Everyone uses Harpic or a similar toilet cleaning product to clean their toilets. But the issue is, they leave a colored stain on the toilet seat as you use them more and more. So, you might wonder how to remove Harpic stains from toilet seats?
We can use a number of stain removal solutions to scrub off the stains left after using harpic or any equivalent toilet cleaning product. These include vinegar, bleach, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, rubbing alcohol and phosphoric acid. Just damping the spot with these and then scrubbing will remove the stains in no time.
In this article, I will talk about using all of these products to remove the harpic stain from your toilet seat in great detail. So, be sure to keep on reading to find the method that best suits you.
Why Do Harpic Stains Occur?
If you have Harpic stains on your toilet seat, then you are most probably letting the cleaning solution stay on your toilet for too long. And that is causing the stain.
The company recommended duration is 20 minutes. Even though companies already overcompensate when it comes to the duration of using their products, we sometimes tend to be a little extra and go even beyond that.
Many people keep the Harpic on their toilet for an hour or even more. Sometimes purposefully to ensure all the germs are gone and sometimes out of forgetfulness.
This leads to the colors in the Harpic to bond with your toilet seat surface and also seeping into the micropores, causing a stain.
Harpic Stains Without Using Harpic On Toilet Seat
Okay so we established that using Harpic on your toilet seat and keeping it there for too long can cause staining. But what if you don’t use harpic directly on the seat? Why do you still have blue stains on your toilet seat? Well, it has something to do with you flushing.
Your toilet might be flushing water with too much force or maybe it’s just how your toilet is structured that is making the water jump off the toilet and splash on to your seat.
Not only that would cause staining of the seat but also it’s rather unhygienic as the flushed water is usually mixed with urine and fecal matter. In this case, you should consider hiring a plumber before trying out anything yourself. Fixing the flush mechanism should be your first priority in this scenario.
How to Remove Harpic Stain?
Thankfully, there are many ways you can deal with Harpic stains. Below I will be talking about some of them in detail.
Vinegar
Everyone has vinegar in their kitchen. And that is why I love this method. It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t require you to go out and search for more unique components that you’ve never bought.
The procedure is quite simple. Just pour the vinegar on the stained area and leave it for 2 hours. Now, use a sponge to scrub the area vigorously. You will see that the stain is slowly coming off. If some stain remains, repeat the process until all the stain is removed.
Bleach
Here’s another common household item that you can use to remove Harpic stains. There are two types of bleach that you can use to remove stains, chlorine bleach, and oxygen bleach. Both work wonderfully in this case and the methods of using them are quite the same. Here’s how to remove Harpic stain using bleach.
Step 1: Clean the area with water.
Step 2: Create a 1:1 solution of water and bleach. For especially stubborn stains, you can use less bleach.
Step 3: Apply the solution to the stained area and brush it onto the surface with a small brush.
Step 4: Leave it for 10 minutes or more.
Step 5: Clean the area with warm soapy water and a sponge.
By now, you should have an immaculate white toilet seat.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can be very effective against Harpic stains too. And it’s one of the simplest cleaning stains on this list.
Dampen some with tissue paper or paper towel rubbing alcohol and place them on the stains.
Alcohol does evaporate fast. So, I would advise that you use foil paper to wrap the area close. But this step is optional. Soak the stained area with alcohol for a few minutes, and then rinse.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
Usually, people use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove crayon markings or water stains from bathroom surfaces. But it works on Harpic stains as well. Here’s how to use the magic eraser.
Step 1: Take out the scrubber from the packaging and drench it in some water.
Step 2: Spray some soapy water on the stain or any other cleaner of your choice.
Step 3: Gently scrub with the magic eraser.
Magic erasers can be very abrasive when you apply too much pressure and leave ugly marks on your toilet seat if you are not careful. These scratches can also accumulate bacteria that can cause infections and yellowing staining. So, remember to clean using gentle pressure and gentle strokes.
Phosphoric Acid
You can use a phosphoric acid-based cleaner to clean the stains on your toilet seat. This is an advanced method that is quite effective but complex. So, only try this if other methods fail.
Step 1: Apply the phosphoric acid cleaner to the stain and brush gently,
Step 2: Keep the cleaner on for 20 to 50 seconds. Make sure you don’t cross 1 minute.
Step 3: Now wipe the cleaner away with a clean cloth.
Step 4: Mixt a 1 cup ammonia with 1 gallon of water and wash the stained area using this solution.
Step 5: Finally, clean the area with normal water, and your stain should be gone.
How to Prevent Harpic Stains?
You’ve learned how to get rid of Harpic stains. Now, let’s talk about how you can completely avoid them in the future.
Follow Instructions
You’ll see a step-by-step guideline at the back of the Harpic bottle. Follow it to the letter to avoid staining or other unpleasant side effects.
Use Dye-Free Cleaners
There are many dye-free toilet cleaners on the market. Being Dye-free means, there are no color pigments to stain your seat. So, even if you forgetfully leave them for more than the required time. It won’t cause any unpleasant staining.
Use Bleach
Bleach is not only colorless but also removes any and all stains that might end up appearing on your toilet seat. And it’s also a strong disinfectant. But it is a dangerous chemical. So, be cautious when using it. Especially, as the toilet seat directly comes in contact with some very sensitive parts of your body.
Natural Products
Instead of using dye-filled harpic, you can use lemon juice, white vinegar, or baking soda, which can have almost equal cleaning properties, have no chance of leaving stains and most importantly, completely safe.
These methods might end up being a bit more time consuming and costly. But you’re not deep cleaning your toilet every other day. So, using these natural home products is definitely with it.
Conclusion
Toilet seats are the last place we would like to see any stain. And that includes Harpic stains. Toilet stains can quickly raise some brows when you have visitors, so it’s essential to take care of them as early as possible.
In this article, I have shared some of the best methods on how to remove Harpic stains from toilet seats. I have also shared some tips to avoid such scenarios in the future. So, I sincerely hope that this article was able to help answer your queries. Best of luck on removing those stains.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.