Cloudy Toilet Water: Causes, Solutions, & More! 2025

Sometimes, after making use of the toilet and flushing it, the water remains cloudy for some time, so you shouldn’t panic; it’s normal.

However, there are several other cases where after a few minutes, the water remains murky, and there are a few ways you can fix this issue, so why does your toilet water remain cloudy?

The primary cause of cloudy toilet water is the deposition of minerals like calcium and magnesium in your toilet tank when you constantly flush your toilet with hard water. Unfortunately, water from the soil contains minerals and produces scum when you let it settle. However, you can fix this problem yourself or call a plumber.

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Why Is the Water in My Toilet Cloudy?

A dirty toilet is not a rare case in most homes, and there are also several ways this issue can be addressed and fixed, but before then, you have to know the causes of the cloudiness in your toilet bowls.

Some of the reasons why your toilet bowl is clouded include;

#1. Dirty Toilet Bowls

A dirty toilet bowl is one of the common reasons you have been experiencing cloudy water in your toilet.

In this case, you should ensure that you clean your toilet bowl thoroughly with a basic toilet cleaner, and if after you have been doing that for some time, the water still looks cloudy, then you should troubleshoot for other reasons. It can’t be your toilet bowl.

#2. Old Water

If you haven’t changed the water in your toilet for some time, then old water should cause cloudiness and a dirty toilet.

The reason is that old water helps in the buildup of minerals like calcium and magnesium, just like in hard water, which is why you need to change the water in your toilet from time to time.

Apart from making your toilet water cloudy, old water is not healthy. In addition, it helps convey several disease-carrying organisms; if not changed fast, you might get sick soon.

#3. City Supply Water

If your city supplies water from the reservoir, that should be why your water appears cloudy.

First, ensure that you contact the person in charge of the water supply in your area and ask them about the mineral content of the water.

If they confirm that the mineral supplement in the water is too high or they do not know what is causing the issue, then you should install a preferable sink filter.

#4. Hard Water

Hard water is one major cause of cloudy water in your toilet. Although calcium and magnesium deposited in hard water are good for our bones and teeth, they can be bad for our toilet bowls.

So, if your city supplies you with water, ensure that you confirm whether the water delivered is hard or soft.

If the water supplied is indeed complex, ensure that you install a reverse osmosis fitter that can filter out the minerals from your water before you make use of the water.

#5. Bad Water Heater

When your water heater is older than five years, then this might be a sign that you need to change the heater.

If the water heater isn’t heating properly, it can also cause the toilet water to be milky because water that is not heated correctly can also cloud the toilet.

#6. Corrosion of the Pipes

If you notice that the water running through your cold and hot water taps is cloudy, you should consider running the water down the pipe for a few minutes to see if that would clear the lines.

If that doesn’t work, then consider calling on a plumber to have your pipes checked.

How Do I Get Rid of Cloudy Water in My Toilet?

There are numerous ways you can get rid of cloudy water in your toilet bowl. Below is a step-by-step procedure you should follow to get rid of murky water in your toilet.

If you want your toilet bowl to have a new look, after following these methods, ensure that you replace the flapper with a new one.

Follow this instruction below to ensure that you get rid of cloudy toilet water without any stress;

It would help if you knew that you must prevent water from entering the toilet while working.

Then, press the lever on the tank a good number of times to ensure that the tank is empty.

Next, gently remove the top of your toilet, and please be careful so you do not lose anything to the tank.

Now, put a bowl under the flapper valve as you unscrew it gently using a plier. Do this carefully because the chain and the flapper valve will fall together while you loosen it.

Observe the area for clogs and clean it properly. After thoroughly cleaning the site, you can screw everything back in place.

Don’t forget to connect the metal line and the flapper valve. After doing all these, your toilet is supposed to flush correctly, but you can try washing it down a few times to ensure it works.

If your water is still cloudy after following the steps listed above, there are a few other tricks you can try.

The first is flushing more frequently. Flushing might sound awkward, but if you don the right way, that could save you from a dirty toilet.

You can try this method by;

fill a large enough bucket halfway with water and place it in front of your bathroom.

Flush your toilet like you usually would, but in this case, when your toilet is flushed halfway, use the water in the bucket to flush up.

After doing this several times, all those cloudy mineral deposits built up in your toilet bowl should clear.

Why Does the Water in My Toilet Look Dirty?

Common reasons the water in your toilet bowl appears dirty are a clogged bowl, clogged drain pipes, and blocked sewer lines.

These are just a few reasons why the water in your toilet bowls appears dirty; there are several other reasons why but below are the main reasons why the water seems messy;

#1. Clogged Toilet Bowl

When you use a toilet and throw in tissue papers, sanitary pads, and wipes, you expect pressure from flushing the toilet to push it down and for it to flush down.

But, most times, these items do not disintegrate, even if they go down.

#2. Clogged Drainage Pipes

When you flush your toilet bowl and water leaves it, this water does not directly go into the sewer.

Instead, this water has to go through the drainage pipes until it curves into two smaller drainage pipes before finally getting into the sewer.

The same happens when you flush items like sanitary pads and tissue papers down the toilet.

These items start to clog your drainage pipes and also cause a blockage in that area.

#3. Clogged Sewer Lines

After the water leaves the toilet bowl and passes through the drainage pipes, it goes immediately into the sewer lines.

So if you keep flushing these non-flushable items into the sewer lines, they would eventually become clogged, and not only would it clog up, the ripple effect would start taking place.

Water would start entering your toilet, and you would experience gurgling sounds from the water drain.

#4. Septic Systems Not Working

Some homes have septic systems, so if your toilet gets clogged, you should blame them because they regulate water flow and other materials from the bathroom.

Unfortunately, you may not be able to do this all by yourself, so you have to call on a professional for help.

Why Is My Bathroom Hot Water Cloudy?

When water comes out cloudy from your bathroom tap, it shouldn’t be much of a concern because it is caused by air bubbles trying to escape from your water.

Unlike hot water, cold water has a more remarkable ability to hold on to dissolved gases because when your water is heated up, it puts the water under pressure, and the air cannot escape.

When you turn your hot water tap on suddenly, the high pressure releases the air present in the water as tiny bubble particles, and since air is lighter than water, this air float to the top of your water as bubbles, and it still leaves you with pristine and clear water.

However, the bubbles at the top of the water give your water a cloudy or milky appearance.

If you are confident that the hot water coming out cloudy from your tap doesn’t clear off in a few seconds, then you might just be dealing with a blocked aerator.

You can fix this issue by cleaning your aerator with a mixture of vinegar and water, soaking it overnight, and reinstalling it the next day.