Rust stains in your home plumbing system can undermine the aesthetic appeal of your home. Rust stains usually occur in various plumbing fixtures and installations. Some of the most affected plumbing fixtures include sinks, toilets, and bathtubs. These fixtures are usually affected by rust stains because they are made of white porcelain. You might already have seen some rust stains in your toilet starting from where the water flows in and settling in the area where the water stands. Sinks and bathtubs usually have rust stains around the trap where the water drains out. Rust stains are can be caused by the flow of water through corroded pipes and fixtures and the presence of a corroded water heater in your home. They can also be caused by the flow of iron-rich water in your water pipes. This iron rich water is pretty harmless for drinking but it can scar your porcelain sinks, rubs, and toilets very severely with rust stains. Rust stains are not very easy to remove, but you can get rid of them using any of the following methods.
Scrub With An Abrasive Scouring Pad
You can scrub the stained surfaces with an abrasive scouring pad. Remember the standard kitchen cleaning sponge. That sponge usually features two sides; one is soft and absorbent and the other is quite rough and abrasive. You can remove light rust stains from your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs using the abrasive side of the kitchen scouring pad. There are special souring pads that are designed for this kind of thing. The main advantage of this solution is that it doesn’t involve the use of any chemicals and souring pads are quite cheap and readily available and they can be reused.
Scrub With Pumice
You can also use a pumice stick or scrubber to clean out rust stains from your plumbing fixtures and appliances. There are special pumice products that are designed specifically for removing rusty stains from plumbing installations that are made of porcelain. Pumice is an ethereal, friable volcanic rock that is popular in cleaning because of its scouring properties. You will need to use some elbow grease when cleaning with pumice, but the method is quite cost-effective because you can reuse the pumice stick or scrubber several times.
Clean With Lemon Juice And Salt
Rust stains can also be removed from porcelain fixtures and appliances using a solution of lemon and salt. You will need to mix some lemon juice with enough salt to create a nice paste, which you can then put on the stained surface. This mixture will have to set for sometime in order to attack the rust stains. The lemon juice and salt solution is best when used to clean the sink and tub drain areas because it can sit there for a while and eat away the stains. It doesn’t work very well in a toilet because it just drains and dissolves away.
Use Commercial Chemical Detergents
If all these eco-friendly methods do not work, then you can use commercial chemical detergents to clean out the rust stains from your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs. You should be very careful when buying these commercial chemical detergents to avoid harmful ones. You should even connect a professional DC drain plumber for advice on the right detergents to use. Tough rust stains require a detergent that contains hydrochloric acid. Make sure that the detergent is safe for cleaning porcelain tubs and tiles.