Dirty bowl. Very dirty.

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jujujulia

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The toilet bowl in the house we rent has these gray streaks coming down the back. They have formed over the last seven years we've lived here. It looks like some sort of mold to me. I have tried emptying the bowl and shutting off the water and soaking them in Clorox, then scrubbing them with Ajax, but they resist all this. Any suggestions on how to get rid of them?
 

Cookie

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You might want to try using a pumice stone after draining it again. That seems to work.
 

NHmaster3015

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If clorox didn't touch it, it's probably where the finish has worn off the porcelain. Just about impossible to get rid of and even if you do, it will probably return. Unfortunately it's a rental so I doubt you want to change out the toilet. Pumice or any abrasives like Ajax will only make it worse.
 

CarlH

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Could be stains on a hard water deposit. It might be worth trying something like CLR or some other lime deposit removal. Vinegar may work some, but it is weak. If using vinegar, try using vinegar soaked toilet paper on the stains and let it soak for a few hours.
 

CSP

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I've found that it's usually the finish like Wally mentioned. I see this on a lot of jobs I go on. Most homeowners usually end up getting a new toilet. I know it's a rental, but if you're going to live there for another 7 years, why not get a new one if it bugs you a lot? Nothing like a brand new toilet!
 

jujujulia

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Thank you

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think the best one for our situation is to try to paint. We are actually going to move out of there soon and I simply don't want to owners to think we were pigs. There must be some sort of leak because this did not happen to the other two toilets in the house, and this one is the least used.
Now, the problem with painting it is that when I shut off the water and flush, the tank empties completely but the water in the bowl returns to almost the usual level. My sister says that to paint it, the bowl must be completely dry.
Well, I'm going to try the pumice stone (or a variation - we have these great fine sanding blocks) and the CLR... if painting is possible I'll try that too.
Thanks again, you guys and gals re great!
 

Jadnashua

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Paint on porcelain in a toilet has little chance of lasting very long with any you'd normally have access to. Is that area rough? Does it feel like the glaze has been worn off? If it is not depressed, or worn off, then CLR or s similar cleaner may help. If the glaze has been eaten off, there's not much you can do about it.
 

Jastori

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You wil need to sponge out the remaining water in the toilet if you want to get it dry. If you shut of the supply, and flush the toilet once, you can sponge out the remainder of the water (the water in the bowl will not return).
 

Firemark

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Don't go painting without written permission from your landlord. If a tenant of mine did that, I'd charge a fee for replacing the toilet due to an unauthorized repair.
 
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