How to clean a toilet bowl
The most responsible thing in how to clean the drain tank is to choose the right cleaning agent. Some may not be effective enough, while the other not only removes pollution, but also negatively affects all the "insides" of the tank. Your choice, however, is:
Abrasive
Many, in order to clean the toilet bowl, choose the usual abrasive products - powders, pastes, sometimes creams. In fact, there is little help from them if the plaque is already completely old and covered with rust. Yes, and they sometimes leave behind small scratches - a hotbed for bacteria. But to remove simpler pollution, they fit well, you just need to apply a powder or cream to a rag and rub the tank walls with force. After waiting a few minutes, rinse with water, repeat if necessary.
As an abrasive, you can use not only household chemicals, but also ordinary baking soda.
Alkaline
Not the best means to combat old plaque, but effective for preventive purposes, are those that contain alkali. They will help remove the top layer of plaque, whiten the walls and perfectly disinfect the "insides" of the tank.
This includes products of this type, such as Domestos, Dosia, Tyron, and the well-known "Whiteness". It is better to apply them on the walls and bottom of the tank, keeping the product for at least half an hour. Depending on the degree of soiling, the alkaline tank cleaning procedure may need to be repeated several times to achieve the desired result. But, most likely, such a tool will only whiten the inner surface of the drain container, but will not be able to fully cope with hard deposits.
Acidic
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And, finally, the most dangerous, but also the most effective in the fight against old lime deposits are acid-containing products, such as Cilit, Sanoks. There are also positive reviews on the method of cleaning plaque with the help of an electrolyte - acid for batteries (motorists know), as well as on the use of hydrochloric or technical oxalic acid. But it is very dangerous!
It is necessary to use all these means, strictly following the instructions, additionally protecting yourself with rubber gloves and a mask. Never inhale the vapors of such products! Do not go overboard with this type of cleaning, as acidic and potent substances corrode not only plaque, but also your plumbing.
Both alkaline and acid products should not be used on enameled surfaces.
Other Tips
- In order for the plaque to be cleaned off better, you need to use not only rags and sponges, but brushes and brushes. In the most advanced cases, you can use a soft skin.
- In order not to injure the surface of the plumbing, you can take note of homemade ways to clean the toilet bowl. For example, depending on the degree of contamination, you can treat the plaque-affected area with ordinary table vinegar, citric acid or vinegar essence, leave the product for 3 hours or better overnight, and then rinse with water and pre-rub with a brush.
- There are reviews that Coca-Cola also copes well with rust - try mixing it with citric acid or vinegar, pour it into a tank and leave it overnight.
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When you manage to clean the tank from plaque, or after buying a new toilet bowl, it will be necessary to carry out preventive cleaning of plumbing at least once every three months. To do this, an ordinary detergent, a soft sponge / rag will be enough.
- In order to continue to form rust more slowly and in smaller quantities, add toilet gel in the form of a special round tablet to the tank. They not only purify the water, but also give it a pleasant smell. Suitable for regular use, but will not give an immediate effect. The main thing is to put such a tablet in the tank away from the area where the water jet is supplied. So, the product will slowly and gradually dissolve, disinfecting the water in the drain tank.
- Instead of special tablets for preventive cleaning, disinfection and aromatization of water in the tank, you can use a tube of ordinary toothpaste. Just make a puncture in the tube and place it in a container for draining.
The reason for the rapid formation of plaque can also be a water leak in the tank. One way to open the tank lid and fix this problem, you will learn from this video:
Second phase
To clean the toilet cistern, you need to choose cleaning products. If a layer of plaque has formed in the tank, then abrasive cleaners and a rag will help to remove it. Apply the product to the walls of the tank and leave to act for a few minutes. Then wipe the walls with a rag. Repeat if necessary. In addition to abrasive products, there are alkaline cleaners. They not only cope with plaque, but disinfect the surface. They are also applied to the walls, and left for a while. If you have time, you can leave for a few hours to improve the action.
There are acids. They cope with plaque even faster, but contain acid, which can adversely affect human health. Therefore, when using acid cleaners, safety precautions should be observed: wear gloves and do not bend over the tank so as not to inhale acid fumes. In addition to household chemicals, you can use folk remedies. One of the popular remedies that cope with plaque is citric acid. Soda and acetic acid also have a similar effect.
They should be applied to the walls of the tank and left for 2-3 hours. Then rinse. But some housewives have adopted cola to fight the raid. It should be poured into an empty tank and left overnight. After such a procedure, even old dirt and plaque are removed. If the pollution is insignificant, then chlorine-containing substances, such as Whiteness, can cope with them. But with a fairly thick layer of plaque, they can not cope.
To improve the effect of any means, whether it be household chemicals or a folk remedy, brushes or metal sponges and brushes are used. But you can use them if the surface of the tank is not glossy. Otherwise, there will be scratches in which plaque will accumulate. Therefore, for smooth surfaces, it is better to use soft rags. After cleaning the toilet cistern, screw all the components into place. Then put the lid on and turn on the water. After the tank is full, pull everything off to the end so that if there are particles of the product left, they are washed off.
How to remove the lid from the drain tank
The first thing you will have to deal with is how to remove the lid from the toilet bowl. In fact, most modern toilet models have a lid with a button and a thread that can be easily twisted counterclockwise by holding the button with your finger for convenience. In the case when the button is double, one of the keys must be pressed in, and the second pry off, for example, with a flat screwdriver, and remove the button, and then the cover.
If you have an old toilet, most likely, the lid is not attached to the tank in any way - just unscrew the cap from the drain lever.
Do not forget that before starting work, you need to turn off the water supply to the tank, and drain all available water!
In the case of toilets made abroad, the design of the tank may be completely different.Here it is better to follow the instructions that came with your model when buying, or search the Internet for a description specifically for toilet bowls from your manufacturer, since there may be some nuances here. But still, in most cases, the process of removing the lid is quite simple and intuitive, especially since the manufacturers did not have the goal of hiding the contents of the drain tank from you forever.
Sometimes it is required to clean not only the inner surface of the toilet bowl, but also the fittings of the internal mechanism. If you decide to do it yourself, make sure you have the instructions, or remember well how the parts were assembled together and where exactly they were attached
Some of the elements of the mechanism, especially plastic parts or gaskets, may be badly worn and need to be completely replaced, but sometimes only careful cleaning of the armature with a brush and detergent, as well as rinsing
