Pink Rings In Toilet

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Toilets and bathrooms are among the most humid places of our home, and humidity comes with many problems like mold and stains. No matter how much we keep cleaning our toilets, sometimes they develop different types of stains. A few of them are marks of water, and sometimes we find pink or orange rings around the bowl right at the waterline. In a clean and tidy washroom, these rings spoil the whole look. Is this something you have experienced before and find yourself wondering what do to do about it? If so, then do not worry, we will tell you why these pink rings form in the toilet, how to clean them, and then how to prevent them from appearing in the future.

What are the pink rings?

Pink or slightly orange rings are everyday stains in toilets. These stains are not caused by water minerals or rust, but rather by an anaerobic bacteria known as Serratia Marcescens. The bacteria are generally harmless, but it can affect people with a low immune system like elders or children. It may also cause urinary tract and wound infections.

What causes pink rings in a toilet?

Serratia Marcescens can cause pink stains in toilets in the tub, at the bottom of shower curtains, around the skin faucet, or any place which is more prone to water pools for a more extended time. This means it naturally thrives on moisture. The bacteria also feed off to substances like the residue of soap and shampoo. The color of rings and stains are caused by pigmentation produced as the bacteria colonize.

How to get rid of pink stains in toilets?

In many cases, a significant build-up of stain can be prevented through daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning processes. Still, stains caused by bacteria are sometimes unavoidable, and you need more than just regular cleaning to clean them from your toilet. Here are a few methods which will help you clean pink stains in bathrooms in no time with little effort.

Vinegar and baking Soda for toilet bowl ring:

Vinegar and baking soda both are standard non-toxic and harmless edible products that are readily available in the home. When both of them are used together, they are powerful enough to clean everything, including the bacteria that cause pink rings in the toilet. This combination can even clean hard water stains. Let’s have a look at how to do this.

-Take a cup and fill it with regular white vinegar. Pour this vinegar into the stained area. Use a cleaning brush/ toilet brush and swish it around the stain. Now, please wait for a minute to let it sit properly on the surface.
Now fill up a cup of baking soda and sprinkle it on the stained area. Afterward, pour two more cups of vinegar on it. Be prepared; you will find a fizzing action while doing this process. Now leave it for more than 10 minutes and wait.
-Using the cleaning brush/ toilet brush, swish a little more so that the solution is spread throughout the stain. If it is around the toilet bowl, make sure it reaches to the waterline.
-Leave the solution form more than 30 minutes, swish from time to time until you see the stains are all gone. Now pour water on it and flush the toilet. If any stains are left, scrub them with a scrubby sponge or cleaning brush. This is one of the best toilet bowl cleaner solutions.

Bleach the toilet bowl ring:

Bleach is a prevalent stain removing agent. Do know that it does not work on hard water stains, but it is perfectly suitable for bacteria caused stains. Here is how to use it for a toilet bowl ring:

-Take a cup and fill it with liquid chlorine bleach. Now, pour it on the stain. Let it sit on the surface for around 30 minutes. (Make sure that you do not use any cleaner containing bleach to remove stains because they might leave a permanent stain on the surface).
-Once 30 minutes have passed, scrub the stained surface with a cleaning brush/toilet brush thoroughly. Make sure you have cleaned all the stained area.
-Pour the water to rinse away the bleach. The stains will go away.

Vinegar and Borax for toilet bowl ring:

Borax is also a common household item. It is a more potent cleaning agent and removes any stain, and also one of the best for hard water stains. Here is how to use it for your pink rings in the toilet.

-Take 1/4th cup of Borax and sprinkle it into the stained area. Spread it around with the toilet brush/ cleaning brush.
-Add a full cup of vinegar and pour it on the stain. Now, spread it again and let the mixture stay in the place for around 20 minutes.
-Scrub the stains with the help of a brush and remove the stains. Pour water on the place and rinse the area. The stain will be gone from the toilet bowl.

Pumice stone:

Sometimes toilet rings are stubborn, and it would seem that no matter what you do, they will never leave the surface. These stains can ever go as far as appearing on your neat tiles. If soda, vinegar, and Borax all fail, then maybe resorting to using a pumice stone to scrub the stains away. Make sure that you are using it occasionally and with lots of care and attention since it is a light-abrasive stone after all. A pumice stone can work like magic on these stubborn pink stains.

Still, the overuse of any product can damage the surface, mainly if it is vitreous china (the bathtubs and toilet bowls are usually made of this material). Therefore, make sure you use the stone when it is wet, as this way it will be less harmful to the surface. The pumice stone sometime comes with a handle for ease of use. You can even use the stone along with baking soda and vinegar to enhance its cleaning capacity. The stone should soft enough not scrape the toilet surface, but abrasive enough to remove the stains. Give this one a try to remove those stubborn rings!

Last but not least:

Make sure that you wear gloves while cleaning the toilet with any of these items. Please do not mix bleach with any other thing than water to avoid any chemical reaction.

How to prevent the ring in a toilet:

Make regular cleaning a habit that will give lesser chances to bacteria or mold to grow. Also, avoid using strong chemicals and cleaners. Baking soda, vinegar, and bleach can help in removing regular and challenging stains. Whenever you are cleaning your toilet, add Borax in it or add some cleaner that has bleaching agents and acid in it. This way, the stains will not build-up, and the bathroom will remove the stain-free for a longer time. So get your toilet bowl clean now. We hope these tips for toilet bowl rings will help you understand the best ways to get rid of them.