Remove stubborn toilet limescale in '20 minutes' using 1 supermarket staple - not vinegar

Remove stubborn toilet limescale in '20 minutes' using 1 supermarket staple - not vinegar (Image: Getty)

Toilet limescale is unsightly and can be particularly stubborn if not regularly removed.

Toilet limescale is caused by hard water, which contains many minerals. When the hard water evaporates, the minerals are left behind, causing unpleasant stains in toilet bowls to develop.

Some of the most popular methods for removing toilet limescale include using white vinegar, baking soda and cola.

However, one cleaning enthusiast claimed she had tried all three of these methods to no avail.

Facebook user Sarah Abbott asked the group, 'Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips': "Our toilet is encrusted with limescale, no matter what I do I cant remove it because the pan continuously fills so I cant empty it.

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"I have tried coke, vinegar, lemons, bicarb, toilet cleaners, you name it. Does anyone have any good tips for really stubborn limescale that can still work when diluted?"

Sarah's post was inundated with almost 50 comments from Mrs Hinch fans, but the most common suggestion was to use Harpic Black.

Hayley Jobson said: "Black Harpic. Try and push the water out with a loo brush. Do it quickly and it goes over the u-bend. Then Black Harpic and scrub. Leave for a bit then scrub again and should be clean."

Geraldine Baines agreed and said: "Black Harpic liquid and tablets leave as long as possible. Overnight is best."

Lisa May Rickhuss wrote: "Black Harpic. Leave overnight. Use toilet brush in the morning, flush and should be sparkling."

Toilet limescale is caused by hard water which contains lots of minerals (Image: Getty)

Harpic Power Plus Regular Toilet Cleaner Gel costs £1.50 from Sainsbury's and Morrisons. On Sainsbury's website, the product has received a rating of 4.4 out of five.

One reviewer said: "Harpic Power Plus Original is the best toilet cleaner I've tried. Much stronger and more effective that regular bleach. It is enough to keep it [on] for a few minutes (I kept it for about 20 minutes) and wash it off. Removes old stains and kills up to 99 percent of bacteria."

Another wrote: "The cleaning power of this is immense. I live in an area with very hard water, so limescale is always an issue, and this has broken it down brilliantly and effectively. The scent isn’t unpleasant, and for the price, I will be buying it regularly."

However, one reviewer said the product had a "terrible smell". They wrote: "I’ve bought this product and it may be good at cleaning the toilet but the smell is terrible. Smells of wee and public toilets. Won’t be buying again!"

Other suggestions from Mrs Hinch fans for removing toilet limescale included using Steradent tablets and a dishwasher tablet.

Pauline Speed said: "Dishwasher tablet. I did this today in work."

Jeanette Bowers commented: "Steradent tablets. May sound odd but [it] works"