"Thomas Prufer" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 15 May 2011 18:06:17 +0100, geoff wrote:

Is there any realistic way of "rejuvinating" the enamel of a toilet?

Only if it's got scale on it and you can etch that off. (I heard of on
chap that
plugged the siphon, put citric acid in, and shoved an immersion heater
in --a
"Tauchsieder"-- and gave it a good boil and it came up new... Cuppa tea?
No?)

If it's the old enamel that's sensitive to acid, or it's enamel or
porcelain
rough with age and scouring with Vim, you don't have a chance, or not much
of
one. I had a man in who said he could polish up our old acid-etched
bathtub, but
it didn't do enough to be worth the trouble or quoted expense. He used an
angle
grinder (you knew it was coming, right?) with a Scotchbrite-style pad,
something
he called enamel powder liberally as an abrasive, and an acidic cleaner
(mostly
phosphoric acid, AFAIK), all at the same time. Oh, and ear defenders. And
he
didn't charge anywhere near the quted cost, at the result wasn't what he
and I
had hoped for. (He also said he'd tried all the car polish/wax tricks, and
they
weren't more that temporary fixes).


Thomas Prufer

Another good fix is full strength Coca Cola, leave it to soak overnight,
works wonders