Toilets these days tend to be pure ceramic white in color, which makes staining incredibly easy to see. This may be why you see some black staining in your toilet bowl. I used to feel self-conscious when having house parties. I had tried many tactics to remove the black streaks in my toilet bowel. Finally. I was successful once I determined what was causing the black streaks in the first place.
What causes black stains in a toilet bowl? In general, black toilet bowl stains may be caused by manganese deposits or mold. These stains may be removed using common home cleaners such as hydrogen peroxide. Filtering the water and improving ventilation may be a long-term solution.
According to water experts, one of the best ways to manage manganese deposits is to use a water filtration system. To filter water from manganese deposits, consider using the Pureplus water filtration system with an iron and manganese-reducing filter. Get yours delivered to you by clicking here.
How To Tell If It Is Mold or Manganese?
| Source of Growth | Observations |
| Mold | A black stain appears around the waterline, or on the water surface. |
| Manganese | The black stain is at the bottom of the toilet bowl, caked into the toilet bowl walls. |
One of the fastest ways to tell if the black stains are caused by mold or manganese is to look at their position. If the black stain floats on the toilet water, it should be mold. If the stain sinks to the bottom of the toilet bowl, chances are its manganese.
Molds are living organisms that need two things to survive, moisture and oxygen. This means molds can get the most supply on the water surface. Lots of humidity and, at the same time, oxygen. This helps the mold to grow.
Suppose the mold is moved to the bottom of the toilet bowl and into the water. In that case, there may be issues getting oxygen from the air. Molds are not fish and may not be able to get oxygen from water.
Manganese are minerals present in the soil, which means some of them may enter our water supply system and end up in your toilet. However, manganese is denser than water, which means it should sink to the bottom of the toilet bowl.
You may see more manganese in your toilet bowl if you live in areas with hard water. Hard water contains a higher number of mineral deposits, such as iron, calcium, or manganese.
Why Do Molds Grow in Your Toilet Bowl?
Molds may grow in your toilet bowl, especially if the toilet is in a darker, humid area. Molds may grow even faster if the toilet is not used or flushed frequently, meaning the water is still and remains static for prolonged periods.
Molds grow from tiny spores that float in the air. They may land on your toilet bowl and grow. The toilet bowl may have the right conditions to grow well. A toilet bowl provides the materials molds need to do well – water, oxygen, and organic matter.
There is ample water and moisture from the toilet bowl for the mold to draw from. By growing on the waterline, molds can also access oxygen. Your toilet bowl may be clean, but there may be leftovers of fecal matter on the water and bowl surface for the mold to break down and generate energy.
Molds differ from common plants because they do not need sunlight to produce energy. It simply breaks down any organic matter it can access and produces energy. Therefore, molds tend to grow in dark and humid areas.
If you do not flush the water regularly and leave the water to be still for a long time, then it is even better for the mold to grow.
Why Is There Manganese in Your Water?
Manganese is a mineral not to be hated on. It has numerous health benefits, and a daily dose of manganese is needed to maintain our state of health. However, a larger amount of manganese in your water supply may not be necessary but cause issues such as black stains on your toilet.
Manganese is a natural mineral in soil and may dissolve in water. This means manganese can easily enter our water systems and become your drinking, bathing, and toilet water.
Manganese concentration in soil may vary by region. Geological findings have indicated that soil in Midwest states can have a much higher amount of manganese. You may encounter more manganese deposits in your toilet water, such as black deposits at the bottom of your toilet bowl water.
One of the fastest ways, although less accurate, is to test for manganese in water to taste it. If the water tastes of earth or metal, there is a high likelihood that there may be an elevated level of minerals in the water.
Water with excessive amounts of minerals is usually called hard water. It may contain higher concentrations of minerals such as iron, calcium, and manganese. Important levels of manganese may harm your nervous system, as well as discoloring light-colored items such as clothing, sink, or toilet bowls.
How To Clean a Toilet Bowl from Molds?
To remove black mold stains from the toilet bowl, you may use a combination of Borax, baking soda, and vinegar. You can use a stronger mix of bleach and hydrogen peroxide for more stubborn mold stains.
| Removal Intensity | Materials To Prepare |
| Mild | Borax / Baking Soda, Vinegar |
| Harsher | Undiluted Bleach / 3% Hydrogen Peroxide |
Cleaning With Borax, or Baking Soda and Vinegar
Stage 1: Removing Water
- Start by flushing the toilet. This removes the loose and floating molds.
- You will now remove the water from the toilet bowl. This may seem counterintuitive but pour a large bucket of water into the toilet.
- When you are done, you should see the water level dropping, and there is less water in the toilet bowl.
- Remove the rest of the water by using a towel or sponge. If you have a water vacuum, you may also use it to suck the water out.
- You should see a clean toilet bowl with a visible waterline where the mold stains are at this stage.
Stage 2: Laying in the Cleaners
- Start sprinkling baking soda or Borax into the toilet bowl, focusing on the waterline where the mold stains are. You may also want to take some time to check underneath the bathroom rim, as that region is often neglected when cleaning the toilet.
- Spray some vinegar on the surface you sprinkle baking soda or Borax on just now.
- If you see the need to, feel free to top up more baking soda or Borax.
- Consider pouring a cup of vinegar into the toilet tank with the water. This may also help to remove some of the mold stains inside.
- Let the bowl sit with the solution for about one to one-half hours. Your toilet may smell of vinegar and may not be usable, so it helps if you have a second toilet during this time.
Stage 3: Scrub and Flush
- Pull out your scrub and start scrubbing. You can use your regular toilet brush, a scrub brush, or should you want to reduce your use of elbow grease, a Magic Eraser would suffice.
- While at it, consider scrubbing the insides and outsides of your toilet tank. Just be careful not to be overzealous and break the delicate parts inside the toilet.
- Let the scrubbed toilet bowl sit with the solution for 15-20 minutes, then flush.
- Your toilet bowl should be squeaky clean now and mold-free. Enjoy!
If the process does not fully remove all the mold stains, you will need a stronger solution. In comes bleach and hydrogen peroxide.
Cleaning With Bleach or Hydrogen Peroxide
Stage 1: Drying the Toilet Bowl
- The process of removing water from the toilet bowl is like the above.
Stage 2: Laying in the Cleaners
- Pour about 1 cup of undiluted bleach or 3% hydrogen peroxide solution into your toilet bowl.
- We found that the hydrogen peroxide solution from McKesson works quite well for this purpose. Click here to have it delivered to you.
- If you prefer a more straightforward job, consider putting it in a spray and spray away.
- You may also want to take some time to check underneath the bathroom rim, as that region is often neglected when cleaning the toilet.
- Consider pouring a cup of bleach of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet tank with the water. This may also help to remove some of the mold stains inside.
- Let the bowl sit with the solution for about 20-30 minutes. Your toilet may smell bad at this time, so make sure not to spend too much time around it to avoid inhaling the toxic vapor.
Stage 3: Scrub and Flush
- Pull out your scrub and start scrubbing. You can use your regular toilet brush, a scrub brush, or should you want to reduce your use of work grease Magic Eraser.
- Consider wearing breathing protection since the bleach or hydrogen peroxide smell may be quite strong.
- While at it, consider scrubbing the insides and outsides of your toilet tank. Just be careful not to be overzealous and break the delicate parts inside the toilet.
- Let the scrubbed toilet bowl sit with the solution for 15-20 minutes, then flush.
- Your toilet bowl should be squeaky clean now and mold-free. Enjoy!
How To Clean a Toilet Bowl from Manganese?
To clean and remove manganese from your toilet bowl, you may use cream of tartar and a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Consider preparing more of these if your manganese deposits are significantly thicker.
Cleaning With Cream of Tartar and Hydrogen Peroxide
Stage 1: Removing Water
- Start by turning off the water supply valve. This keeps the toilet tank dry after flushing, making it easier to check and clean.
- Start by flushing the toilet. This removes the loose and floating molds.
- You will now remove the water from the toilet bowl. This may seem counterintuitive but pour a large bucket of water into the toilet.
- When you are done, you should see the water level dropping, and there is less water in the toilet bowl.
- Remove the rest of the water by using a towel or sponge. If you have a water vacuum, you may also use it to suck the water out.
- At this stage, you should see a dry toilet bowl.
Stage 2: Laying in the Cleaners
- Mix the cream of tartar and 3% hydrogen peroxide solution into a thick paste. The more manganese stains you have, the more of this solution you should make.
- Use an old toilet brush to apply the paste to the stained area.
- You may also want to take some time to check underneath the restroom rim, as manganese deposits can also form there.
- You may also check the inside of your toilet tank and observe if there are any manganese deposits. Apply the paste if you see fit.
- Let the bowl sit with the solution for about one to 30-45 minutes.
Stage 3: Scrub and Flush
- Pull out your scrub and start scrubbing. You can use your regular toilet brush, a scrub brush, or should you want to reduce your use of elbow grease, a Magic Eraser.
- If you have applied some of the paste inside your toilet tank, scrub your toilet tank. Ensure to scrub on the insides and outsides of your toilet tank. Just be careful not to be overzealous and break the delicate parts inside the toilet.
- Let the scrubbed toilet bowl sit with the solution for around 30 minutes, then flush.
- Observe if all the manganese stains are gone. If not, consider repeating the complete process.
How To Stop Manganese and Mold from Dirtying Your Toilet
To keep your toilet clean long term, consider flushing the toilet more, and improve sunlight and ventilation. You may also install a water filter to remove manganese from your water supply. These should stop manganese and mold issues with your toilet.
| Stains | Long-Term Solutions |
| Mold | Flush the toilet more often and improve sunlight and ventilation. |
| Manganese | Install a water filter to remove manganese and other hard minerals. |
It may be ok to just clean the bathroom from manganese and mold stains occasionally. Still, you want to consider applying longer-term solutions to avoid having to clean your toilets all the time.
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For mold stains, consider simply using the toilet more. This is because molds may not be able to grow well if the water in the toilet is constantly changed. Using the toilet means you must flush it, which means you will move the water more frequently. This should stop mold growth.
For manganese stains, you may want to explore if there are ways to remove manganese water from your house’s water supply. A filter may do well and should not take too much work and time to install on your home’s water supply.
Aside from manganese, a filter may also help remove other hard minerals such as iron or calcium. This should soften the water, making it more drinkable, usable, and less staining on your toilet or clothes.
Consider using the Pureplus water filtration system with iron and manganese-reducing filters. Get yours delivered to you by clicking here.