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Hard Water Deposits in a Toilet Bowl

December 17, 2012 By 9 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

During the walk-through when we purchased our current home, we flushed our toilets, but did not raise the lids. After we moved in, to our horror, two of our toilets were gross!

First problem, I am told that it is hard water deposits, so when toilet waste is flushed down, stuff catches on the way down. I have been able to remove what I can see after repeatedly cleaning. But there is still a smell. Second toilet, the bowl is black. Have tried a few cleaners, but with little results.

Help!!

Signed,
Down and Dirty in Delaware

Heather says:

I do not envy your grungy toilet problem. Nope, not even a little bit.

GlovesGet yourself some rubber gloves. You know, the heavy duty, no-nonsense, I’m about to use cleaners that mean business kind of gloves.

Now don’t worry, I’m not suggesting anything toxic, but acids, even those from non-toxic sources are not good for your skin. Ever cut a ton of citrus fruit and had your hands feel raw for a couple of days? It’s like that.

So get your gloves and either Bar Keepers Friend of your other favorite acidic cleanser.

Why acidic?

You’re going to be cleaning up some foul funk known as lime scale and urine scale. You know where the lime scale comes from -hard water- but urine scale is a special treat all on its own. It forms from the ammonium salts left behind when urine splashes and evaporates.

Yum.

I kid. Well, about the yum part, the urine scale is a fact of life, disgusting but we all have to deal.

Your also going to want some kind of scrubber – a generic scrub brush or even one of those nylon kitchen jobbers, but know that you WILL BE THROWING THAT OUT AFTERWARD, right? You can of course, wash and reuse the scrub brush, but please delegate it to the floors or bathroom use only.

Now turn off the water to the tank. (Righty tighty, lefty loosey)

Flush the toilet so there is no water in the bowl.

Put on your gloves, apply the cleanser to the bowl and give the inside a good scrub, as far down as you can reach and spend a lot of time up under the rim. (Many people forget to clean this area and all kinds of heinous funk can hide up here.) Don’t spend a lot of time with this scrubbing, you’re mostly just trying to make sure that the cleaner has gotten into every nook and cranny in the toilet bowl.

Now stand up, put the lid down on the toilet, take off your gloves, wash your hands, and set a timer for 30 minutes.

Go entertain yourself. Welcome back.

Remember when we’ve talked about how cleaning takes a few kinds of energy:

Thermal -not applicable or safe in this case – never, never, never pour hot water into your toilet, the thermal change can crack your bowl and that’s not fun for anyone. I don’t care what you read where on the interwebz. No. No. No. Got it?

Chemical – your cleanser -and with chemical energy comes the need for time for those chemical reactions to take place, that’s why you left the room for a little while.

Physical – yup, here’s where you and the scrub brush come in.

Now, put your gloves back on, wet your scrubber and go scrub the ever-living-snot out of that toilet bowl.

When you’re sure you’ve gotten as much as will come off this round, turn the water back on to the tank, and flush the toilet.

Flush it one more time and give it a little scrub with a standard toilet brush.

Flush again.

Now, leave the room for five minutes or so and come back and give the area a smell.

If it still smells funky, it’s not the bowl.

Turn the water back off. Empty the tank, and carefully remove it. (You’re going to have to disconnect the water line and undo a couple of bolts to do so).

Give the area that you couldn’t reach with the tank attached a thorough cleaning. Rinse, dry, give the area a little while to air out and come back. Do you still smell the funk?

If so, it may be either urine or other filth between the flooring and toilet or the wax ring may need to be replaced. Be prepared for this job to turn into more, if there is water damage to the flooring and / or sub flooring.

If you are a dude, this could be a one person job. I’m not a wuss, but ladies, moving a ceramic toilet bowl is more than I can handle on my own -those suckers are HEAVY- so you may have to call in a friend or significant other for physical help with this job. Do not hurt yourself trying to move more than you can do so safely.

Loosen the bolts that attach the toilet to the floor. Move the toilet out of the area and clean the area up to the drain as thoroughly as possible. Use a cleaner safe for your flooring.

Inspect the wax donut -or since you already have the toilet moved, replace it, while you have it out of the way and save yourself a project 3 years from now.

Look for water damage that may indicate the seal was compromised. If there is damage, that may be the real source of your odor,  but the repair is out of the scope of Home-Ec 101. That’s more of a 300 level course. Hire out if you must. You can, of course, put the toilet back together until you can afford the repair, just be glad you know the source and make sure this repair is high on your list of MUST-Dos, as water damage can get ugly in a hurry.

Put everything back together and enjoy your funk-free bathroom.

Submit your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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How to Fix Stained Acrylic Tubs and Shower Pans

September 17, 2012 By 1 Comment

Dear Home Ec 101

How do I get rid of the dirt and grime stains on the bottom of acrylic bathtubs? Same for the acrylic floors of most stand-up showers? I have tried cleaners and bleach to no avail.

Thanks!

Signed,
Scratched in Screven
Heather says:

Surfaces such as acrylic while fairly inexpensive when compared with other building materials are relatively easy to scratch which is why you now have the dirt and grime stains.

What you’re seeing is the result of tiny, tiny scratches trapping particles of dirt. These tiny scratches are generally caused through normal wear and tear -remember nothing ever stays new-in-box quality, once it’s actually being used- and improper cleaning techniques or chemicals.

Since you already have these fine scratches and bad staining, trying to clean this is like shutting the barn door after the horses are gone. The damage has been done and even if you manage to clean the shower, it will be dirty the moment someone steps in with dirty feet.

It’s time to refinish your shower pan and acrylic tub. Thankfully refinishing is an option as it is much cheaper than replacing a shower pan, especially if there is a tile surround in good condition.

Here’s a video that thoroughly explains the acrylic refinishing process (I am not affiliated with this product / company I just found it to be a good overview of exactly is involved with an acrylic refinishing project:

Now that you know what needs to be done to make your acrylic tub and shower pan look new, you have a few choices:

  • you can live with the stains for a while longer
  • you can slave over the frustrating process of trying to keep it looking nice (obnoxious at best, exhausting, too)
  • you can do the refinishing yourself with equipment from your local hardware store
  • you can hire someone else to refinish your shower and tub

If you do decide to go the refinishing route, be sure to only use the proper cleaners in the future. This means NEVER USING ABRASIVE CLEANSERS like Comet on acrylic.

Got that?

Never.

It’s nearly time for me to undertake this project in my upstairs shower, but I am currently living with option number one. I know the shower pan doesn’t look great, but there are other more pressing household repairs at the moment (water damage from a clogged gutter -this is why you need to clean them out every once in a while)

I’m sorry I don’t have a quick and easy solution for you, but the damage to your shower pan has already been done.

Good luck!

Submit your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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How to Clean a Very Dirty Toilet

February 2, 2012 By 20 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

How do I clean a really gross toilet? It has all that yellow and brown crud inside that just won’t come off. I heard that pumice stones scratch the porcelain and only make it worse.

Please HELP!

Signed,
Skeeved in Skaneateles

Heather says

Since people searching for how to clean a really dirty toilet may have a completely different type of dirt or filth in their heads, I’m going to give you the lowdown on cleaning a grimy toilet top to bottom, even though I know Skeeved is mainly interested in removing mineral deposits from the bowl. It’s also possible that the yellow brown build-up inside the bowl is actually urine scale from *ahem* splashing. Either way the remedy is the same.

Pumice stones do work, but since they have the potential to scratch vitreous china (the finish of your bowl) it is a LAST resort and not your first choice for cleaning, even serious mineral build-up.

Since Skeeved is having serious problems with mineral build-up in the bowl of the toilet, I am going to suggest a stronger acid than my usual household cleaner white vinegar. Go ahead and buy actual toilet bowl cleaner. If you purchase toilet bowl cleaner from the store, read the label very carefully to ensure the active ingredient is an acid.

Longtime readers of this site know I often recommend dilute white vinegar for cleaning, but over the years I’m finding I’m relaxing my stance on that. In the past 5 years, more and more environmentally acceptable cleaners are becoming more readily available. If I have some on hand, great, if not just mix up vinegar and water in a 50:50 ratio for general cleaning.

Chlorine bleach is great for disinfecting, but will do NOTHING to help with mineral deposits. Since we are using acid based cleaners to clean the toilet, bleach shouldn’t even be in the same room. You do NOT want to mix chlorine bleach and acidic cleaners.

So let’s get started with cleaning a very dirty toilet.

Gather:

  • a toilet scrub brush
  • gloves (recommended)
  • acid based toilet bowl cleaner (Method. toilet cleaner uses lactic acid)
  • a bucket of water
  • a spray bottle of dilute vinegar or your favorite all purpose cleaner*
  • paper towels or rags – I use paper towels for toilet cleaning, it’s a personal choice, really
  • distracting music

*If you use all purpose cleaner, this is VERY important, only spray the toilet with the lid closed

Empty a bucket of water into the toilet bowl to trigger flushing without refilling the bowl. What we’re doing is allowing the acid that we’re going to use to work on the stains without dilution. If you are using the kind of toilet cleaner that you squirt up under the rim do so with a generous application. Use the scrub brush to spread the cleaning agent evenly all over the inside of the toilet bowl, you are NOT scrubbing at this point, just applying. Try not to dip down into the water in the bottom of the bowl and then add a little extra squirt to the water in the bottom.

Now close the lid to the toilet and set aside the brush for the moment. We are going to give that cleaner time to work thirty minutes or so.

Spray your cleaner of choice onto your rag or paper towel. Now work from the top of the tank down. Wipe down the top of the toilet tank, the handle, and then the front and sides of the tank. Then wipe the top of the lid, the under side of the lid, the top of the seat, and scrub the heck out of the under-side of the seat.

I generally have to switch to fresh paper towels or rinse and reapply cleaner to a rag at this point.

Now wipe the rim of the toilet and under the hinge of the seat and that aggravating place between the seat and the tank where hair just loves to collect. Ugh.

Now wipe down the sides of the bowl and don’t forget the little ledges where the bolts attach to the flooring. At this point I generally give the flooring around the bowl a spray of cleaner and wipe it down, too.

Now clean something else in the bathroom. How about the sink or mirrors? How is your tub looking? Exactly. Just give that toilet bowl cleaner some time to work. If you leave the bathroom, be sure to let other household members know that there are chemicals in the toilet and to not use it.

Whenever you are ready -twenty, thirty minutes later. Revisit that toilet and scrub it with the brush. Don’t forget to get that area up under the rim.

Finally, flush the toilet, allow the bowl to fill, and step back and admire your handiwork.

If you still see mineral deposits, repeat the acid treatment one more time. (Remember you only need to repeat the steps pertaining to the inside of the bowl) If the stains still remain, it may be time to give in and use a pumice stone.

Have, umm, fun?

Submit your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

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How to Clean a Grimy Bathtub and Surround

January 26, 2012 By 10 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I have a 25 year white tub surround that has accumulated a darkened tint due to left over scum even after cleaning it often enough for this very busy mom and full time art teacher.  What is fast and quick and odorless, green, effective, etc. Seems that I am also very good at damaging our home, as I tend to be impulsive when it comes to cleaning.

Help me please, thanks.

Signed,

Grimy in Gridley

Heather says:

 Before I explain how to clean a tub surround, I thought I’d explain exactly what a tub surround is for those who may be unsure. In some bathrooms the shower and tub are one unit. The walls that extend upward from the tub toward the ceiling are known as the surround and can be made from different material including tile and acrylic. The joints are often sealed with caulk or in the case of tile, grout (which also needs to be sealed).

I contacted “Grimy” and asked about her particular surround. Her tub surround is acrylic which means if she ever  used harsh chemical cleansers over the years, it’s quite possible that the acrylic surface was chemically etched or scratched.

Dirt and grime accumulates in these tiny scratches and is then sealed- in by soap scum and minerals which are hard to scrub away and just leave a dirty look.

affiliate link

You can find BKF on Amazon and in most big box stores.

Bar Keepers Friend is one of my favorite cleaning products in these situations. As you requested, it is environmentally friendly. Now because it is an acid, you will want to wear gloves or at the very least not get it on your hands or in your eyes. Keep in mind that vinegar or lemon juice wouldn’t be pleasant in your eyes, either. Oxalic acid is only a bit stronger than either of these and as BKF it arrives in a much more convenient form.

Since cleaning a tub surround involves removing accumulated grime on a vertical surface I would suggest the liquid version of the product. The powder version of BKF will work, but it will be a little more annoying to apply.

To clean the tub surround, apply the the liquid BKF to the shower walls and allow it to sit for a few minutes, to give the oxalic acid time to work on the soap scum. Then use a damp sponge or rag to wipe the walls clean and follow with a thorough rinse.

If you’re using the powder version of BKF wipe the walls with a damp rag, sprinkle BKF on the rag and apply to the walls. Again, give it time to work before removing. The point isn’t to use BKF as an abrasive cleaner, but rather to take advantage of the acidic nature of the product.

It may take a second application, since as you’ve noted, this grime has taken a long time to accumulate, it’s not going to come off easily.

To keep the clean look of your scrubbed tub surround, you can apply a protective coating of wax, yep just like you’d use on your car. Whatever you do, do NOT wax the floor of your tub. Can you say broken hip? I knew you could. To keep it environmentally friendly, use a carnuba wax.

Submit your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

 

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How to Scrub a Tile Floor

September 7, 2011 By 3 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I was looking on your site for information on the best (and hopefully most efficient) way to scrub floors.  I found posts on your site about linoleum and mopping, but the only thing I found on scrubbing was a sentence saying that scrubbing floors required significantly more water.  I have tile floors in my kitchen and bathroom and 3 young children.  They are always dirty, and I have a baby who is crawling on them.

Thanks so much!

Signed,
Tiled-In Toddler Town

Heather says:

When scrubbing tile, you want to avoid harsh cleaners. Acids usually won’t affect the tile, but they can damage the seal protecting the grout and if the grout is unsealed, they can damage the grout itself. Strongly alkaline cleaners (like bleach) can also damage the sealant.

Before starting, check to see if your grout is sealed. Don’t worry, there’s a very simple test for this. Just sprinkle a drop of water on the grout, if it beads, the grout is sealed and you are on easy street -well as easy as life with three young kids ever is. If the grout darkens where the water was applied, the grout needs to be sealed, pronto. Since it has to be cleaned first, I’ll address how to seal grout in a future post.

You should NOT need to scrub your flooring often. This should only happen a couple of times a year at most or if you’ve slacked for a while and the dirt has had a chance to get comfortable with help from sticky friends like hair spray or spilled food. I have a steam cleaner I use for routine cleaning.

Before starting, sweep or vacuum the room thoroughly. You’ll save a lot of work getting rid of the loose dirt, first.

To scrub a tile floor, you’ll need:

  • at least one bucket -I like having a second for rinse water, or I just use the sink or tub in a small bathroom
  • mild detergent, preferably pH neutral, but something like the plain original Dawn dish soap will do
  • warm water
  • a scrub brush
  • several old towels
  • two rags
  • something to kneel on, unless you truly hate your knees and have no plans to wear shorts or skirts in the next week or so

Fill your bucket with warm water, add just a squirt or two of detergent. You don’t want it sudsy, when you are scrubbing, you’re mostly relying on physical energy to remove dirt rather than chemical. (We’ve talked about these mechanisms in the past, in relation to laundry).

Dip one of your rags in the bucket and wring it well, this is to address smudges on the baseboard and everything else you notice while on your hands and knees (it’s amazing what a different perspective can reveal sometimes). Keep this in easy reach.

Mentally divide the room into smallish squares, no more than a couple of feet across. Dip your brush into the soapy water and gently scrub in circular motions, be sure to try to pull dirt away from the corners rather than pushing into them. Rinse your brush often to prevent just transferring dirt from one area to another.  The bristles of the scrub brush sweep up and trap the dirt which is then rinsed away. (This is why I have a separate bucket for rinse water, you don’t want to just keep dipping your scrub brush back into dirty water and potentially picking up the same dirt to reapply it to the floor)

Wet your other rag with plain water and squeeze to remove most of the water. Use this to wipe / rinse your finished square.  Wipe up any excess water with one of your old towels and move on to your next area. Don’t skip the rinsing step, soap can leave a sticky film behind that attracts dirt. Your freshly scrubbed floor will look dirty even faster with that invisible accessory.

Keep moving from one section to another. Usually, I work from one corner toward the door, but I have an exception for the bathrooms because I have boys. When it comes to the bathroom, I always save around the toilet for last, as the idea of spreading even very dilute urine around skeeves me out a bit.

Remember that while your tile floor shouldn’t be damaged by water that your baseboards and cabinetry may not be as durable. Work quickly along the baseboards to prevent water from damaging the wood or cabinetry and wipe up any excess water quickly.

It’s not rocket science, but it is work. Again, this is not how you should clean your flooring on a weekly basis, scrubbing should be reserved only for very deep cleaning as scrub brushes themselves can damage the sealant protecting your grout.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

 

 

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How to Clean Up After a Toilet Overflows

December 16, 2010 By 8 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

So, twice this has happened lately thanks to little girls who don’t always flush when they’re supposed to.

So I have all the towels to mop up the water and um mess, from the toilet overflow itself. Then I have to wash the towels, floor, and toilet. And then I feel the need to run a bleach cycle in the washing machine, just in case.

And I also feel like after mopping the floor I need to disinfect the floor. Then I want to disinfect the mop.

So this is a big annoying process. What are your thoughts on these unpleasant messes?

Signed,
Flustered in Flushing

home ecHeather says:

Think about this, properly washing your hands with soap and water is just as effective as washing with an antimicrobial soap. It’s not the Triclosan that gets your hands clean, it’s the soap bringing the germs into the water where they are then rinsed away.

When cleaning, even very germy things, the same principle applies.

Unless someone in your house has a compromised immune system -I’m talking a baby that has been in the NICU, an elderly relative, chemo patients, etc. There is no need to go crazy with the disinfection in the bathroom. In general, the act of cleaning takes care of almost everything. The act of washing your hands properly after using the toilet and before preparing food is what takes care of the rest.

Does this mean I don’t recommend thoroughly cleaning your bathroom after a sewage back up?

Heck no.

I just mean it’s not quite as necessary to do as many disinfecting steps as you’re undertaking.

Regular bathroom cleaning is sufficient in most households when there there hasn’t been a back up of sewage. Regular use is one thing, fecal matter is a special case.

If you mop the floor thoroughly using your favorite soap and water you’re going to get up just about every germ. Rinse your mop and the bucket thoroughly and then go back over with a mild bleach solution (Read How to Use Bleach Safely) the act of disinfecting the floor will also disinfect the mop and the bucket at the same time. The germs, like e. coli or staph, are going to be killed while they are cleaned up. The first step of getting rid of as much organic matter as possible is actually the most important one.

As far as the towels, again the soap and water situation works here, too. Just wash the towels by themselves, on the hottest cycle, with the longest agitation possible. (Still use the large load setting, you want as much water flow as possible.) Add 2 TBSP of bleach to the wash water, about five minutes into the agitation cycle. This is the same method recommended to clean flood contaminated clothing. It is adequate for your needs, as well. If you’re still feeling skeeved, go ahead and run a cycle to wash your clothes washer, but that is probably overkill.

Also it’s not just girls, I’m fighting the same battle with my boys. Remember last week’s post on how to use a plunger? I’ve been getting a fair amount of practice here, too.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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The Unappreciated Importance of Regular Toilet Cleaning

November 19, 2010 By 7 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

I have a 9 month old baby girl and as she is becoming more mobile, it is becoming a lot more important to me to keep things really clean. She loves crawling into the bathroom and playing with those little plastic screw covers at the base of the toilet and as much as I try to wipe down that area it is never really free of grime and hair.

I am trying to train my husband to keep the bathroom door closed, but that may be a lost cause and I, of course, pick her up and take her out of there when she does find her way in there, but I would like to get that area cleaner anyway and then I wouldn’t feel like I have to disinfect her whole body if she escapes me and spends some quality time with her new favorite toy!!

Do you have any suggestions for getting the base of the toilet clean and keeping it that way?

Thank you so much for any suggestions you may have!

Signed,
Playing in the Potty

Heather says:

First of all congratulations, you’re about to enter the most harrowing phase of parenting, the toddler years. Once they hit three years, you can probably take a deep breath and maybe, just maybe a short nap. From now until that point your child is on a mission to road test your child proofing.

Before you worry about how clean the base of the toilet is, please get a lid lock. Yes it’s a pain. Yes, it’s one more thing to have to clean. The household toilet is actually a drowning hazard, especially so during the cruising months where infants and toddlers don’t have strong necks. Barring that, get a GOOD child resistant lock for the door or if you can’t find one of those, a hook and eye up where only adults can reach can keep your kiddo out of the bathroom and two small drill holes are easy peasy to patch in a couple years.

Cleaning toilets is one of those adulthood sucks kind of things. It’s not fun and there’s no big reward for having a clean toilet.  Most of you know that I rarely recommend convenience products. This is one of those rare exceptions.

Each morning, sweep the bathroom. Due to the temperature of your cold water, toilets often sweat. The hair and other bathroom gook likes to stick to the damp surface. If you are diligent in getting the hair and random fuzz balls out of the bathroom there is less stuff to stick to the base of the toilet, in general.

When men pee¹ they splash. The splashed liquid is a combination of urine and water which wipes up easily, if taken care of immediately, but if allowed to evaporate the ammonium salts left behind leave a nice little treat referred to as urine scale. Nice.

The best way to keep this from building up and becoming a nice, sticky germ ridden place is a regular wipe down.

You could keep a spray bottle of diluted vinegar and a collection of rags to wipe down the toilet each morning. You don’t have to do a super thorough cleaning, just a wipe down of the lid, underside of the lid, seat, under side of the seat, rim, and base. Since you’ve swept, there shouldn’t be a coating of hair to make this any more than a quick wipe.

Since you have a soon-to-be busy toddler to protect from herself, I highly suggest the disposable wipes. I recently picked up some Clorox Green Works  Compostable² wipes from Target just to see how well they worked -do you appreciate my level of commitment to you guys- and I was impressed. They work well and there’s a lower level of guilt with these than other disposable wipes.

Seventh Generation also has a similar product², but I haven’t tried it and I’m not sure if the Seventh Generation Wipes are compostable or not additionally the chemical in these wipes is a potential irritant (this isn’t a big deal, but if you have sensitive skin, you may be better off with the alternative).

I’m sorry there’s no magic way to keep your toilet sparkling clean. Regular maintenance is your best bet. Sweep, wipe, go.

I promise, your child won’t be fascinated with toilet forever. As soon as they are potty trained the porcelain throne loses much of its appeal.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

¹Urinate really didn’t sound any better and all I can think of is the Little Johnny Joke – Urinate. Teacher, you’re an eight, but if you . . .

²Affiliate link

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How to Fix a Constantly Running Toilet

July 22, 2010 By 8 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,
The toilet, in my bathroom is constantly making noise. It sounds like water is always running. Is there any way to turn that off?
Signed,
For the Love of Pete, Someone Jiggle the Handle Already!

Heather says:

There are a few things that can go wrong inside the tank of a toilet that would cause it to leak and need to fill more often than it should.

Take a peek under and behind the toilet, if no water is present, the leak probably is occurring inside the tank. If there is water present, you may need to replace the plastic washers on the bolts securing the tank.

The inner workings of your toilet may need to be fixed or replaced. Don’t worry, this is a straightforward job. If you can put together Ikea shelves, you can handle this plumbing task. Before you go to the hardware store, see if you can turn off water at the inlet valve. Unfortunately some contractors are skipping this handy mechanism to save a few bucks and it may not exist in all homes. Look for a valve on the woven or copper pipe that connects to the bottom of the toilet tank. Turning this off prevents the tank from filling. If you don’t have an inlet valve between the water line and the tank, you may have to shut off the water at the main to fix the toilet. It’s kind of a pain, but better than making a huge mess.

If there is no water present, take the lid off of the tank and take a peek inside.

If your float has cracked

Older toilets have what looks like a metal or plastic balloon that rests on top of the water. Sometimes these floats can develop cracks or leaks that allow water to seep inside. When this happens the float no longer sits above the water, causing the mechanism to fill the tank higher than it should. If the float is resting too low in the water, the toilet can overfill high enough to leak into the overflow tube creating a vicious cycle of filling and draining. I say vicious because it’s murder on the water bill.

Sometimes the metal rod or arm of the float just needs to be bent slightly to get the float to sit properly on the water. Do this carefully, if the rod snaps, the water will need to be shut off.

If you have a newer toilet, the float rides up and down a plastic tube, like a little balloon elevator. Sometimes the float gets stuck on grit or debris and just needs to be moved manually a few times to get things working again. If the elevator style float has developed a leak, it will need to be replaced.

If the float is not the problem

It could be the chain attached to the handle. If the chain is too long, it may become trapped under the flap allowing water to slowly leak. If the chain is too short, it won’t allow the flap to seal properly. Shorten or replace the chain as necessary.

The flap may also be leaking.

If you look on the inside of the tank there is often a warning to not use products with bleach. Over time these drop-in cleaners degrade the plastic, causing it to become brittle and crack. If this has happened, the flap will need to be replaced.

Don’t worry

The internet is full of *ahem* helpful advice that may actually create problems.

If you live in the USA and your toilet is newer than 1994 it only uses 1.6 gallons per flush. The toilet needs all 1.6 gallons to flush properly, please do not add a brick or bottle to reduce the capacity of the tank.  Without enough water to flush waste, the toilet is more likely to clog. In older toilets the addition of a brick to the tank may introduce additional sediment to the trap. If you need to reduce the tank capacity, use a plastic bottle full of water and replace it on occasion as the plastic becomes brittle.

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Cleaning The Bathtub

November 30, 2009 By 30 Comments

Dear Home-Ec 101,

I’m hoping you or your readers can help me with this household problem.  Our bathroom has a plastic-inserted bathtub, and it seems as if no matter how much I clean and scrub away at it, the tub still has this scummy ring around it that won’t go away.  I’ve tried several commercial bathroom cleaners and scouring powders, all to no avail.  Can you or anyone out there let me in on the trick to a white, dingy-free bathtub?

Signed,
Ring Around Rosie

Heather says:

The phenomenon of which you speak is the dreaded bathtub ring. Every time someone takes a bath, all of the dead skin cells, grease, and oils wash off their body and float in a layer on top of the water. Add soap to the mix and theses lovely little particles are trapped in a sticky residue that clings to the side of the tub.

The simplest way to prevent a ring is to rinse the tub after a bath. This is why in some older children’s books you’ll see a reference to a parent nagging a kid to rinse out the tub and wring out the wash cloth. Prevention is the best cure, keep this in mind in the future.

You mention a plastic insert. I’m going to assume you’re referring to an acrylic tub liner. These are quite easy to scratch with abrasive cleaners. Do not use any type of scouring powder. When the acrylic scratched, those sticky bathtub ring bits of goo have even more surfaces and crevices to cling to. This makes the already tenacious bathtub ring extremely difficult to clean. It’s going to take some elbow grease, chemicals, or a combination to tackle your problem.

If you want to take the least toxic route grab a box of baking soda. Use a damp sponge or rag to generously apply it to the ring in a thick paste.  Then spray with white vinegar, this acid base reaction will help get to the dirt down in the tiny scratches. Wipe the tub down, rinse it well, and  then tackle remaining problem areas with Bar Keeper’s Friend. This oxalic acid cleaner is mild, but should never be mixed with bleach or other household chemicals.

A second technique is to grab an old bath pouf and baby shampoo. Load the pouf up with baby shampoo, get it nice and foamy and attack the ring. It may take a few rounds of scrubbing and rinsing, but your ring didn’t get there overnight, either.

An intriguing trick, that I have not tried is using a damp dryer sheet to wipe away the ring. If you have dryer sheets on hand, it can’t hurt to try. If you do try this trick, please report back. I don’t use dryer sheets as the perfumes  make me sneeze, but I just might invest in a box if it works as well as teh Interwebz claim.

If the bathtub ring has been around a while, it has many layers of dirt and soap. In that case, I may take the chemical route and use a commercial cleaner. I personally like Scrubbing Bubbles, but I live in an area with soft water. If you have hard water, this adds mineral deposits to your mix and something along the lines of CLR  may work better. Again, it may take several applications / rinses to notice an effect. Do not use scouring powders on your acrylic tub, it will create new scratches and make your bathtub ring more difficult to remove in the future.

If your water is hard, it’s especially important to wipe down the tub after each use. A weekly wipe with dilute vinegar, lemon juice, or even rubbing alcohol will help keep things looking good.

Good luck!

Send your domestic quandaries to helpme@home-ec101.com.

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Getting Started: The Great Bathroom Cleansing Ritual

June 13, 2009 By 27 Comments

retrochick.JPGIvy says:

Getting your house back in shape absolutely requires that you clean the bathroom. Let me tell you, you could have mounds of laundry piled everywhere and a spotless bathroom and I totally wouldn’t think you’re gross. But make me use a dirty bathroom and I’ll take pictures and post them here on Home Ec 101 with the Home Ec 101 Seal of Disapproval. Just kidding.

Mostly.

But seriously, cleaning your bathroom is a must. Where to get started with this disaster area?

First, remove all clothes, towels, and washcloths that are strewn about. Perhaps you’re the sort of person who never, ever lets dirty clothes go anywhere but the hamper. Or perhaps you’re like all my family members who like to drop their clothing right next to the hamper. Either way, if there is clothing in your bathroom, remove it.

Next, discard all trash in the bathroom. I normally empty the bathroom trash every week come trash day, but somehow little bits of trash tend to end up in odd places, like underneath cabinets and behind the toilet. I don’t always get those on trash day, so I gather up all that flotsam plus all the trash in the trashcan, and take it out.

Now, clear off your sink area. Yes, even the stuff that normally goes there. Just set it in the cabinet for now.

Then vacuum or sweep the floor and the bottom of your tub/shower. And dust anything that needs dusting. This concludes the “dry” portion of your bathroom cleaning experience. Let’s move on to the “wet” part.

Put your toilet bowl cleaner stuff around the rim of your toilet bowl and close up the toilet to let it soak in. I particularly like the extra caustic, super-chemical kinds of toilet cleaners. Your mileage may vary, depending on how green you are. I’m pretty green, but when it comes to toilet cleaning, gimme chemicals.

Then do your shower. For this, I like a vinegar and water 50/50 mix. Nothing removes soap scum quite as well as plain ol’ white vinegar and water. Just spray and wipe. Don’t forget your shower curtain, spray and wipe that bad boy, too.

Next, move on to your sink, mirror, and other things that need to be sprayed and wiped. Not your toilet, not yet. That comes last. I have a flat plastic scraper (like the ones Pampered Chef gives you to clean off your stoneware) that I use to scrape off toothpaste yuck. Don’t forget to clean behind and under your faucet!

On to the toilet! A little scrubbing here, a little scrubbing there, and voila! Clean toilet.

Finally, mop. And then you’re done with the bathroom and can move on to more fun tasks, like laundry.

And that concludes the bathroom cleaning. Whew! Wasn’t that fun?!

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