How to Clean Under Toilet Rim? – 8 Effective Methods

Written by

Paulk Webb

FACT-CHECKED BY

Freddie J. Hagopian

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how to clean under toilet rim

Rim stains, rings & limescale give you headaches when cleaning a toilet. So, one of your concerns is to know the proper ways on how to clean under the toilet rim.

You can turn to a combination of white vinegar and baking soda. Also, borax is helpful as a toilet rim cleaner. In removing bacteria and mold, you can use acids and bleach.

But dealing with the hard stains on the underside of the toilet shouldn’t be a habit. I’ll also show you how to prevent difficulty cleaning the toilet besides cleaning tips.

Ways to Clean Under the Toilet Rim

There are challenges when you clean under the rim of a toilet. Before you lift the toilet lid and start cleaning, you have to know everything about a hack of cleaning!

1. DIY Solution

You can buy a product for cleaning toilet rim stains, but you can depend on a DIY solution to remove stains. They prove their worth a million times, and they’re generally safe.

<strong>For stains – borax and vinegar</strong>

clean-rim-of-toilet

The vinegar borax solution is potent enough to get rid of stubborn stains. It’s also reliable for wiping away rust under the toilet bowl rim. You may also replace borax with hydrogen peroxide and citric acid from lemons.

What to prepare: borax powder, vinegar, toilet brush, old spoon or spatula, cup:

Instruction

  1. Mix a cup of borax and some vinegar.
  2. The mixture creates a borax paste that can adhere to the rim. Due to the target location, you can’t just sprinkle borax powder.
  3. Let the paste work for an hour or two.
  4. Scrub gently until the stain disappears.
  5. Repeat the steps if necessary.
<strong>For recurring stains – vinegar and duct tape</strong>

cleaning-toilet-rim

It’s the solution you need if the stains keep returning. Once you see the result, you’ll agree that it’s a smart trick.

What to prepare: vinegar, duct tape, toilet brush, an old towel, and used ladle or cup:

Instruction

  1. Flush the toilet before you get rid of stains under the toilet rim. After brushing, flush again and shut off the water supply.
  2. Use an old towel to absorb the remaining water.
  3. Put the tape around the rim to make a seal that can make the vinegar stay. So, it has a chance to work its magic. Place the tape on the rim to stick small pieces vertically.
  4. Once your tape is ready, pour a bottle of vinegar into the toilet tank and flush.
  5. Leave the vinegar for 30 minutes.
  6. Then, remove the tape. Turn the water on so you can flush. This method will give you a clean rim inside and out.
<strong>For limescale – Vinegar and baking soda</strong>

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Vinegar contains acid that can remove limescale from toilet rim. A foamy texture rises when you add baking soda.

What to prepare: White vinegar, baking soda, toilet brush:

Instruction

  1. Pour a cup of white vinegar into the toilet bowl. Use the brush to spread the substance. Then let it work for 45 – 60minutes.
  2. Sprinkle some baking soda after the given time. To create the foamy effect, spray vinegar. The solution needs 10- 15 minutes to remove the limescale from the toilet rim.
  3. Brush the toilet to achieve a squeaky clean surface! Now, you can flush the toilet and finish cleaning.
<strong>For mineral deposits – Only vinegar</strong>

toilet-rim-cleaner

There are many mixtures that you can make with vinegar. You can use it alone as a replacement for bleach. Some people would do it as they don’t want to damage their porcelain bowls.

What to prepare: vinegar, a small wrench, a mirror

Instruction

  1. Heat around 10 ounces of vinegar. It doesn’t need to be too hot. Around 120 degrees Fahrenheit is acceptable.
  2. You have to pour the warm vinegar into the overflow tube of your toilet.
  3. Give the vinegar half an hour before flushing to clear the water holes.
  4. The goal is to clean the rim of the toilet from minerals. Hence, you must clear the toilet jets further with a small wrench.
  5. While you continue cleaning, you have to increase the wrench’s size. But be careful when using this tool as you might scratch the porcelain.

As you work on removing minerals, flush the toilet to send the chipped build-up that got stuck in the toilet jets to the sewer. You may check the result with a mirror.

But if the issue persists, you need to get a water softener to minimize the minerals in the water.

<strong>For tough stains – Sodium bicarbonate or baking soda</strong>

remove-limescale-from-toilet-rim

This method is the best way to end your problems with tough stains when cleaning the toilet rim. Thanks to its carbonic acid content, it can also deal with rust stains!

What to prepare: sodium bicarbonate, toilet brush, cup (for mixture), old spatula or spoon, water

Instruction

  1. Start with scrubbing the rim to remove excess dirt.
  2. For the hard-to-remove stains on the rim of your toilet, prepare the paste of bicarbonate of soda by adding water. The recommended ratio of the mixture is 2:1.
  3. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the paste on the rim. Let it stay for 30 minutes, an hour, or more if necessary. Scrub to remove the stains.
  4. Flush to see if the stain is gone. Repeat the steps when it’s still visible.

2. Other Options

This part will show you more cleaning tips.

<strong>Ready-to-use toilet bowl cleaner</strong>

black-ring-under-toilet-rim

Lysol has many products that can deal with black stuff, pink stains, mineral deposits, and other stains on your toilet rim and water jets. You can try Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Lime & Rust Remover.

It doesn’t only help you to clean the bowl and rim but blocks the growth of pathogens.

You can use these products based on the instructions. Scrubbing brushes may not be needed since they can instantly remove the stains.

<strong>To kill pathogens that stain the rim – bleach</strong>

rust-under-toilet-bowl-rim

Some are reluctant to use bleach but it’s a common cleaner for the toilet rim in the UK. It can eradicate pathogens like mold and mildew. But aside from using this on the rim, it can disinfect the toilet tank too.

Spray the bleach on the toilet bowl including the hidden rim. You can scrub and flush to reveal a stain-free surface.

For prevention, I recommend adding bleach to the overflow tube. It will kill mold spores that cause stains on the rim.

<strong>For hard-to-remove black stuff – pumice stone</strong>

When a DIY solution for cleaning the toilet rim and industrial chemicals fail, the black ring or line remains around the rim. So, you have to use a pumice stone to descale the toilet rim.

This stone is a volcanic rock with a rough, porous surface. It’s a scrubbing tool that is softer than porcelain but tougher than mineral build-ups.

Since it gives a deep clean, it can eliminate a tough black ring. Hard scrubbing may be required but make sure that the waterline is sturdy enough to bear it.

But it should be the last option for you. Using this stone on your toilet leaves dust that can form into paste due to the presence of water.

Instructions

  1. Clean the rim of your toilet the usual way. Wet the pumice stone before scrubbing the stain and ring. Apply firm pressure when scrubbing and do it in a circular motion.
  2. See to it that both the porcelain surface and stone are wet when scrubbing. This is a technique for damage prevention.
  3. Brush the bowl before flushing the toilet.

Tips to Keep Clean Under the Toilet Bowl Rim

rim-stains,-rings-&-limescale

  • If the black stain, pink stain, and brown stain under the toilet rim keep on appearing, you have to open the toilet tank. You have to eliminate the bacteria build-up so the issue won’t persist.
  • Clean your toilet regularly so the stains won’t have a chance to linger. It would be difficult to remove if the brown discoloration or stains become hard. This is the same advice as Eve’s house cleaning.
  • You can use a power drill brush scrubber for deep cleaning. It’s much better than a toilet wand. I must remind you to avoid using abrasive brushes.

FAQs

clean-under-the-rim-of-a-toilet

What is the black stuff under the toilet rim?

Bacteria cause the black stuff. Airborne pathogens are all over the toilet. They develop easily when there’s water and humidity. To impede stain development, clean your toilet and make sure there’s enough ventilation.

Why do toilets get dirty under the rim?

Black stains, rings, and limescale are some of the things that make the rim dirty. When you see stains in grey, green, and orange hues, they form from mold spores.

A pink ring can arise as well but it turns into a black ring under the toilet rim. This flaw is caused by bacteria called Serratia Marcescens.

The awful black waterline is the sign that you have hard water. Calcium, iron, and magnesium form mineral buildup that is physically black deposits. Urine and rust stains are also things that you need to get rid of.

Conclusion

There are different stains that you can encounter on the bowl and rim. You have found the exact solution for each of them in this article. So, you learn different ways how to clean under the toilet rim. Also, you don’t have to try other techniques and spend more on several things.

I include a solution to prevent the stains from persisting. You must clean the tube in the tank as it delivers water into the bowl that passes through the rims.

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