anally retentive toilet

mr218 · 4 August 2005 at 4:57PM

literally!!!

i could do with some advice regarding my toilet.

we just moved into this house a month ago and my upstairs toilet appears perpetually dirty. there always appears to be a think layer of brown stuff at the base of the toilet (i think it is !!!!).

my husband tried different things to clear this. left a limescale remover and detergent in there for 24 hrs and flushed it off. it appeared to be clean. but immediately after we used it again, the same problem reappeared in no time.

my husband feels that the enamel at the base of the toilet may have gone. so the surface is rough and it is trapping brown stuff.

do you guys have any ideas on what to do or what the reasons could be for this deposit.

do we have to replace the toilet or redo the plumbing. i dont think i can live with this 'dirty' toilet especially since we are expecting guests to stay and i am not looking forward to explaining to them the toilet problem.

thanks
meera

[Deleted User] · 5 August 2005 at 10:25AM

from reading other posts, you could have limescale at the bottom of the toilet. Try soaking it with white vinegar, which will break up the calcuim deposits, overnight is preferable.

Yes i can understand the problem with a brown toilet and visitors, dont want them thinking you don't clean it or then not want to use it. Tad embarrassing.

elona · 5 August 2005 at 10:27AM

Try white vinegar as suggested and then leave a whole bottle of bleach down the loo overnight.

If all else fails put "Bloo loo" in cistern to at least disguise it a bit.

Nile · 5 August 2005 at 10:36AM

I think that the previous occupants overdid the bleach cleaning and have destroyed the finish.

It's similar to cleaning tea stains from a mug. If you use bleach, eventually the glaze is destroyed so the mug will stain after every cuppa. If you use a denture cleaning tablet, it doesn't destroy the glaze and the mug stays cleaner for longer.

My thoughts are.........it's time to replace the toilet with a new one. Knowing what you know, you will keep it clean with a less destructive cleaning product.

If you still aren't certain about the staining, call in to a bathroom sales centre or a plumbers and ask them for advice about the toilet base. They will either confirm the above or give you advice on cleaning the existing toilet so that you are happy with the results.

IJJoseph · 5 August 2005 at 9:33PM

Caustic Soda is the best stuff I've seen for shifting stains from toilets.

aliasojo · 6 August 2005 at 8:46AM

This could also be the remains of whatever the folk before you flushed down the toilet.

I'm embarrassed to admit that when I was replacing plasterboard in the bathroom and then had to tape and fill it, I used to pick up whatever filler I had dropped with the nearby toilet roll and drop it in the toilet thinking it would just flush away.

I did the same with excess tile adhesive and grout when I was tiling. As this kind of stuff is white, it was not immediately obvious that this was going to cause a problem until a period of time passed and it started turning brown.

Eventually I had to suck out the water in the bowl with my Vax and then chip away at the hard sediment that was set hard to the bowl. Most of it came off with a lot of effort but there were bits that I just couldn't shift.

If your loo can be cleaned then gets dirty looking again, perhaps there is a coating of something down there. Best bet is to get rid of the water to check properly. If you don't have a Vax or any way of sucking the water out then it looks like a job for loads of towels!

At least then it would probably be easier to tell whether there is something stuck or whether the enamel has actually gone.

hilstep2000 · 6 August 2005 at 8:39PM

Get some "Spirits of salts" from your local chemist or hardware shop. Use rubber gloves, get rid of the water, and ppour some down. DO NOT stick your head anywhere near it, (the fumes are choking), so make sure you've left the window open. Two minutes later, all that limescale will be gone, Guaranteed!

boogiemaster · 6 August 2005 at 10:17PM

Buy a new one from BaQ for £20 and save the hassle of cleaning it.
Its easy to install and i've put my own in and i'm not a plumber.
And no its dosent leak and just be careful when you tighten the screws no to over do it.

mr218 · 6 August 2005 at 11:02PM

i read all the suggestions and thanks a lot for it. bit tired today after hiring a rugdoctor carpet cleaner (another great suggestion from the MSE board) and boy is it heavy.

i will try out the different suggestions and indeed if none of them work, i will change the loo. it is really disgusting to look at small brown deposits at the bottom of the loo even if there is no smell.

will let you all know how i get on

thanks
meera

Mr_Proctalgia · 6 August 2005 at 11:41PM

If you decide to get a new loo - Then at least in the spirit of money saving sponge the water out first and get stuck in with a screwdriver and a hammer and see if you can pop the offending stuff out. Having been there I agree that it will be a lime based plaster type substance, which will dissolve in acid, so empty the khasi and quirt a bit of vinegar on it, if it fizzes it is lime based and will dissolve with an acid, the easiest to get is kettle descaler, not the wimpy citric acid based ones, but a proper formic or hydrocloric based one - Urinal cleaner is also good.

boogiemaster · 7 August 2005 at 4:58PM

Why clean someone elses toilet? They could of had a Disease that you can catch?
Turn the water off and flush the toilet, undo the screws and put the toilet in a couple of bin bags and tip it.
Buy a new one

anally retentive toilet

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