Often when using a plumbing snake to remove clogs from your toilet you are left with scratches inside the toilet bowl. Although these scratches are unsightly, they are removable with a little elbow grease. Scratches inside the toilet bowl are more than likely metal scuff marks. Removing scratches from inside a toilet bowl requires draining the water from the bowl so that you can scrub and buff the scratch away. The key is removing the superficial scratches without making more scratches or dulling the porcelain.

  • Often when using a plumbing snake to remove clogs from your toilet you are left with scratches inside the toilet bowl.

Locate and turn off the water supply valve behind the toilet. Flush the toilet and raise the toilet seat. Place a plunger over the toilet drain and push down to push most of the water down the drain.

Apply a household rust remover such as CLR to the scratch area with a cloth. Scrub the area well with the cloth and pour water over the area to thoroughly remove the cleanser. This often removes surface scratches and blemishes without harming the toilet bowl.

Pour vinegar over the scratch area if the CLR method does not work. Cover the scratch area with baking soda and allow the vinegar to “bubble” the baking soda. Scrub the area lightly with a cloth and rinse with clear water.

Dip the end of a pumice stone in water and gently rub the stone over the scratch, if the previous methods do not work. Rub back and forth across the length of the scratch with the stone. Continue wetting the stone and rubbing the scratch until the scratch is gone. Do not use more than light pressure to avoid further scratching the surface.

  • Apply a household rust remover such as CLR to the scratch area with a cloth.
  • Dip the end of a pumice stone in water and gently rub the stone over the scratch, if the previous methods do not work.

Turn on the water supply and allow the tank to fill. Flush the toilet a couple of times to remove any cleanser residue.

TIP

Pumice stones are good for removing hard water stains as well. Avoid using abrasive cleansers on the porcelain toilet bowl. Although the inside of the toilet bowl has a hard protective glaze, commercial abrasive cleansers tend to damage the glaze.