First Things First:
It’s a known fact, no one likes cleaning the bathroom. And what makes bathroom cleaning worse? When after all that scrubbing effort, you’re toilet/bath still looks dirty. There are ways to remove rust stains from bath surfaces for good and prevent rust stains, preventing them from reoccurring and adding to your endless to-do list…
Rust Stains: Where Do They Come From?
Red-brown rust stains result from the presence of iron in water making itself at home in your toilet bowl, tub, and sinks. Air combines with the particles, causing them to oxidize and color. Over time, they build up atop surfaces where water drips. With the right measures, you can reduce the presence of iron, and thus the deposits on the surfaces of your toilets and wash basins, helping keep these surfaces stain-free.
Removing Rust Stains: Caution!
Though you may be tempted, avoid the use of bleach when cleaning rust stains. Bleach will actually chemically-charge and super-power rust stains, making the problem even worse. Also, be careful with your use of cleaning techniques, apparatuses, and cleansers, as scratching or damaging your toilet bowl makes it easier for buildup to occur, and the future removal of stains next to impossible.
How to Prevent Rust Stains in Your Toilet, Tub & Sink:
-Clean regularly. Cleaning your bathroom once a week will keep surfaces smooth, preventing the buildup of iron and other deposits from taking hold.
-Keep things dry. As much as possible, wipe down bathroom surfaces exposed to water to reduce iron residue build-up. (Obviously, this will not work in the toilet.)
-Keep an Eye Out for Metals. Metal-bottomed cans such as shaving cream and air fresheners can also contribute to rust stains on bath surfaces. Store them in a cupboard or cabinet – not on bath and sink ledges.
-Add an Iron Filter or Water Softener. Water filters and purification systems can eliminate the problem at the source, removing iron and other mineral deposits in water to prevent future stains.(Some softener salts are even specifically formulated to fight rust.
-Upgrade Your Plumbing. In older homes with iron pipes, rust deposits may continue to form due to pipe breakdown, until the old pipes are upgraded.
