Over time, stubborn urine scale can build up in toilets and sanitary facilities. This not only leads to unpleasant odors.
We’ve all been there. You’ve got a stubborn urine scale that just won’t budge from your toilet. It’s a tough task, and it can take a lot of time and effort to get it off. Even special toilet cleaners don’t always do the trick. They’re pricey, and they can even harm your health and the environment. But don’t fret! There are simple, natural household remedies that you can use to effortlessly remove urine scale without the hassle of scrubbing.
Urine scale: what is it?
Yellowish to brown deposits in toilets or urinals are usually urine scale. The porous to solid deposits often form when urea reacts with calcareous water. This in turn means that households with soft, i.e. low-limescale water have few problems with urine scale in sanitary facilities.
Urine scale: are the deposits harmful?
Urine scale can be a cause of unpleasant odors. The crystalline surface also serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. And these are often harmful to health.
In addition, urine scale, like limescale, can eat deep into surfaces. You should therefore remove the mineral deposits so that the material is not damaged in the first place.
Home remedies for urine scale – what works and what doesn’t?
Vinegar
Vinegar is an effective household remedy for discoloration and urine scale on sanitary surfaces. However, the acid not only dissolves stubborn stains. It also has an antibacterial effect and therefore removes harmful bacteria as well as urine scale.
- Pour around 300 to 400 milliliters (two cups) of vinegar essence over the soiled areas in your toilet.
- Work the deposits with the toilet brush. This works the vinegar into the urine scale and loosens the deposits easily.
- Leave everything to work for around 30 minutes.
- Then go over the urine scale again with the toilet brush.
- Rinse everything off with water.
- The urine scale should now be gone. If the incrustations and discoloration are still present, then use baking powder or baking soda (see below).
Tip: According to Stiftung Warentest, you can also use vinegar cleaner. This has the same effect.
Does it work? Vinegar does not remove stubborn urine scale. However, the household remedy is a good solution for light deposits.
Vinegar and baking soda / baking powder
Vinegar and baking soda is a tried and tested household remedy combination for removing numerous types of dirt and encrustations. This also includes urine scale.
- Pour a cup of vinegar into the toilet and leave it to soak for a few hours. Then add a packet of baking soda.
- Sprinkle the powder into the toilet bowl. A chemical reaction (formation of bubbles) should now be visible.
- Leave everything to work for about half an hour.
- If necessary, work the household remedy into the urine scale with a toilet brush.
- Now wait a few minutes again.
- Then pour hot water over the stains. The acidity of the vinegar and the reaction with the baking soda will help to dissolve the urine scale.
Tip: You can replace the baking powder with baking soda.
Does it work? Yes. The combination is effective.
Citric acid
Citric acid is a good alternative to vinegar and can dissolve urine scale just as effectively.
- Mix a few tablespoons of citric acid with warm water.
- Pour the solution over the affected areas.
- After allowing it to soak in for a while, you can easily remove the urine scale with a toilet brush.
Tip: Unlike vinegar essence, citric acid leaves behind a pleasant fragrance.
Does it work? The citric acid trick works moderately well for stubborn deposits. For light soiling, it is a good solution that also ensures a pleasant fragrance in the bathroom.
Baking soda
Bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking soda, is said to remove urine scale.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda into the toilet.
- Wait for about ten minutes.
- Pour hot water over the baking soda.
- Leave the mixture to work overnight.
- The next morning, rinse thoroughly with water.
Bicarbonate of soda is non-abrasive, so it has no abrasive effect and is therefore gentle on the surfaces of your sanitary facilities.
Does it work? Baking soda is not effective enough for urine scale that has become ingrained.
Cola
The popular refreshing drink can also be used as a household remedy for urine scale. It is also a good measure to continue using stale cola that is no longer drunk and not to waste it. The phosphoric acid contained in cola can dissolve urine scale.
Tip: If you use fresh cola, the effect is enhanced by carbonic acid. This is because carbonic acid reacts with lime (calcium carbonate) to form calcium hydrogen carbonate. And this substance is much more easily soluble in water than lime.
- Pour at least one glass of cola into the toilet.
- Leave everything to soak for a few hours or overnight.
- Flush thoroughly after soaking.
Does it work? In the t-online test, the method was only successful with a slight build-up of urine scale. If the soiling is stubborn and older, the cola trick will not work.
Denture cleaner
- Pour two to three tablets of denture cleaner into the toilet.
- Pour in some hot water – this increases the effect of the tabs.
- Leave everything to work overnight.
Does it work? The trick does not work for stubborn urine scale deposits. For light ones, it can be a good and convenient solution that also provides a pleasant fragrance in the bathroom.
Baking soda and salt
Another method of removing urine scale from the toilet is to combine baking soda and salt.
Mix these two ingredients in equal parts and apply the mixture to the affected areas with a toilet brush. By scrubbing, the salt crystals act like sandpaper and remove the urine scale. The baking soda also ensures that the urine scale is loosened or dissolved.
Does it work? In the t-online test, the measure worked in areas that were not covered with water. Abrasion does not work in the toilet bowl or siphon.
Important safety instructions
- Even if these tips are home remedies, you should always wear protective gloves when using them. This is because the acid can damage your skin.
- Ensure adequate ventilation during application to prevent irritation to your mucous membranes and lungs.
- Avoid aggressive chemicals to prevent damage to the sanitary facilities.
Home remedies are a cheap and environmentally friendly solution to stubborn urine scale. However, not all of them are effective. The best solution is vinegar in combination with baking soda. This will get your toilet sparkling clean and hygienic again – almost without scrubbing. Baking soda alone, denture cleaner and cola have proven to be less effective.
