How To Remove Brown Stain in Bottom of Toilet Bowl [2023 Update]

Brown stain in bottom of toilet bowl is probably on your weekly cleaning list. But what if you could easily remove and prevent them from returning?

Yet, that dirt in the bottom of the toilet bowl could disappear in just a few seconds. Cleaning up brown stains without damaging and scratching the porcelain is possible.

6 Ways to Remove Brown Stain in Bottom of Toilet Bowl

 

Despite the growing market of chemical cleaning products in the USA, we always suggest you use natural solutions first. If stains are stubborn, you should repeat the process. [1]

Here you can find some of the things that work. It all depends on the level of stains and how long they haven’t been cleaned.

1. Vinegar

Push as much water out using the toilet brush, then fill it up with vinegar and let it sit overnight. Scrub off any leftover stains and flush your toilet.

The acidic nature of vinegar works perfectly when you need an agent for softening and lifting buildup from the bottom of your toilet bowl.

2. Baking Soda and Coca Cola

Just like we mentioned in the previous section, Coke is not the happiest solution for removing toilet bowl stains when used individually. This, indeed weird combination acts just like vinegar.

Sip a few spoons of baking soda in the toilet and pour some Coke into the bowl. This will create a chemical reaction – sprinkles and foam. Just leave this sit for a couple of hours and you will see the bottom of your toilet bowl stain-free.

However, you don’t have to use these two combined at all. Baking soda is widely famous for its incredible properties, especially when it comes to cleaning. If the stain is not that bad, try baking soda alone.

3. Baking Soda and Salt

We have a secret weapon here – baking soda and vinegar mixture, which is almost unbeatable when it comes to yucky stains.

Natural cleaning agents are sometimes way better than the chemical ones, even though some stains react only with combined methods.

Make sure to put your rubber gloves on before getting to work.

• Lift the toilet seat,
• Pick up a toilet brush, add some regular cleaning product to it, and rub the brush across the bowl,
• Don’t apply too much pressure, but make sure to scrub everything you can thoroughly,
• Try to reach the U-bend as far as you can,
• Let this sit for about 30 minutes to one hour without flushing the toilet, and flush it when you get back to the bathroom.
• Vinegar has a strong smell, so make sure to open the bathroom window before you start with this part of the job,
• Pour 250 ml of vinegar down the bowl (we suggest using the cheapest type of vinegar you can buy),
• Next thing you do is to add approximately 200 grams of baking soda, then vinegar again (go for another 250ml),
• Don’t get surprised when the thing starts bubbling and fizzing like crazy, as that is exactly what we want to achieve,
• Leave it to sit for 5 minutes,
• Scrub away stains with your toilet brush,
• Finally, flush the toilet.

This should be more than enough to wipe off even the most stubborn brown stains down below. Just make sure to ventilate the space after the trick with baking soda and vinegar.

4. CLR Stain Remover or Whink Rust Remover

We already talked about CLR products here. So leave it for 15 minutes, use toilet brush and it should be gone.

Both of these products are effective when it comes to brown stains.

5. Muriatic Acid

We already talked about Muriatic acid effectiveness here.  Use  4-5 tablespoons first. Before using it, protect your eyes and hands. Use a face mask and go out of the room while it works. Leave it overnight with the lid closed.

6. Pumice Stone or Scouring Stick

If your toilet is old and hardly stained, we suggest this as the last option. Make sure that surface is wet first, or you will scratch it.

These products are cheap and without dangerous chemicals. You can get a pumice tool with a handle for easier use. Do it slowly and gently. This shouldn’t be done more than once.

What causes brown stains in toilet bowl?

 

This has a lot to do with hard and soft water. As the rainwater goes through soft rocks, it picks up calcium, magnesium, chalk, and lime. The end result of this process is hard water.

And then, we have soft water on the other hand. It contains a much lower concentration of dissolved materials (sodium is the only exception).

Yet, aren’t you curious why we use products to soften hard water now that you know it contains some of the super important, even essential minerals such as magnesium and calcium?

Why would anyone mess up the water of good quality? Well, hard water creates mineral buildup, which is hard on appliances, taps, and toilets. Yet, more importantly – this buildup is so hard to clean after some time.

Those stains in the bottom of your toilet bowl appear regularly, but you can’t always spot them.

Limescale (calcium carbonate) appears as a white powdery film initially.

If not taken care of, limescale starts changing its color from grayish to green and finally to brown. The reason for discoloration is iron or manganese compounds, which transform limescale to beige or orange. That is how you get a brown stain in bottom of toilet bowl.

Why Is It So Important to Remove Stains?

 

According to this research, Pathogenic enteric bacteria may occur in toilet bowls and even spread around bathroom sinks.

One way of reducing the number of ejected microorganisms is by using automatic toilet bowl cleaners. 

Despite the fact the visual effect of the stain in your toilet gives off an impression of a terrible and unclean toilet, a bad smell won’t be absent either.

One of the reasons for removing buildup from your stained toilet bowl is to prevent flushing the deposits down the drain.

Buildups pose a threat to your taps and pipes. If you ignore the stain for too long, deposits can restrict water flow in pipes. 

 

Bottom Line

Staining may be yucky sometimes, but it will worsen daily if you don’t deal with it.  If you want to get rid of a brown stain in bottom of toilet bowl, make sure to give it a proper clean once a month. We are confident about the above-mentioned methods, as we tried them all out.

You should be aware that not all toilets are created equal. You should go for porcelain ones because they are glossier and easier to clean.