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Vinegar and Baking Soda To Remove Toilet Bowl Ring

Sonia
Toilet bowl

If you’ve ever had that unpleasant ring in your toilet bowl, you know how annoying it is! And I’m sure you want to get rid of toilet bowl ring as quickly as possible.

There is some good news.

It’s unlikely that the ring has anything to do with your cleaning routine – that is unless you’re not cleaning your toilets regularly. And if that’s the case, no time like the present to pivot 😊.

While toilet cleaning might not be high on the list of favorites, it’s necessary for cleanliness and overall health.

Anyway, I digress, so let’s move on.

Essentially, I’m on a quest to use natural products for cleaning and have settled on vinegar and baking soda to get rid of toilet bowl ring and to clean the toilet bowl. It’s an effective and economical solution. And an alternative to using harsh chemicals.

Benefits of using vinegar and baking soda

Vinegar works well for cleaning and disinfecting because its main ingredient – acetic acid – is strong enough to dissolve mineral deposits, dirt, grease, and grime. 

Baking soda’s cleaning power is mostly physical. A mild abrasive, it gently wears away stains. But chemistry is involved, too. Baking soda reacts with the grease in stains to form glycerol, a common cleansing ingredient in soaps. Mixing it with vinegar creates carbonic acid, a weak acid that boosts the corrosive action of vinegar. It also releases carbon dioxide, the gas that makes soft drinks bubbly, which may enhance the scrubbing effect. Also, as a weak alkali, baking soda neutralizes acids in odor molecules to eliminate strong smells.

Source: https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-hints-tips/cleaning-organizing/uses-for-baking-soda-cleaning-your-bathroom-ga.htm

What causes ring around the toilet?

Bacteria

A build-up of bacteria, AKA, germs that attach to the interior of the toilet bowl.

Hard water

Highly mineralized hard water, which can stain the toilet bowl.

Dirty toilet tank

A dirty toilet tank can cause mold and mildew stains to develop in the bowl.

How to prevent your toilet bowl from staining

To prevent stains from developing in your toilet bowl, you’ve got to clean your toilets AT LEAST once per week. Ideally, more frequently, like every couple of days.

Regular cleaning prevents stains from building up. And it just feels better to use a toilet cleaned frequently. 

Make sure that your toilet bowl brush doesn’t have any metal pieces. If so, there’s a potential for the bowl to be scratched.

Now, you could very well be cleaning your toilets often and still have a toilet ring.

I noticed this happening in our powder room.  I did some research and learned that it’s important to regularly flush the toilets that don’t get used as often.

This will stop bacteria from forming and sticking to the bowl.

So, daily flushing is recommended for the toilets that don’t get used regularly to prevent this from happening.

Cleaning the inside of the toilet tank will also prevent a toilet ring from developing.

How to remove toilet bowl ring using vinegar and baking soda

Now, as mentioned before, using vinegar and baking soda has become my preferred method to get rid of toilet bowl ring and clean the toilet interior due to its effectiveness and the fact that this is a natural cleaning agent.

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 cup of white vinegar
  • 1 cup of baking soda
  • Gloves reserved for cleaning toilets only, to prevent cross-contamination and protect your hands

Here’s the process:

  • Pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl, followed by the baking soda
  • Close the lid and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes
  • Use the toilet brush to clean the bowl
  • Flush the toilet

You’ll notice that the ring has disappeared, and the bowl is clean.

A word of caution

Don’t store vinegar and baking soda together in a sealed container.

Do you remember back in high school experiments when vinegar and baking soda interacted with each other? Yep, the good old fizzing and bubbling reaction.

Consequently, if stored in a closed container, this mixture could explode, when the container is opened.

What is the easiest way to clean a toilet tank?

Now, given that a dirty toilet tank can also cause that stubborn toilet ring, it makes sense to clean the inside of the toilet tank, right?

Rest assured, cleaning the inside of the tank about twice per year is all that’s required to keep it clean.

Don’t ignore this because if you do, the parts might corrode and rust.

The white vinegar and baking soda combination are also effective when cleaning the toilet tank.

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup baking soda
  • Scrub brush (reserved for toilets)
  • Gloves

First, you want to start with an empty tank. So, turn off the water valve (near the bottom of the toilet). Then, flush the toilet to drain out the water.

Then, follow these steps:

  1. Remove the tank lid
  2. Pour the vinegar followed by the baking soda into the tank
  3. Swirl the mixture around with the toilet brush
  4. Use the scrub brush to scour the bottom and sides of the tank
  5. Leave this for about 30 to 45 minutes
  6. Scour again with the scrub brush
  7. Turn on the water valve and flush the toilet to clear out the tank
  8. Place the lid back on

If your tank is quite dirty, leave for a longer time, such as a few hours.

Recap

Even if you’ve been turned off from cleaning the toilet before, you now have some simple steps to clean and control those annoying rings that sometimes show up.

It is possible to get rid of toilet bowl ring using vinegar and baking soda.  

Applying this vinegar and baking soda solution is easy and relatively quick.  And a good option, instead of using harsh chemicals. Don’t hesitate to give this a try.

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