I know this is a IBS blog but real life goes on and there’s a whole lot more than just shitting my pants. Actually, there is a lot of toilet cleaning. I’m not too fond of a dirty toilet. Nevertheless, I’m not too fond of a dirty anything. Let me lead you down a path that will change your life or at least change your toilet bowls.
I do spend some time cleaning. But it is not charted time, oh two hours cleaning today, look what I’ve done. That is not how it goes. I do not need accolades. Nope, the cleanliness is just for me. I feel relaxed and accomplished in a clean environment.
Hard water doesn’t have to be hard on cleaning toilet bowls
We live in the country so we have well water. I do not have any problems regarding our water. I have always lived in the country with well water, so it goes to say I don’t know any different. But a lot of times well water can be hard water.
The hard water run down is that the water has a higher calcium and magnesium component, which are hard minerals that can not only make soap less effective but, they also gradually lead to limescale buildup, which, when it occurs within pipes, reduces water pressure and flow, and only gets worse over time. Hard water also negatively impacts the efficiency and lifespan of any appliance that requires water for operation. This might not be such a big deal for a coffeemaker, but it has the same effect on water heaters and refrigerators.
Hard water is a common phenomenon. While it poses no health risks, it affects the day-to-day life of the household in any number of ways. Dishes might emerge from the dishwasher polka-dotted with hazy white spots, fresh laundry can feel like sandpaper to the touch, and plumbing fixtures like faucets develop a chalky film.
I do not see any of these problems other than the chalky film build-up on our faucets. Markedly, I give a vinegar spray to help dissolve on occasion.
But it is the ONE DANG TOILET. The toilet that I have been battling for years. It is not a ring around the toilet. The problem lies in the throat of the toilet. It is limescale build up and it makes that one toilet stay in a constant look of uncleanliness. And that is a weight upon my OCD shoulders. And yeah, that’s my toilet, image included.
I have drained the water from the bowl. And let chemicals sit. Maybe something would penetrate this buildup. I have scrubbed. Scrubbed with a pumice stone, because I read somewhere that that would help. It did not. I let the chemicals sit in the no-water toilet bowl over the weekend when we were gone out of town. Nothing. That buildup limescale stain remains. This is coming down to just buying a new toilet. But I am cheap and that seems just absolutely ridiculous. I am not really going to do that.
A mothers intuition
Out of the blue the other day, talking with my mom, not talking about toilets or cleaning, my mom doesn’t even know my toilet troubles, you know that is kind of personal, that I can’t get a toilet properly cleaned. My mom mentions this product that she just bought that got her stubborn toilet clean. Wait. Huh. I’m listening. I mean, I was listening before, but now I am REALLY listening.
She shows me the product. And tells an eerily similar story about her toilet. She too, scrubbed with a pumice stone. No results.
I am leery. I have tried so many things. Do I take her advice and buy one more cleaning product just to be let down?
I was in Home Depot with time on my hands just browsing the aisles (wow. Do I sound like my spousal unit here or what). I went down the cleaning aisle, (this part, not so much like the spousal unit) thought I would see if they had the miracle cleaner mom recommended and check out the price of it. It was in stock and under $6. Worth a try. https://www.homedepot.com/p/ZEP-32-oz-Acidic-Toilet-Bowl-Cleaner-ZUATBC32/312560494
Miracles do happen
I get home pour it in the toilet bowl. It says give it five minutes then scrub with a toilet brush. I gave it an hour. I wanted it to have extra time to work because I wanted so bad for it to work. Let me tell you. IT WORKED. I feel so basic and domestic and HAPPY. I have a clean toilet bowl. Albeit, it was clean before, it just didn’t have the appearance of cleanliness. Oh, but now it does. I cannot even tell you how many times I went back into that bathroom to just stare at the toilet.
You guys, check out the Zep. I feel like Levar Burton form Reading Rainbow.
But, you don’t have to take my word for it.
Do you have any cleaning hacks I can try? I love a good trick up the sleeve!
