On 7/24/15 2:29 PM, Muggles wrote:
I have this stubborn calcium deposit stuck to my toilet bowl, and I've
tried everything I can find off the store shelves that I'd normally
clean it with and nothing seems to work. I actually got some of it to
chip off, but it's a pain to even get that to come off. Is there
anything safe I can use that'll dissolve the calcium deposits that isn't
a nasty acid of some sort?

-- Maggie

What a coincidence! I bought a cheap low-flow toilet 19 years ago. I'd
use CLR and and the kind of abrasive pad that looks a little like an air
filter, to keep the rim clean, but it was only a few days ago that I
paid attention to the dark stains at the bottom.

I waited until I wouldn't need the toilet for a couple of hours. I shut
off the water, flushed, shoved in a brush to push some of the remaining
water out, and added a maybe 1/2 ounce of CLR. When I came back and
brushed, dark cloudiness showed it was working.

I discovered that 15 minutes after shutting off the water and flushing,
the bowl might be full again. Without much water in the tank to press
the flapper down, I guess it can seep.

I repeated it whenever the toilet would be idle for a period of hours.
Sometimes I used CLR and sometimes vinegar. The cloudiness when I came
back and brushed showed that they both worked.

That cheap toilet has a corner at the very bottom. That was the last
spot to come clean. Some recommend muriatic acid, but I'd be afraid of
pitting the glazing.