How to Clean Rust Stains Off of Porcelain

Hard water leaves a number of difficult to clean stains on porcelain fixtures that can make even the cleanest bathroom look exceedingly unclean. Regardless of whether you are a homeowner who wants to make a good impression on your guests or a renter who wants to get back their security deposit, removing rust stains from your porcelain bathroom fixtures should be one of the top priorities you undertake to leave behind a perfectly clean bathroom.

Standard cleaners won't work on rust stains on your porcelain. Neither will bleach or any amount of scrubbing. You'll have to use a specialty cleanser. These are typically labeled as being for the removal of calcium, lime and rust. Using them once per month will not only keep your porcelain fixtures clean, but it will also help prevent scale from building up on the fixture and making it more difficult to clean.

Reach behind your toilet where you'll find the water inlet valve, and close it completely. If you allow the water to remain in the toilet while you are attempting to clean it, you will only succeed in diluting the chemical that cleans the rust stains off. It is best to use these chemicals at a high concentration, particularly when the rust stain is severe.

Flush the toilet to drain the water from the bowl. Because you shut off the water, the tank will drain into the bowl and out of the bathroom. When the water has drained, apply the rust cleaner to the porcelain where the rust stains are worst. It is also helpful to clean the upper portion of the bowl where the water injects into the bowl from the tank. Once you have allowed the cleanser to sit on the rust colored surface for a few moments, scrub the affected area with a toilet brush or another stiff-bristled brush. This should remove most of the rust discoloration. If it does not, rinse the affected areas and apply a second helping of rust cleanser. Allow it to sit on the stain for slightly longer than you let the first cleanser sit, and then scrub the surface with the same stiff-bristled brush. It may take several sessions to remove the stain completely, depending on how severe the staining was, but eventually you will be left with a bright, clean porcelain bowl.

Use a standard bathroom cleanser weekly to help prevent rust scale from forming, and use a rust cleanser at least once per month to keep the toilet bowl clean.