Asked on Nov 26, 2018

How do I clean rust out of toilet that's safe for septic systems?

Rebecca H
by Rebecca H

Oh poo, My husband procrastinated on changing all of our water purification filters in our water system and now Rust has magically appeared in all my toilets overnight! How do I easily clean the Rust out of them without using pumas which can scratch the porcelain surface and probably not safe for my septic system? I tried using peroxide and baking soda with no success. Thank you for your help.

  6 answers
  • Mona Blake Mona Blake on Nov 26, 2018

    Buy 3m pot cleaner and put vinegar in the toilet. Scrub the toilet. If it still won't come off. Dump in the baking soda. Scrub. If this does not work, buy Mr Clean sponge and use gloves.

  • Rebecca H Rebecca H on Nov 26, 2018

    Thank you Mona Blake. I already tried baking soda and it didn’t work. I’ll try to find the 3M Pot Cleaner and I already have Mr Clean Sponges and gloves on hand. I appreciate your help. Have a wonderful day.

  • Kc Kc on Nov 26, 2018

    Try "Iron Out". It does a great job at neutralizing rust stains. You should be able to find it at Home Depot.

  • Rebecca H Rebecca H on Nov 27, 2018

    Thank you Kc, this makes absolute sense because our water well sends rusty iron water into our home. We have an extensive water filtering system starting at the point of entry to filter all that out and purify it by the time it hits our laundry, icemaker fridge filter, kitchen sink system, and of coarse all the bathroom fixtures, to block the rust. But it’s only as good as the guy who is supposed to keep up with the filters. 🥴 I will take a trip to Home Depot. I appreciate you taking your time out from this busy season to help me today. Many Blessings.

  • Rebecca H Rebecca H on Nov 27, 2018

    Thank you Lynn Sorelle so so much! I almost missed your website info. But I finally caught on. I visited your grossly amusing ‘iron-out-rust-stain-removers’ site and found the best eco-friendly solution ever. I flew to the store for a couple of fresh lemons (had coarse sea salt on hand), grabbed my gross ‘for-toilet cleaning-only’ gloves, and after a few minutes of extra cleaning the rust ring around my toilet bowl, I was gratefully singing your praises. Did I mention I took the clothespin off my nose first? Cleaning the disgusting toilet is my all time hated chore..you made it so much more barable for me. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! Enjoy your day!