet by tenants or slumlord going up to the toilet not under it so if i replace the toity i gotta replace the vynl flooring to avoid a nasty footprint mismatch. Good thing wifey isnt toooo concerned about it and we just throw a full stick of dynamite in there before company comes. Well i think we could use dynamite ha.
The abrasive powder in most cleansers is pumice, too, so you know it won’t scratch.
Sorry but the stone scratched mine.
The other take away from this, is the new stuff (toilets included) is half as good as the old quality. And, for only twice the price. There's that progress again. Ahhh
There is something wonderful and beautiful for a woman to see, that’s to watch a man who is so dedicated to cleaning as this man is. You’ll make or you’ve made a lucky woman a great husband.
Yeah, it’s just a bait!
If he doesnt already have a wife at home im not sure why he would notice the ring c:
I cleaned homes and Businesses for years and I cleaned a store once a week..when I first started cleaning there, they had an ugly ring in the Ladies toilet in the restroom...I cleaned the toilet and got rid of the ring but to prevent the ring from coming back, I would drop by a couple nights a week after the store closed...you know what a package of powered Kool-Aid is...you know what the kids drink mixed with water...No sugar added....Get the Lemonade flavored...Pour 2 packs in the toilet and do not flush...leave overnight...someone will flush the next day...The owner asked me what I did and as long as I cleaned the store, the ring never came back...it does work!!
That's the citric acid ...vitaman C or Absobic acid
@@DDios-ih9de mop
And your dog will love it!
Good idea!👍
Wow really?
17 minute video without solving a problem that we needed answers regarding the prevention. Thanks a lot
Check the comments. You'll just have to see what works. My old house had city water and I just sprayed mold & mildew remover and let it sit. This doesn't work with my well water.
Wait ! I figured out how make that hard crusty ring stain very easy to remove next time ! :
After spending about 20 or 30 minutes removing the old crusty toilet bowl ring stain, how do you either stop the toilet bowl ring stain from reappearing or make it extremely the clean next time?
ANSWER: First, was making it so hard to remove that ring stain? Calcium buildup becomes as hard as a rock and sticks to slick services like superglue. So, all you have to do is purchase some Synthetic Lubricant that comes in a small tube at a hardware store. Then, using your fingertip, spread a very thin coat of it directly on top of where you expect the ring stain to appear again at.
This Synthetic Lubricant is crystal clear and WILL stay attached to the surface of the porcelain bowl until you wipe it off. Then, as your ring stain builds up enough to become an eyesore, simply take a paper towel and wipe it off. That’s it! Problem of how to remove those crusty ring stains within seconds has been solved!
Also, just after you finish wiping the ring stain off the Synthetic Lubricant coated surface the first two or three times, a light film of the Synthetic Lubricant will remain on the surface. But soon after that you will have to reapply another very thin coat.
@@CypressThinking Sadly true. So, to jackc's point, the video is a waste. I should have just gone to reddit in the first place since it's the AUDIENCE who helps here, certainly not this guy. Oh well, lesson learned.... not subscribing :-).
@@ellenc9935 The video helped me. I need a new toilet. I wasn't surprised. I knew it was a possibility. What did reddit say?
To be fair, he did solve the problem. Get a new toilet.
One thing that has worked for me to extend the period before a ring develops: last flush of the night as the bowl is refilling, add a small squirt of environmentally friendly dish detergent, and the action of the water will swish it around. I think it helps bacteria or whatever it is from clinging to the sides.
Agree! And people who are talking about closing there Toliet lids?( Keep them CLOSED) There's so MANY GERMS,that come from an open Toliet lid! SERIOUSLY look it up.keep flushing!
I had this problem for quite a while, then realised that the water in the cistern also had a ring plus small black debris on the bottom. I found out that the inflow hose had started to decay and was shedding tiny black rubber particles. I changed the inflow hose and solved the problem. No more bowl ring.
That could be a possibility with my toilet as well. I'm in an apartment so will check the hose and call maintenance if needed.
The inflow hoses are to be replaced every 5 years at least, they hardly ever are . Mine wasn’t, I only found out accidentally when trying to repair the toilet drip. These tiny particles also get caught between the seals and can cause the toilet to leak.
Elisabeth see it always takes a woman to figure THINGS out before a man does!! My wife asked me why is our newly installed toilet's water in the toilet bowl not as much as it used to be?! She said it also sounds louder when you flush it as its filling up! I said ok ill check it out later. Well she wouldn't wait for me to fix it so she GOOGLED it and found what was causing the low toilet bowl water level ! Here when the plumber installed the new toilet somehow the small tube with a clip on it came unclipped to the larger tube in the tank !! So she Clipped the smaller tube back onto the larger tube and it was fixed!! I said that's great honey!! Thank you !! She said sure anytime!!
When that happened to my toilet I used the pumice stone. That helped and now I wash my toilet every other day to prevent that ring. That was the solution. I think it’s the water, depending where you live if you’re closer to the ocean than you get more hard stains.
Pumice stone works and only has to be used every few months with The Works for regular cleaning.
I agree. Don’t use anything too harsh. I’m going through this now. I used a pumice after we were gone several months and am so sorry.
Former college custodian and truck stop custodian. Always wondered if a polishing wax applied after cleaning would help prevent.
Dr. Toilet’s passion for the science of toilet cleaning is amazing. I think he just invented a new scientific term “ceramic pitting”. His tireless scientific work into the research of toiletry should not go unrecognized. He should be the leading contender for the Noble prize in chemistry! 😂
Thanks :-)
Your presentation is terrific. If everyone approached life in the manner that you used to explain your topic the planet would be a better place. Thank you kind sir.
I keep a spray bottle with straight white vinegar in the bathroom. Couple of squirts around the ring line every day or so keeps the ring away.
8632tony--YES YES YES!!!
The man who put my new septic system in told me to put a pint of white vinegar in toilet & a full package of yeast packets to keep system dissolving paper& feces,well while using the white vinegar I noticed it helps keep it clean too.
I don't think using something abrasive on porcelain is a good idea.. pretty soon u will have no protection from stains.Dont wait wks to clean your toilets, like I should have to tell anyone that even if you have a service- don't be lazy- duh.
I've been thinking about using yeast because the cost of RID-X is getting out of control. The last box I bought was almost a $20 bill .... crazy... and basically that's what RID-X is ... yeast, as I understand it..
@@LoneWolf-yp2mo the man who had to dig up& replace my septic system said to me Not to use Rid X,that plain old bakers yeast- the 3 packet strip along w a quart of white vinegar every month will do it.he said bc I have a water softener & septic tank that ridX wouldn't do the job,and that what I was using before my septic crash& back up.this gentleman has been in the business since he was a young man& is at least retirement age so I believe him.Also my mother would put the 3packet strip in the toilet and didn't have a problem..Old ways might just be the best ways😄
I've heard that many times ! I'm going to buy some yeast and vinegar and give it a try ! Rid-X has gone up to $20 for a small box. As far as I know, yeast is cheap ..... or at least effective !!
Most realistic toilet cleaning video on UA-cam.
Our toilet ring problem was actually in the tank! It had moldy mildewy stuff in it along with red algae. We just scrubbed it good and followed up with a couple of toilet tablets. The tank was clean and it also stopped the reoccuring ring in the bowl as well. It's been months since, but now we know what to look for if it returns again. Usually happens in the summer when the incoming water is warmer etc. We have a treatment system/softener on our water supply and there is no chlorine left afterwards. We started putting a cup of bleach in our toilet tanks every couple of months. Seems to work very well.
That's where the problem is in the tank, this guy never looked in the tank
Did you use anything special to clean the tank?
@@iamshewhowalksalone820 Nothing special. Just a cup of bleach to kill the bacteria or other slime in the tank. The next flush or two gets rid of the bleach. Doesn't return for several months.
@@789295 Thank you!
I don't ordinarily use chemicals, but it would be nice to get rid of this ring.
I believe mine too, comes from the cistern.
It's not a permanent stain. It's just developing via the cistern somehow.
This was a very interesting video...particularly because several of my viewers asked about the ring in their toilets and I was doing a little research about how to handle it. I like the Bar Keepers Friend idea with the green pads because when I've tried the regular cleaners, it fades the ring but doesn't completely get rid of it. I'll also recommend that they clean their toilets more often. Maybe every couple of days or possibly try vinegar in the toilet bowl overnight. Thank you so much for this information. It was really nice to see your scientific approach!
Bar Keeper Friend cleans so we'll on so many areas!
Sadly, some of us older folks can’t go all night without using the toilet.
That is very helpful; thank you! I've got toilets that are 40 years old; they flush great, BUT the one in the guest bathroom has a ring that doesn't go away no matter how hard you scrub (or with what). And yes, I have hard water of pH 8.5 and have tried pretty much everything out there, including vinegar/baking soda. Luckily for me, I don't care about it enough to waste my time scrubbing the toilet every few days. Oh well...if guests are disturbed by it, they can go find another toilet! LOL
Muriatic acid with water does a real wonder cleaning a bunch of stains and hard water deposits. Pour a bunch of the acid into the water, swirl it around, and fill the toilet so its fuller (past the fill line at the very least). Let it sit for 20 minutes, go and give it small scrubs here and there. Don't breathe in the fumes, its harsh. Flush and you should be good. Vinegar is a very weak acid, pretty much useless. Muriatic acid is some crazy good stuff.
@@Vortechtral Seriously dangerous fumes!! Please tell us the AMOUNT used in tiny amount of water in the toilet! Seriously etches concrete!! "A bunch of the acid" could take a person's life!!!!
i have hard water, a septic system, and three toilets. my best weapon is my stainless steel scour pad- made with heavy-gauge stainless- not the wimpy ones that are hairy like steel- wool. works like a charm and doesn't mess with the septic digestion.
Clean the tank too. For hard water stains I like the Lysol lime and rust remover in the black bottle. It's with the other bowl cleaners and Target usually has a pretty good deal.
Will this work using well water?
@@moorejazznowdepending on where you are well water can be very hard or not so much. It should work although you may need to apply, scrub, rinse a couple of times.
This suggestion for periodic cleaning seems OK. I used to use various tank-mounted cleaners, but found that over time they all caused the tank apparatus to deteriorate, requiring premature replacement in whole or part. They were not totally effective at removing red stains, either. That was a decade ago plus or minus, so maybe the cleaners and/or apparatus have improved. I suggest that anyone using mounted tank cleaners monitor what they are doing to the innards.
Jeff Owen make sure you don’t use anything too strong, it can ruin the inside parts of the toilet. I had to replace the insides twice.
It happens with new toilets too. I use the NeverScrub device that hangs in the tank, and a hose runs into the filler tube. This keeps the chlorine tablets from ruining the rubber seals on the flapper valve. The tablets can last up to 60 days and really help to keep that calcium ring off the toilet!
So do i. Never had this problem on a 16yr old toilet.
I bought my house several years ago. It's a 70-year-old house. One of the toilets had a terrible looking ring that I could not get rid of. I bought everything under the Sun to attempt to get rid of this ring. I finally came across some stuff, about a year ago, called "Restore 4". Plunged the toilet out and brushed the stuff on. The ring disappeared. It looks like new and the ring has never come back. Two stores that I know have this "Restores 4" is Ross's Dress 4 Less and Menards. Periodically you can also get it at Big Lots. It's also great for sinks and tubs.
Just found in on Amazon (Restore4)
I love this video. So I figured after your inspection with the magnifying glass the issue is mold. So I scrub and scrub, used the pumice stone and wala a sparking bowl. Then I coated the bowel with Graphene ceramic wax, then I installed sparkle and flush-(system)with BLEACH, plus a bleach tab in the tank. After 2-weeks the bowl is staying sparkling clean. I think bleach works best as a maintenance additive to kill the sticking mold and bacteria. I’ll wax the bowl with Graphene ceramic monthly to see if this is in fact the solution plus continue to use the sparkle and flush system.
I am Soo glad no you did this video! Even though I doubt seriously if any of my customers past or present will see it and and apologize to me! I have been a cleaning lady for over 20 yrs! I have tried all the things you did! One lady has the scouring bar she asked me to use..and was furious when she realized it scratched! For some folks when I explained that their toilet needed replacing..well that was the last straw and they let me go!😄Goodbye I said to the toilet that I had tried to keep clean for many years! So yes I see the lovely cleaning crews with their cute little uniforms! I started that way and they look so young! I truly feel for you and wish you the best! I retire next year! I hope I can finally be rid of toilet nightmares!👍🙋♥️🕊️🕊️🕊️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
L L v
1500 grit sandpaper removed what appeared to be pitted porcelain but was in fact pitting of a very thin calcium buildup at the waterline. The toilet has been in use since 1954. It's been about a month now and the ring has not returned. 1500 grit is usually used to smooth automotive paint finish. It didn't do a thing to the porcelain, but the calcium buildup was quite visible on the sandpaper as a white powder.
@@discobear5752 great info. Thank you!
@@discobear5752 it seems like this would scratch it up.
Ppl don't think that same thing they use on their feet would scratch their toilet? 🤦♀️ LOL
I learned that when I was little.
I have to thank everyone for the comments. I have just spent about 15 minutes reading them and laughing so hard that I have tears streaming down my cheeks.
Bless his heart for trying. Yep, I just realized I watched the whole video. There must be something else I should be doing....LOL Love ya for keeping my attention.
USE MURIATIC ACID ...
I have really hard water and after a week, a thick dark water line would appear. I bought one of those descaling magnets that you can put in your toilet reservoir. Now, it will be several months before it gets to the point that it used to after a single week. To clean, I turn off the water and drain the bowl. I soak some toilet paper in vinegar and place it all around the bowl on the ring. Let it sit for 30m. Come back later and scrub off the ring. Sometimes a little bit still remains and I just add some more vinegar soaked tp onto it for a bit longer. But in general, after adding that magnet, the cleaning process has become so much easier too.
I am a ceramics instructor. I make dolls and various other things. The worst thing for your toilet is to use cleanser and scrubbies. Instead, use the cleaner for glass top stoves and a "cleaning erasure". You wont pit the toilet, or remove the glaze. Also, after cleaning the toilet, put some olive oil or any liquid cooking oil on a soft cloth and rub around the water line.
Any type of oil/grease in your sewer line is asking for trouble.
Using a spray cleaner that has chlorine bleach in it will keep the ring from ever coming back after you have scrubbed the toilet. Spray every other day without rinsing, including under the rim, works like a charm. Been doing this for years and it works. The black ring is mold and mildew (sewer organisms) caused by hard water. You will find the same residue mold inside drain and sewer pipes. It’s not just pitting that exasperates the problem, new toilets can also get the same ring, know this as fact. I would tell my customers to continue with spraying after maids had cleaned, they were happy with the results. Don’t use that pumice stone, it eventually will sand away the protective enamel coating, making it more porous where mold and mildew have an easier way to hide in nicks and crannies and it will grow quickly.
exacerbates not exasperates. I'm exasperated at this toilet ring problem.
We have the same problem in Gilbert, Az ( suburb of Phoenix). I used a pumice stone for several years until I discovered an easy way , labor free. Squirt the Clorox gel toilet bowel cleaner along the rim where water comes out , because it builds up there too and then another squirt all around the ring right above the that appears and leave it for an hour or so , even longer if you want and it disappears completely. To prevent it coming back , do it wants a week .. Once it id gone you can also use a brush and then squirt around the ring and leave it . .
Vance: I follow weed em and reap on y.t.
Their 1 acre farmette is in Gilbert,Az.😀
I watched this video a long time ago, at least a year ago. I was amazed at how his method got rid of the ring in my toilet. It has just now started coming back. I just watched this again to refresh my memory. Many, many thanks for this. I really appreciate your advise.
I appreciate your thoroughness! I have found this to be terribly frustrating! I scrub, pumice and Bar Keeper Friend only to find the return of the "familiar"... I guess this has not only been me....
Thanks for this video. We have toilets that are over 90 years old and they do not have this problem. We have a toilet that is about 20 years old
with this problem. I think as you observed, the porcelain on the new toilet is pitted and the pits form a nucleus for mineral precipitation. I think our new toilet porcelain did not have the quality of the porcelain on our old toilets and so mineral ring deposits (mainly CaCO3) form more quickly. One thing that will damage porcelain is NaOH (lye). Often you can observe tubs that have been etched by using drain cleaners that containing lye that was allowed stand in contact with the tub.
Our toilet is made of pine wood. Never had this problem with it. It's about 75ft from the house. Never been cleaned and it still looks new. Did recently have to replace the door though.
Just wear a coat. Does it stink? Only if you breathe.@dianem7677
😂😂😂
@dianem7677 put a pound of lime in it every month. Kills the odor. Too cold wear a coat. My 1st year of grade school was 1st time using a toilet inside.
🤪🤪🤪🤪. Love it 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
Too funny.
You're the real MVP. Seriously, your enthusiasm is commendable here. Thanks for the excellent video!
Thank you for taking the time to try out the different solutions and for documenting the information so clearly.
The best way I found so far is using a 600 grit sandpaper and so far the black mold has not been back. As it is a very fine grit, you have to scub it many times. The advantage is that the ceramic remains shiny. This is the same grit used to polish a car paint.
Thank you very much.
Excellent video, greatly appreciate your taking your time to show different products to rid us of the ring.
Used same pumice stone you showed for years. You would be amazed how good that porcelain durability is.
Nice presentation, and your analysis was very useful!
The micro-pitting WAS on the toilets in my home, and I used a glass-polish compound (from an auto-parts store) after drying the toilet out and that helped. I noticed that "Coaching with Kelly" suggested wax and that made me think about the polish.
We have well-water and the iron/calcium was getting stuck in those pits and hardening like little diamonds.
So did that work for you? I have same problem.
Thanks for this video/experiment. I’ve heard that cleaning it and then putting wax around the ring can prevent the stain from coming back as frequently. I’ve heard this can last for up to 6 months.
I will be trying your idea. Thank you.
I had this happen. If the water sits in the bowl too long then mineral deposits form a ring stain. I poured CLR liquid into the bowl and let it set overnight and then lightly scrubbed the bowl in the morning and flushed toilet and ring was gone. No fuss no mess and no pumice stone scratches. Be sure not to use the CLR spray as it is diluted and infective.
Must use a chemical to clean deep down into the pitted ring area. Seal the toilet with a sealer to prevent the ring from coming back. Or buying a new toilet and sealing it .
I also checked out the tank for buildup. I clean that twice a year, and found it helps. Mostly I clean the bowl more often than two weeks.
Since all three of my "water saver" toilets had the "recurring rings", I purchased flush kits that had adjustable components ("flapper" flush valve and bowl fill tube valve). By adjusting the "flapper" for a short interval flush time and the bowl fill valve for a more limited fill time, I achieved a "random" bowl water level result, thus rarely allowing the water level in the bowl to remain at the same level. After months now, the rings gradually faded with each cleaning and are now gone. It SEEMS that the rings MAY have involved organisms that live in the pitting. It SEEMS that they can't survive without the CONTINUAL critical balance of air and water that apparently occurs only with a consistent water line. It SEEMS that having a water line that is inconsistent destroys the "habitat" for the "little microbial monsters" accordingly. (Note: This adjustment requires "skillfully" holding the flush lever a bit longer when you do a "big job" & shorter for "little jobs". It also seems to save water & thus $$$.)
I think all the good ideas are in the comments.
(1) It SEEMS we need a variable flushing mechanism?
(2) Noted.
"Water saver toilet" never has this ring issue till we got this type of toilet a couple of months ago.
@@AQ22W very good idea.
Our first “water saver” toilet is impossible to keep clean. I hate it we have hard water and I so many toilet lines. The worst part is we don’t use that bathroom daily so it evaporates too.
Over the last three years we replaced all of our toilets. Immediately, all four continued to do this very thing. It’s my opinion it’s due to hard water. We’re now considering a whole house water softener system.
White vinegar and baking soda work great. Pour in some vinegar. Add baking soda, a bit at a time (watch it bubble), then leave it for a while. Brush as usual.
Hydrogen peroxide also does a great job. I had an old container that I wanted to get rid of, so I emptied it into the toilet, before putting the container in with the plastic for recycling. I let it sit, then brushed it, as usual. Nice and clean.
I like these two methods because I think they're easy on the environment.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that there hasn't been a ring in my toilet since I started using the above methods. There was when I used Windex. I also put baking soda in the toilet tank, every so often. Oh, and my toilet is over thirty years old.
Correct.
A ring appears with a whole house soft water softener also. My suspect is the water if it happens to this many toilets. Mine is brand new!
A whole house water softener didn't stop my toilets from forming those ugly rings..live in Phoenix.
I have the same issue with the softener system whole house
We live with a well, and frequently get hard water deposits... not bad for a well, but we get them. The toilet was awful. Not just the ring, but basically stained everywhere the water was. So, I tried Dr. Pepper!! I poured a 2 liter bottle into the bowl slowly, no prep before hand. Left that overnight, maybe even 24 hours. Then I used the toilet brush (old, worn, but still useful) and scrubbed it out. Not only did it come clean, it's been so much better over the last year! Because of the septic, I really don't like having to ever use any chemicals. But the Dr. Pepper did a fabulous job!
Here’s a small issue you may also wish to consider (especially in older homes or rentals):
We all clean our toilet bowls, mind you the frequency varies, but have you ever cleaned the tank?
After I sold my house and moved into a retirement apartment, the toilet bowl would get brown algae insanely fast.
Popped the tank lid off and.... EWWW ICK! It looked like slow stagnant pond growth. Like brown ‘hair’.
So a few cups of bleach into the tank, wait 30 minutes, then a good scrub brush.
I didn’t have this problem in my home, but with 2 kids (and all their constant friends), the toilet got flushed way more often. So I think the less frequent use of a retired couple was the bigger contributor? Also the previous tenant was an older senior.
*another contributor was the ‘half flush or full flush’ feature on the toilet.
Mine gets the ring plus the same "dirtyness" near the top rim... I'm assuming the water in the tank or even things inside the upper rim is the culprit that keeps it coming back
Wow! That never came to mind.....great advise. Thank you. Now, I'm off to clean the toilet.
LOL
Did you ever consider that you might have hard water ? it's going to leave a deposit no matter what but a lime away type product removes it easily if done often enough
Once you get the calcification of mineral off.
Keep a brush close by, flush bowl a couple times, and put a couple drops of Dawn..in.
Swirl around to degrease and let it sit.
The body produces grease that clings to the sides. Minerals like Iron cling to the grease eventually hardening.
Using Dawn, a couple times a day keeps it from accumulating....and building up.
The tank needs to be cleaned with muriatic acid. The tank has a fungus growing in it. The fungus needs air , so that is why you see it coming back at the water / air line.
All those Toxic cleaners going into our water system and environment 😩 !!!
Can you tell me why .. when I poured Iron Out in my orange stained toilet, the stains turned black??
Back of tank too. So frustrated.
If you do this, you have to take your toilet outdoors.
Muriatic acid neutralizes quickly in the sewer. It's literally the same acid that's in your stomach.
I like the way you take a scientific, experimental approach to reach your conclusions. Use use your intellectual approach that I appreciate. I shows we need to clean the bowl about once a week for sure!
I've been a cleaner for 30 years and have been through this whole routine I've also tried clorox cleaner, the problem is hard water in the home I have clients with brand new toilets that got this way immediately. Don't you love the way 90% of the clients have toilet bowl brushes right next to the toilet and they can't manage to swish that bad boy out between cleanings 🙃
Clean the tanks.
They save it for us cleaners.😔🤦🏻♀️
I use bleach tabs in the tank.
@@mamabear9509 , bleach tabs are not good if you have a septic tank. The chlorine kills the septic bacteria that break down solid waste in the septic tank.
@@thejoyfuljoy oh I see. Not me, I'm tied into the city system.
I had the same thing.what I DID was shut the water valve off to occlude the water flow, then I flushed the toilet to get more water out of the tank.i then had gone to the .99 store and bought 2 liters of cola and let it sit. It did desolve the calcium HOWEVER..... someone had used that stupid Pumas Stone on the Ring so what that did was leave fine cuts into the ceramic toilet and that's where the bacteria rested until the next cleaning.
The cola did a great job but, again, the scratches on the bowl was the game changer for me. I went down to Lowe's and for less than $100 I switched out the toilet.
I use the old toilet in the yard as a recessed fountain.its whimsical!!
Great comment until the toilet in the yard. Yuck! Just my opinion. :)
Now there' a way to 'beat the ring.'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I want it see a picture of that fountain, please!!!
they make awesome planters too!
Just dump a bucket of water into the toilet bowl that will flush the water out of the the toilet bowl ! Then clean the bowl and flush it and the water will return to the bowl !!
Once a month, I use a power scrubbing tool (Dremmel makes one), with Barkeepers Friend. Works well and the ring is slower returning.
Dremmel? So we are talking a high rotational speed of 25,000RPM?
Very thorough. Thank you. I have the same problem, but have hard water and my toilet is more like 45 or 50 years old. And you are so right.....................those pumice stones do scratch, then the scratched area will stain more easily.