Citric acid can melt away toilet limescale overnight, according to a cleaning influencer who has shared an easy hack for tackling stubborn brown stains in the bowl.
Limescale forms from the buildup of mineral deposits in water, a common problem in the UK. Over time, these deposits can turn brown due to iron in the water and a chemical reaction when urine comes into contact with limescale.
Influencer's 'easy hack'
Cleaning influencer Beckie, who posts regular tips on her Facebook page Beckies bit of Sparkle, demonstrated in a video that citric acid can make the stained mineral deposits disappear overnight. She pointed out that citric acid can be used to clean both the toilet bowl and the rim.
Beckie said: “Limescale can be a right pain if you live in a hard water area, like I do. But citric acid has become my best friend. For the toilet bowl, I just add a scoop and leave it to work for a few hours, or if you can overnight.”
She added: “For the rim, I dilute some citrus acid into a bottle and spray tissue. Then pop under the rim and leave for a few hours. The results are always great. You can use any citric acid.”
What is citric acid?
Citric acid is a naturally occurring acid found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, particularly lemons and limes. It is also available in stores in powdered form. Its pH level sits between three and six, with zero being very strong and seven being very weak, making it ideal for natural cleaning chores, most commonly for tackling limescale.
How to remove toilet limescale
According to cleaning experts at Smol, citric acid works better if most of the water is removed from the toilet bowl first. It is best to plunge out as much water as possible, then pour in a scoop of citric acid and leave it overnight. Without the dilution of toilet water, the product gets to work directly on the limescale.
To remove limescale from the toilet rim, add a scoop of citric acid to a spray bottle with a small amount of water, then apply it to some kitchen roll. Place the citric acid-soaked kitchen roll on the rim and let it sit overnight, or for a minimum of several hours – the longer the better. The next morning, flush the toilet, and the stains in the bowl and rim should have melted away.
