Keeping your toilet clean is essential for maintaining a fresh and hygienic bathroom. Over time, limescale, stains and mineral deposits can build up, making the toilet look dull and dirty. Regular cleaning helps to prevent these deposits from becoming difficult to remove.
While there are many ways to clean a toilet, including natural methods, they don't always prove the most effective. On the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook page, one group member asked for cleaning advice.
The anonymous group member wrote: "Have these brown stains all around the rim of the toilet, and I can’t seem to get rid of them. I recently moved to the house, and it was worse than before, and it’s driving me mad.
“I’ve heard it’s because of the hard water here. Can anyone suggest anything that’ll help to remove it?”
Luckily, the post attracted more than 100 comments from group members recommending their techniques, but it was one particular product was shared the most.
One group member commented: “Harpic black will do the trick, I won’t use anything else on my toilets now. Leave it for an hour and your toilet will be sparkling.”
Dawn Evened commented: “Use black Harpic bleach, it’s amazing, no scrubbing required.”
Sammie Prescott wrote: “Black Hapric down your toilet overnight, you can also buy the tablets, which are great too."
The product description reads: "Say goodbye to stubborn limescale, tough stains, and bacteria with Harpic Power Plus Toilet Cleaning Gel. Its fast-acting, powerful formula delivers 10 actions in every squeeze — removing rust, urine stains, and dirt build-up while killing 99.9% of bacteria. With easy under-the-rim and underwater action, achieving a deep, hygienic, and sparkling clean has never been simpler."
The manufacturer's instructions instruct cleaners to leave it for just 10 minutes, but to disinfect properly, up to an hour should suffice.
It can be purchased from a number of retailers, including supermarkets and Home Bargains. The price of the product varies, but it retails for £1.80 on the Tesco website at the time of writing.
Other Mrs Hinch fans recommended using a bottle of cola to clean the toilet, since the acid in the fizzy drink reacts with limescale and helps dissolve it.
Lisa Malonoey wrote: “Bottle of cola… leave it overnight, bought mine up a treat.”
Sammie Prescott said: “Cola is a good trick if you haven’t tried that, you don’t need an expensive brand. If not, you may need to empty the water.”
To get the best results, make sure to purchase a full-fat variety and leave it overnight in the bowl to work.