"Iron out" is a bleaching agent, converts the iron in the water to a salt,
kills the bacteria, and the water is sparkling clear. Do not use it with a
clorine bleach product. I've seen it in grocery stores and hardware stores.
Our water was so bad, we had tiny rust flecks in the laundry and my wife
used it instead of bleach a few times to get rid of the rusty spots in our
clothes. This was a "last resort" as it will really attack some dyes. As
for the pets, putting some in the tank at night, then a couple of flushes in
the morning will get rid of it. If you have to use it to clean the bowl,
then leave the lid down while it's working.

"1_Patriotic_Gal" wrote in message
nk.net...
Thanks -- This sounds suprisingly similiar -- Although I would think my
water softener would get the Iron out -- Does any hardware or grocery
store
sell "Iron Out"? -- Are there any negative consequences to using the
product -- Is "Iron Out" a brand name? Thanks in advance
"rj" wrote in message
news:8JTqc.118315$Ik.9915788@attbi_s53...
Sounds like "Iron bacteria", does it grow in the tank? If so, use
"super
iron-out" in the tank periodically. We had a well with iron particles
in
the water and the toilet tank quickly filled with what looked like some
kind
of alien black seaweed. A teaspoonful of iron-out in the tank once or
twice
a week cleaned it up.
RJ
"1_Patriotic_Gal" wrote in message
nk.net...
My pet spent the week with a relatives dog and came back with a new
learned
bad habit, drinking from the toilet -- If I leave the lid down a black
mold
starts growing within a day or two and rapidly spreads - Even with the
lid
open, without a toilet cleaner hanging, the mold grows -- It is
definately
mold as it grows and grows! -- I have tried Lysol brand clip on toilet
bowl
hangars but with the lid closed they are only effective for a few
days.
My
spouse doesn't like the smell of the hangar with the lid open and is
paranoid they will kill the cat if he drinks from the toilet with the
lysol
brand Cling toilet cleaner hanger. So what are my options? Certainly
others have pets who drink from the toilet.

If I put nothing in the toilet, mold will grow, lid up or down. I
also
don't want to eat away at the rubber tank flapper which I was
frequently
replacing when I put cleaners in the tank; which is why we switched to
a
bowl hangar. I have used a weekly cup of bleach in the bowl to kill
existing mold when it was an unbeatable problem when we first moved
in --
I
would hope there is a more reasonable answer than doing this weekly to
both
toilets. We are on city water.

Thanks in advance.
Andy