When you see rust in the bottom of the toilet bowl, it seems strange, right? I mean your toilet definitely can be responsible for this since it does not make any sense!
So, what causes rust in the toilet bowl?
Well, it’s not your toilet. Your porcelain toilet is fine. You have a problematic plumbing system. I will go deep into this topic in this article including how you can remove the rust and prevent it.
Stay with me for a while.
Why Is There Rust In Bottom Of Toilet Bowl?
Here are some reasons you are noticing rust stains in the toilet bowl:
- Presence of Iron In Water
If you are not living in an older home, there is probably a higher presence of iron in your house’s water supply.
These iron particles oxidize and turn into red-brown color stains.
Since there is always some water in the toilet bowl, these red-brown stains accumulate in there over time. So, yes; iron in water can cause rust in your toilet bowl!
- Galvanized Or Iron Pipes
If you live in an older home, there is most probably galvanized or iron pipes plumbing system. When the acidic water passes through these pipes, there will be corrosion eventually.
Rusts get mixed with water from that corrosion and pass to your bathroom fixtures. There is a non-stop presence of water in your porcelain toilet bowl.
I won’t make a separate point for this but if you don’t keep your metal-bottomed air freshener or shaving cream in the cupboard or cabinet, they will contribute to the rust stain issue.
So, it’s no wonder you are noticing the rusts in there!
Now, when you see rust in the toilet bowl, there is rust in other fixtures as well. Meaning, you may have rust-colored stains on your clothes too!
How To Remove Rust From Bottom Of Toilet Bowl?
Let’s talk about removing rust stains from porcelain toilets. Now, there are temporary fixes and long-term fixes regarding this matter.
I will talk about both of them! First, to remove the stains as a temporary fix without using any abrasive stuff that may damage the toilet bowl, follow these steps:
- Open the window for a better ventilation.
- Shut off water supply to the toilet. Empty the toilet bowl as well.
- Wear your protective gloves and goggles.
Now, you can follow any of the following methods:
- Method 01: Make a spray-on mixture of 1-part water and 1-part vinegar. Spray the mixture into the toilet bowl and wait for a while. Lastly, use a toilet brush (most preferably stiff-bristled brush) to scrub the bowl and you are done!
- Method 02: You need to mix 1-part vinegar with 3-part baking soda to make a paste. Once the paste is ready, scrub your toilet bowl with that paste. The rust stains should be gone pretty fast.
Now, apart from vinegar and baking soda, you can use a commercial toilet bowl cleaner for rust like Barkeeper’s Friend if the stain seems persistent.
Now, I want you to watch a video on an effortless way of removing such rust stains.
The surface of your porcelain toilet is porous. So, there is a strong possibility that such stain will be embedded into the fixture. It may take several days before you get rid of it.
Read the instruction of your commercial cleaner carefully and apply accordingly. But do not use bleach since it will make the rust situation even worse! Do not use an abrasive scrubber for the porcelain surface as well.
No matter what method you try or what cleaner you use, the short-term solution of removing rust-stain is always easy. But the rust will come back pretty soon unless you take preventive measures.
How To Prevent Rust Stains From Porcelain Toilets?
Let’s talk about how you can prevent this off-putting situation in the first place.
You are perfectly aware of why it happens in the first place, so taking preventive measures should not be difficult for you.
Here are some preventive measures I would talk about:
- Replace all the iron-made pipes from my plumbing system with PVC pipes. As long as you have galvanized or iron pipes, you will never get rid of rust problem permanently. Yes, it will be a costly repair but upgrading your plumbing system is a must to prevent this problem from happening again and again!
- You need to deal with the hard water problem as well. So, add an iron filter or water softener system. This will remove mineral deposits and iron from the source.
- Keep all of your metal-bottomed stuff in the cabinet.
- It goes without saying: always keep your toilet clean. Just cleaning the toilet bowl regularly can keep the rust away always.
- Give your entire bathroom a deep-cleaning once in every week. That will prevent not only rust-stain buildup but also other buildups as well.
- Keep your bathroom dry always. Don’t let water to accumulate anywhere in the bathroom other than the toilet bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The presence of iron in water or a rusted plumbing system can cause rust stains to be accumulated at the bottom of your toilet. Most toilets are porcelain toilets and such toilets never rust.
If your toilet has a higher concentration of minerals in your toilet, it means you have a hard water problem. The brown stain in the bottom of the toilet bowl you are talking about comes from that hard water.
Don’t let the iron buildup and other stains sit in the toilet bowl for a long time. Clean the toilet bowl regularly. If possible, solve the hard water problem as a long-term solution.
Yes, vinegar can remove rust from the toilet bowl. Not just that, it can remove other hard-to-remove stains like calcium deposits from the toilet bowl too.
Yes, WD-40 can remove rust stains from the toilet but you should not flush it down the pipe. Spray it on the toilet bowl to soften the rust and other deposits and wipe the bowl shortly after.
Closing Remarks
So, you know what causes rust in the toilet bowl and how to remove it. More so, I talked about some prevention mechanisms too.
When you have a hard water problem, it will be a little bit difficult to keep your toilet, sink, and other fixtures stain-free. So, try to solve the hard water problem.
Then you need to fix your rusted plumbing system as well. You should not have such a problem once you fix the hard water and plumbing system issues.
