The War on Grime
You know those toilet bowl stains that just won’t go away? Oh, no? You never have that problem? Well then you are clearly on the wrong blog. I think you were looking for Domestic Diva not Domestic Dork.
Now, who’s left? Ah, yes. Welcome to all my fellow dorks. As I was saying…
You know those toilet bowl stains that just won’t go away? Man, I hate those! Cleaning toilets is bad enough without having to deal with the stains from the black lagoon. Well, I’ve learned how to vanquish them and now I’m going to tell you how
First head to the store. You’re looking for pumice stones. Sometimes you can find them in the aisle with the cleaning supplies. More likely you’ll have to head to the cosmetics section. Look near the nail polish and other pedicure items. Buy as many of them as you can afford (because if your luck is anything like mine then next time you’re looking for them the store won’t have them anymore).
On our last trip we only found two in the entire store. Here’s what they looked like:
Square stones are generally more useful than rounded ones because it’s easier to get into the corners with them. But I’ll take whatever I can get. Since I was stuck with one round and one square I used the round one for all the areas I could get it into and then switched to the square for the hard-to-reach areas. No sense wearing those corners down on the rounded areas.
Now for the “fun part,” actually cleaning that darn toilet. You should 
Now, I’m not about to show you a “before” picture because, really, nobody wants to see that. Ew. But I will show you the “after!”
What cleaning problems do you have? What tricks have you learned or developed to solve them?
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93 Stubborn Stains:
That is a great idea! I have pumice stones that I got from a gift (you know those gifts that have lotion and bath gel and a pumice stone in a basket). I should try this.
wow - it looks brand spankin new.
Gorgeous bowl! We have extremely hard water where I live and I had resigned myself to accepting all the stains in our toilet, but your pumice tip has given me new hope. It's worth a try!
I heard about this trick on How Clean is your House...LOVE THAT SHOW!!
If you spill pepsi, or cola on your carpet, get as much out as you can by simply putting a towel on it and letting it soak it up. THEN, spray it with Hydrogen Peroxide, let sit overnight. It should be gone in the morning without bleaching your carpet.
Thanks for the tip Crystal! I'll have to file it away in my mind for when we have carpet (oh...how I miss having carpet)!
What a great idea! I'm off to buy pumice stones tomorrow for my nasty toilet. BTW, I absolutely love your blog's name :) If it works do I have your domestic blessings to link you up to my site. Have a great week.
I <3 link love! So yes, you totally have my domestic blessings!
Wow, that turned out great! Thanks for the domestic tips! I certainly need them. ;)
I wonder if this would work on a marine toilet?
It will work on anything porcelain, including tubs and sinks.
I posted a little link love for you....come check it out! Thanks so much for the idea, it worked wonders.
http://2-9andcounting.blogspot.com/2009/06/little-link-love.html
I've heard of using pumice stones for toilet stains...but, never tried it. Our previous home had TERRIBLE water, full of iron...thus, a nasty, stained toilet...and tub...and sink. I found that Lysol's POWER toilet bowl cleaner made the stains disappear...except for those below the water line. Wish I'd remembered the pumice stone at the time!
Found you through SITS! :-) And, following you!
My mom got her horrible limescaled toilets & tub clean by using a bunch of vinegar & letting it soak overnight. Much less labour intensive. :)
What an excellent resource for stubborn stains! I've been using earth friendly dish soap to clean the toilet. Works.
Shaklee's cleaning paste rocks!!!! Bon Ami is wonderful too.
Great tip, never thought of a pumice stone for that!
I only use these on my nasty feet! I had NO IDEA they could serve other purposes. I have learned today. Thank you.
Stopping by from SITS!
I just don't think I can stick my hands in the toilet even with gloves on, but you are welcome to come over and do a live demo. No?
Holy clean toilet Batman! Can you come do mine? No? I didn't think so, it was worth a shot though.
AHAHAHAHA I love the picture of you about to scrub the toilet! That's exactly the face I have whenever I know I've gotta go scrub that porcelain throne :-P
P.S. -- I love your little dust bunnies :)
Wow. That's commitment! Stopping by from SITS
That's pretty cool! I might have to try that. Droppin in from SITS.
Hey I might have to try that on the "BOYS BATHROOM" * cue ominous music here*.. yeah that place is a nightmare. I loathe cleanign their toilet and it has those stupid stains that no matter what I do refuse to give up the ghost lol..
Wow. Great idea. I may have to have my husband try that since the toilet stains are his current obsession.
I once read that you can pour hydrogen peroxide on the track of your sliding glass door and all the gunk and grossness just dissolves away. I tried it once and it was pretty slick. Give it a shot!
It looks lovely. Hey, ummm, as long as you have those gloves on already, how about stopping by and scrubbing out our toilets? Happy SITS Day.
I am just amazed that you took pictures of yourself cleaning a toilet LOL! Well, the bowl looks great, course I didn't think it looked bad before, so I must really be a dork!! :)
Happy SITS Day!!
I've never had a problem finding pumice stones (I always see them in the first set of aisles when I walk into Wal-Mart) but I never thought to use to clean the toilet bowl! Great idea!
A fine grit sandpaper works really well. In the toilet bowl, it works a little better than a pumice stone because it can change shape. Just make sure you keep the sandpaper wet.
Never heard of this. Our one toilet on the 2nd floor gets funky and regular cleaning stuff doesn't work. There's a product called The Works, dump in half a bottle before bed, wake up, swish swish with the toilet brush and it's ALL clean! Swear by this stuff.
I have zero cleaning problems . . . my husband does it all!
Congrats on your SITS day!
How about just ignore them?
Happy SITS day!
Wow, I can't remember the last time I read the word "igneous" anywhere - you really are the Domestic Dork! (It's okay, I'm an intellectual dork, myself!)
Ok, I never expected to come over and find this, but I am going to try it! Dropped in from SITS, btw!
Thanks for the tip!
Stopping by from SITS!
LOL that was funny and actually hmmm never thought about it! what I usually do when such a thing happens is put loads of counter top cleaner in the toilet wait for 30 mins or so and than scrub with a toilet brush...it usually ends the same result :)
Great idea! How did you think of it?
Wow, that is a great idea, I'll have to try that out. Using the toilet bowl brush is not always that effective, unfortunately. My tip for keeping things clean (and, yeah, I BARELY ever keep with this) is to clean a little every day or just to take one day a week and do the cleaning so you don't have to spend 8 hours one day a month. Then again, I have no kids... so maybe I've got it easy lol.
I would love to say "yeah my maid does that," but I can't because I don't have one. So, it will be trying this handy trick out.
Darn, why'd you go and give me this to do?! I'm willing to try anything cause the usuals aren't working anymore.
Never heard of that but I'm game to try it!
Congrats on your SITS day!
Never though of that. great idea!
Happy SITS!
Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
www.MaWhats4Dinner.com
Great idea!
I am totally going to try this! Great idea! Someone once told me that pouring a can of coke in the bowl and letting it sit will also get rid of the stains. Haven't tried it, but it makes me think . . . if it can clean a toilet bowl, what is it doing to my insides?? Could be why I have acid reflux! :)
Good thought! Just saying hi from SITS!
Great tip! Great blog! Glad I found you via SITS! Congrats!
I have to try that, actually I have to tell my husband to try that. Or we can just ignore it as usual. hee hee
Love your site.
Karen
Happy SITS day!!! I too am a domestic dork although I try with all my might to be the diva...oh well. it takes time I guess!
Wow! Who knew it had a double purpose! Another thing that can help is Bar Keepers Friend - you can use it on ANYTHING like sinks, walls, stainless steal, etc. Great at getting stubborn things to go away! Loved the blog and happy SITS day!
Great tip! Happy SITS Day!
This seems ingenous! I am going to have to totally try that this weekend!
I don't have those problems that I know of but good to know regardless. ;)
wow, that made your toilet look like new! I don't know if I have the stomach to suck it up and stick my hands in, gloved or not...but dang, that looks great!
What a great idea!! I will totally have to do that! Happy SITS day!!
Hi there, stopping by from SITS on your special day! What an ingenious idea, I will have to try that under the rim of my bowls. THey always have stains there!!
www.beenomom.blogspot.com
Holy CRAP that's a sparkly toilet!! I'll have to keep this trick in mind!
Wow! Thanks! I have some stubborn rings that I've scrubbed the heck out of with a regular toilet brush. I've tried all sorts of cleaners, but none remove the ring completely. I'll definitely give this one a shot!
Congrats on your SITS Day!
Oh my goodness. I was wondering about this as our toilet was having similar angst. I'm not as crazy as the dog Dug from UP, but: "I just met you and I love you." LOL I'm definitely adding you to my reader!
Happy SITS Day!
That is a really good idea. I have the stain issue in one of our toilets and I think I will try this. I am a little wary of having to put my gloved hands in the toilet but hey, it could be an adventure.
That is a great idea. Although dirty toilets really gross me out and I'd rather pretend they didn't exist. I think I'll tell my husband about this. ;)
Thanks for the tips!!
Such beautiful shine!
All this time I thought pumice stones were just for rough feet. Who knew they could help with nasty toilet stains? Thank you!! We just moved into a rental and there are gross stains from the previous tenant that I can't scrub away. I'm going to get these pronto. You're a domestic genius!
That's a great tip! I'll definitely have to remember that! I think I have one at home! Stopping by from SITS!
Oh man, this is WAYYY better than my method of just staring into the toilet bowl and muttering "This is just disgusting".
Wow, you are brilliant!! A pumice stone? Seriously! I'm so gonna buy one next time I'm at Target and try that. The toilets in my house are super gross!
Great tip! I've never tried the pumice stones before...now I wonder how it'd work on the tub? hmmmmm....
Dropping by from SITS on YOUR DAY! Congrats!
sweetjeanette.blogspot.com
what a great tip. I love your facial expression in the last photo of you and yup your toilet is sure clean now!
Happy SITS day!
Wow! I could TOTALLY do this after I dump a gallon of bleach in the toilet and set it on fire! Wait, I might not need the pumice stone after that. But my heels could use a good skin grinding, so...
You are a hoot man, total hoot...you are going on my blog roll like, immediately. Happy SITS day!!!
Hmmm, not so sure a squeaky-clean toilet is THAT worth it. But then, you are the domestic dork :-)
Thats a super clean toilet...
Great tips!!
You know, I actually enjoy cleaning in general, but I HATE cleaning the bathrooms.
Great tip, though! I'll have to try it. And then try to remember which one is for the toily and which is for my feet.
visiting from SiTS
Oh my gosh this is such a great idea! your toilet bowl is so shiny & clean!
i also have the same problem when i go to the store for something i NEED, they never seem to have it.
I may have to try this....ugh. I know what you mean by stubborn stains from the "black lagoon." LOL
Man that looks like a brand new toliet. I will have to try this for sure. But I know ours is really bad right now and I really dont want to reach in even with gloves. :)
It looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing your tip for the problem that nobody wants to admit they have.
I've heard of this, but never tried it...thanks for the tutorial!
Holly @ 504 Main
I have a very stubborn toilet...thank you for the tip!!!
What a great idea! I need to try it!
I love that you blogged about this AND made it one of your favorite three. Happy SITS day!
youre adorable in your cleaning get up.
Um...that's foul but I appreciate the knowledge. I'm scared of my toilet though.
Nice! I'll work on strengthening my stomach up enough to reach into my son's toilet. :-)
And happy SITS day!
***Ally
I''l have to try this out. We have hard water and constantly get stains.
OMG - who knew?!! I have never seen this but what a fantastic tip! Thanks!
That's it. I don't believe it will work. I am going to call you a phony.
Well, I guess the only way to test that theory is to actually clean my toilet bowl with the pumice stone.
I'll have to let you know what my kids report back to me. Do you think I had these kids just for FUN?
:-)
Amazing! That's a really clean toilet! I gotta try that ... Thanks!
Happy SITS day! ... well, I'm late ... so I should probably say, "Hope you had a great SITS day!"
That is a great idea! I never thought of it. I just cleaned my bathroom today but I will be sure to get some for next time. Also how do you clean your gloves when you are done LOL
Great tip! Happy SITS Day!!
I'm totally going to the store tomorrow.
Stopping in from SITS.
Who would have thought that a tip on cleaning a toilet would spark so much enthusiasm among us, the readers. Great tip,though I agree begrudgingly. Visiting from SITS.
The cleaning problem I have is a bathroom shared by a 14 year old boy and an 8 year old boy. T (14) is a typical teen who drops everything on the floor and Bear (8) has trouble remembering to lift the dang seat!! Each complains about the either and neither takes responsibility. My solution - I am physically incapable of making "that" particular mess so I AIN'T cleaning it. I close the door and nag til T cleans it enough that I can go in there without gagging and really clean.
Stopping by from SITS for the 1st time! Just joined. LOVE it!
I am so trying that and I have to go to walmart tomorrow to return something. I hate when people come over because I hate my toilet.
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