Cleaning Toilet Bowl Rings With This Common Household Staple Is A Costly Mistake

Whatever causes toilet bowl stains, they are the worst. When regular ol' Clorox doesn't do the trick, you might consider reaching for the strongest scrubber you can get your hands on, like steel wool. But in this case, stronger isn't better. Unless you're okay with scratches on your toilet bowl, there are materials you shouldn't use steel wool on, and that includes your toilet.

Toilet bowl rings are made of mineral deposits like calcium and magnesium and are especially common in areas with hard water. Pink ring stains are hard to remove and also contain bacteria buildup. If you clean your toilet regularly, toilet bowl rings aren't as likely to become an issue, but they can get surprisingly difficult to get rid of if they sit for a while. The internet is full of people who resorted to steel wool pads to attempt to clean their toilet bowls, only to be left with scratches or gray marks. Here's why steel wool is a bad idea in this case and what to use instead.

Most toilets are made of porcelain, and if you scrub porcelain hard enough with steel wool, you may notice dark gray scratches left behind. In many cases, these aren't true scratches, but rather deposits left behind by the steel as it gets worn down. However, steel wool can also damage the finish of the porcelain, making your toilet less shiny and harder to clean.

Fortunately, gray marks are easy to clean off with a little elbow grease and Bar Keeper's Friend. But damaging the finish is more serious. To get the toilet looking like it used to, you'll likely need to hire a pro to refinish and repair the porcelain. Instead of risking pricey damage, stick to a regular toilet brush or sponge to clean your toilet bowl. DIY solutions such as vinegar, baking soda with hydrogen peroxide, or citric acid powder may be effective, or you can opt for a store-bought toilet bowl cleaner. Allow the cleaning solution to soak for several hours or overnight so it can penetrate through the mineral stains.

Many people recommend using a wet pumice stone for tough toilet bowl rings, but this has some of the same danger as a steel wool scrubber since they're both abrasive tools. If you do decide to go with a pumice stone or steel wool pad, you can minimize the risk of damage by only using these products when they are wet and scrubbing gently.