Remove toilet limescale using 17p hack with no scrubbing required

It may seem straightforward to keep a toilet clean by pouring bleach into the bowl, but this potent cleaner won't cut it if you spot discoloured stains on the porcelain. Limescale is a deposit from minerals in hard water, and it clings tightly to surfaces, meaning scrubbing alone won't shift it.

While bleach disinfects and can temporarily whiten limescale stains, it's ineffective at removing the build-up which will continue to harbour bacteria and make a toilet unhygienic.

However, Francesca, a cleaning guru and founder of Thoroughly Modern Grandma, has revealed that banishing limescale stains is a doddle as long as you use citric acid to clean your loo.

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Francesca explained: "Once a week; if you don't have hard water this can be less often, just as and when required; give your loo a clean with Citric Acid to remove the mineral / limescale deposits."

Citric acid is a natural compound originally found in lemon juice and other citrus fruits, but a more potent version is available in the cleaning section of most supermarkets.

Limescale is an alkaline stain that only an acidic substance can tackle, and citric acid swiftly breaks it down from a surface, making it much easier to clean, reports the Express.

Not only is it far more effective, but citric acid is also non-toxic, so it's much safer for bathroom cleaning as you won't be inhaling any harmful chemical fumes.

It also tends to be quite affordable as at Tesco and ASDA a 250g box of citric acid costs £1.75. At B&Q citric acid costs £2.25 while at Lakeland a 50g tub costs only 49p.

How to remove toilet stains with citric acid

To begin, pour a jug of warm water from the tap down the toilet bowl, then add 400g of citric acid. Do not pour boiling hot water from the kettle into your toilet as you risk cracking the bowl.

Then, allow the solution to sit in your toilet as you need to give the citric acid solution time to break down the stains. Leave it for at least an hour but for best result leave it overnight.

When you are ready, gently scrub the toilet with a brush, flush it, and all the stains should be gone.

Limescale takes time to build up so if you live in a hard water area, particularly in the South East of England, then use citric acid on your toilet once a week to stop stains appearing in the future.

If you reside in a soft water area like Northern England, Scotland and Wales, then it is best to use citric acid roughly a month to keep limescale at bay.