Toilet limescale 'melts' away within 'minutes' - no bleach needed

Toilet bowl stains are a combination of limescale and urine, which react chemically to create a yellowish-brown stain.

The longer these deposits linger in your loo, the thicker the layer of limescale and urine scale becomes. Hence, cleaning the toilet should be part of your monthly, if not weekly, cleaning routine.

Savannah Ramsey was struggling to remove stubborn brown marks from her toilet bowl and sought advice on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips and Tricks Facebook page after bleach proved ineffective.

• Olympics legend Michael Johnson reveals why he really returned gold medal
• Omeprazole NHS warning to anyone who takes it for heartburn and indigestion

She posted: "Any tips on how I can get rid of these brown marks on my toilet? I bleach it, but it will not come off. I do not know why they appear and how to get rid of them."

Fellow group members pointed out that the "brown stains" were due to limescale and that bleach wasn't the answer.

Instead, they suggested citric acid, reports the Express. Sandra Coombs advised: "Bleach only kills the bacteria that grows on the limescale.

"You [definitely] need citric acid. Wait for the loo to stop flushing and the bowl to be dry, and squirt some over. It eats away at the limescale! Also, put loo paper over it, and that helps to keep the citric acid over the limescale."

Natasha Wilcock recommended: "Citric acid; leave for 15 minutes, then flush. I swear this product is amazing – it took off nearly 5mm of dried limescale."

Gemma Luson added: "Citric acid and it'll just melt off in several minutes. No scrubbing." James Barclay advised: "Citric acid crystals dissolved in boiling water, spray on, leave at least 15 minutes, then use a toilet brush and it will come off."

Eco cleaning guru Nancy Birtwhistle chimed in on the post, warning: "Don't use vinegar and baking soda together - waste of time. They cancel each other out. Make up a bottle of my Pure Magic spray."

The key ingredient for her "Pure Magic spray" is citric acid. Bathroom and kitchen specialists at Villeroy and Boch also advocate using citric acid on toilets.

They stated: "You will probably find more products than you could imagine around your home for descaling the toilet.

"Acids are particularly effective for cleaning toilets. They trigger a chemical reaction on contact with the calcium carbonate in the limescale deposits, which helps to break down stains. Different acids can be used to clean the toilet.

"Citric acid is very commonly used to clean toilets. This is because it smells pleasantly fresh and is less pungent than vinegar."

To descale toilets with citric acid, they suggest mixing two to three tablespoons of citric acid powder with one litre of water - always add the water to the bucket before the citric acid to avoid splashes. This solution can also be used to clean a toilet cistern.