spirits of salt instructions/help/warnings?

tudorfan22

my toilet is a thing of ugliness - never got it white since we inherited when we moved in. i see on this board a lot of people recommend spirits of salt. ive tried lemon juice/vinegar/domestos in the past but nothing touches the stains.

does anyone have any instructions on how to use spirits of salt, how much should i use, should i water it down, how long should i leave it before flushing and how long before anyone should go into the bathroom again?

thanks!

Penelope_Penguin

tudorfan22 wrote: »

does anyone have any instructions on how to use spirits of salt, how much should i use, should i water it down, how long should i leave it before flushing and how long before anyone should go into the bathroom again?

Hydrochloric acid - be very, very careful. Gloves, goggles, protect your skin and eyes.

If you're going to water it down, add the acid to watre; the other way round it may boil up.

It may fume and sting your eyes.

It's great for removing limescale deposits; not sure about stains

Penelope_Penguin

One more thing, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES mix this acis with other cleaning products. Chlorine gas can be released, which can be deadly.

maryb

You do need to be careful but as long as you are, then no need to be too frightened. Goggle are a good idea but I didn't bother as I wear glasses and they have quite big lenses (no fashionable narrow frames for me, you see)

Wearing rubber gloves (of course) I plungered out a bit of the water in the bowl (not all of it, but about half) then poured in a good slug and immediately put the lid down, left the room and shut the door, all the while holding my breath.

I left it for a day (luckily we had another loo - I realise this might be a problem if you don't but try and leave it overnight) then, holding my breath again went in and flushed the loo. I flushed it again about 2 minutes later then lifted the lid and had a look. To start with I thought it hadn't made any difference but then I had a scrub with the loo brush and all the stained limescale just flaked off. I never thought I would say this but it was a joy cleaning that loo.

Good luck

Owain_Moneysaver

It will remove the limescale, which is what is getting stained. It's very difficult for glazed pottery to stain.

Just be careful and use common sense (and gloves and goggles) - we used hydrochloric in school chemistry lessons without exploding our heads off.

esmf73

i thought that coke was supposed to have the same effect?

Penelope_Penguin

esmf73 wrote: »

i thought that coke was supposed to have the same effect?

It does - because it contains phosphoric acid If it's great at cleaning your loo, imagine what it does to your insides :rotfl:

Seakay

Where is a good place to buy spirits of salt/hydrochloric acid?
I find it hard to get ammonia, citric acid and now real borax has vanished!

maryb

I can get spirits of salts from an old fashioned hardware store but plumbers merchants always have it

I can't get citric acid anywhere - chemists won't stock it because it's used for drugs and even though a respectable grey haired woman like myself clearly (I hope!!) doesn't want it for drugs the one I asked won't order any in because if word got out that they had it or could get it they would be targeted for breakins

Penelope_Penguin

maryb wrote: »

I can't get citric acid anywhere - chemists won't stock it because it's used for drugs and even though a respectable grey haired woman like myself clearly (I hope!!) doesn't want it for drugs the one I asked won't order any in because if word got out that they had it or could get it they would be targeted for breakins

You can get citric acid from Summernaturals

Lily-Lu

maryb wrote: »

I can't get citric acid anywhere - chemists won't stock it because it's used for drugs and even though a respectable grey haired woman like myself clearly (I hope!!) doesn't want it for drugs the one I asked won't order any in because if word got out that they had it or could get it they would be targeted for breakins

Wilkinsons http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Home-Brewing/Youngs-u-Brew-Citric-Acid-50g/invt/0022652

Or, if you don't have a Wilkies near by, see if there's a home brew/wine making shop in the area