A lot of you find it quite tasking to clean your toilets regularly. It becomes even more frustrating when your toilet bowl or seat gets stained.
We get irritated and might decide to replace the toilet seat as this seems to be the easiest way out. We often wonder why our toilet seats get this orange stain from.
The orange stain on your toilet seat occurs due to the presence of the anaerobic bacteria Serratia marcescens. This bacteria is well known for its abundance in the environment. It prefers damp conditions where it grows by feeding on fatty substances such as soap.
Why Are There Stains On My Toilet?
You find it unpleasant when your toilet seat loses its initial sparkling whiteness. Toilet stains may occur because of certain conditions, such as the accumulation of germs in that toilet.
These stains can also come about by using the wrong cleaning product for your toilet. Another reason may be that these harsh products sometimes damage the toilet than help keep them clean.
Sometimes there may be high levels of iron in your house water supply. When exposed to air, the molecules of this iron will eventually lead to rust stains on your toilet seat.
This phenomenon occurs because of the oxidation reaction between air and iron molecules, which causes the red rust color.
The constant damp condition of the toilet makes it a suitable breeding ground for bacteria such as Serratia marcescens.
This bacteria has been confirmed responsible for yellow stains on a toilet seat. In addition, the wetness makes room for mold growth on the toilet seat.
Another condition for yellow stains on your toilet seat is a result of calcium buildup. This condition results from limescale deposition in the toilet because of the use of hard water.
The excessive amount of minerals in hard water accumulates over a period, therefore, staining your toilet seat. As a result, these stains sometimes appear whitish, reddish, pinkish, or brownish.
How To Clean Stains In My Toilet?
No one feels comfortable making use of a stained toilet. It’s also embarrassing to most people when others see the appalling condition of their toilets.
However, it is pretty easy to avoid all this drama by daily and proper cleaning of your toilet. And this is the most effective way to prevent toilet stains.
There is no need to panic when you notice stains on your toilet seat because there are many ways to fix this.
Unfortunately, most people fail to observe these simple things and create a more open avenue for bacteria to grow.
Before you start cleaning up stains, you have to determine the nature of the stain; this makes it easier to correct.
There are certain products that you can trust to keep your toilet in the desired state; they are:
#1. Lemon Juice
The acidic nature of this is what is very useful in keeping your surfaces clean. You can use it to remove stains and other things such as calcium build-up and whiten surfaces.
To get the desired performance, all you do is mix a cup of lemon juice with 14 cups of lavender.
Then, pour into a spray bottle and spray this mixture into the entire toilet, most especially on the stained areas.
Scrub it thoroughly using a toilet brush, then allow it to stand. After 15 minutes, flush the toilet. Then, check closely for any more visible stains.
If you see any stains or yellowing, you can repeat this process until you get the desired result.
#2. Coca-Cola
You might already be wondering if you can trust this to give your toilet a better look or fight stains. In cases of rust stains or hard water stains, coke is very effective.
Although it is not known as a product for toilet cleaning, it is instrumental in cleaning the stains mentioned above.
Pour a reasonable amount of coke into your toilet and apply it to the seat. You are then supposed to leave the coke on for an extended time.
It is advisable to do this at night so you can let it stay on for the entire night.
It cleans your toilet out, and like magic! No more stubborn stains to bother you. The fun part is it doesn’t require scrubbing and will come in handy to those too busy for serious toilet sanitation.
But, of course, this method is only helpful in cases where the toilet isn’t too stained. If your toilet has severe stains, you will just have to use other proper methods to deal with it.
#3. Tea Tree Oil
Mold can be an irritating sight in your toilet. It also comes with a lot of problems with your health. The essential tree oil has proven effective in eradicating such stains.
Either use the oil in that form or make a solution out of it. This solution is made by mixing ten drops of tea tree oil into a water bottle.
You can turn this water bottle into a spray bottle and applied to your toilet. Allow it to rest for some time, then scrub the toilet, then flush your toilet.
To flush this out of your toilet thoroughly, you should do this at least three times. When most of these products are not entirely flushed, they damage your toilet.
So to avoid this, one must flush the toilet as often as possible.
#4. Vinegar
Vinegar is a safe and excellent toilet cleaner that you can trust for your toilet. It is very efficient in dealing with hard water stains, most especially.
Pour your vinegar into a spray bottle and spray on the toilet seat or bowl, wherever you notice hard water stains.
Allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes; within this time, it breaks down the minerals. You must keep spraying if you notice the vinegar drying up.
It must not be left to get dry. Flush it when you’ve finished.
You can either use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar for this process. White vinegar, however, is the one most people prefer to use.
#5. Bleach
A generally known and trusted product for toilet cleaning is bleach. This dependable cleaning agent will give your toilet a good look. Just add half a cup of dry bleach powder into the toilet.
Let it rest until you notice the stains are no more, then flush it out. When using bleach, ensure to use protective gloves.
Although most of these other substances clean your toilet without killing germs, bleach is different. It may be very harsh, but it kills germs by cleaning your toilet.
#6. Baking Soda And Vinegar
Using baking soda and vinegar is the best way to tackle orange stains on your toilet seat. You can start by sprinkling baking soda into your toilet, focusing more on the stained areas.
Next, using a toilet brush, you then scrub it. At this point, you should pour your vinegar into the toilet bowl. Allow this to rest for almost 30 minutes, then rinse and flush your toilet.
Don’t use a brush that will scratch your toilet, as this opens up more bacteria. This mix of soda and vinegar not only cleans but also whitens and eradicates foul smells from your toilet.
After this, you should use a disinfectant in your toilet as the finishing touch. A disinfectant is used because these two are natural substances and do not have germ-killing abilities.
Summary
Proper toilet hygiene is a sure way to prevent many disease-causing germs. And it can be achieved easily by regular toilet cleaning, not only when it’s stained.
Therefore, it is vital to know the right way to deal with toilet stains whenever you encounter them. Also, always get help when you’re confused about dealing with a stained toilet.
