How To Remove Stains Caused By Lysol Cling Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Did you know that Lysol Cling gel toilet bowl cleaner actually stains your toilet because of the excessive dye that has been added to the product?

If you've not tried it yourself, now you've been warned.

If you want to read about what it has done to people's toilets, you can click here to read Lysol Cling staining horror stories from readers, who've had their toilets stained a rainbow of colors including blue, purple and yellow.



If you didn't realize this problem with the product until you actually used it though, you've got to figure out a way to get those stains out of your toilet, along with throwing the product in the trash!

Fortunately, many people have also written in to share what worked for them to remove the stains, along with me writing some suggestions of my own.

What follows below are all the suggestions shared so far, telling what cleaning products and processes they used to remove the stains that Lysol Cling Gel caused.

Good luck with removing your toilet stains, and please, if you successfully used a method to remove the stains from your toilet make sure to write in to share your tips, so I can add them to the page.

You can share your stain removal method here.

How To Clean Blue Line In Toilet Caused By Toilet Bowl Cleaner

by Pat Dotson

I received this question from Pat about how to clean blue line in toilet caused by Lysol Cling Gel toilet bowl cleaner.

Pat asks:

I'm using Lysol Cling and it's leaving blue streaks in the toilet bowl that won't come off.

I've tried bleach to no avail. I'm a frequent user of this product but have always used the lighter blue version. This product is dark blue and is leaving streaks in the toilet bowl. What can I use to remove these stains?

Taylor's answer:

Thanks Pat for your question. First off, I would call the manufacturer because the toilet cleaner should definitely not be causing blue streaks and stains in your toilet bowl. They may have a solution for you to fix the problem.

I will update the review page for this product to see if anyone else is experiencing this problem too, since they may have put too much dye in a batch or something like that.

***Update - I have since received MANY complaints about this, and with further investigation have found this is actually a widespread problem. So read on below for additional tips from readers sharing how they removed the stains from their toilet.***

However, if the manufacturer doesn't have any good answers for you, this is what I'd try. Since you've already tried chlorine bleach to remove blue stain in your toilet, I'd next try some light abrasion to try to remove the blue stains.

Sometimes, hard water or lime scale itself build up on the toilet, and if that is what has become stained with the blue dye you'll need to remove it with some abrasion.

Here's an article about how to use a pumice stick to clean a toilet ring, for details about using abrasion to clean up your toilet.

To remove this stuff from your toilet I suggest using one of three different scrubbers to remove it: pumice stone (get a pumice stone with handle which is designed for the toilet, so you don't have to reach in as far), a stainless steel scrubber, or a plastic scouring pad called a Dobie Pad.

Toilet Cleaning Product {Referral Links}

Traditionally, pumice stones have been used to clean toilets of certain stains, and they do work well for the job.

Of course, they only have a couple of cleaning uses so I like to also suggest other things that you can use in multiple ways. That is why I like both stainless steel scrubbers and Dobie pads. Both of these are traditionally used as scouring pads in the kitchen, but really they both have lots of household uses, and I like to keep some in both my kitchen, but also in my cleaning closet for other uses.

Keep in mind, when choosing one of these, that the stainless steel scrubbers are a bit tougher, and more abrasive and can therefore scratch certain surfaces (and so can pumice stone), and the Dobie pads are made of plastic, and claim to be non-scratching.

Your toilet is most likely made of vitreous china, since that is the most common material for them, and it is both tough and nonporous. However, it can get scratched from using an abrasive like I'm suggesting, so whichever of the products you choose make sure to test first in an inconspicuous area, to make sure no major scratching appears before you use them to remove blue stains from your toilet.

Further, for all of you out there with toilets stained blue from these toilet bowl cleaners, many of which keep your toilet water blue at all times, you can avoid these stains in the future if you just choose a product that doesn't contain the blue dye!

I've answered this question about how to clean blue line in toilet caused by toilet bowl cleaner as part of the section of my site where I answer house cleaning questions. You can ask for cleaning help here, or read other questions and answers I've already provided.

***Update: While some people have had luck with abrasives, not everyone has. In fact, one SR101 reader wrote in to tell me "I have tried the pumice stone and it did not work." Unfortunately, this may not work for everyone, but please also check out all the other ideas for products or techniques that have used to successfully remove these stains from their toilet.***End Update

Photo by castledweller

Lysol Cling Stain Removal - What Worked For Me

by Dave

Dave shared how he removed the stains from his toilet caused by the Lysol Cling.

Dave says:

I had success in removing a blue stain from my toilet that resulted from my using Lysol Cling Max (Spring Waterfall) and I hope this will help others. The stain was partially my fault, as I had left the cleaner in the bowl for several hours before rinsing. It left a blue ring at the water line as well as larger stains where the gel had sat. Regular scrubbing with a toilet brush had no effect.

What worked for me was Comet cleanser (Scratch Free with Bleach) and a conventional brush. The stain came out on first scrub. No Lime Away, pumice, or special scrubbers were necessary.

That particular toilet is infrequently used and free of scale/lime, so that was not an issue for me.

Please everyone, be aware of the dangers of mixing bathroom cleaners. Some combinations can result in fumes that are quite toxic.

Comet Bathroom Cleaner {Referral Links}

Taylor says:

Thanks Dave for sharing how you cleaned your toilet and removed these stains.

Perhaps this would work also for people who have gotten the stain on their toilet seats.

If anyone else tries this method, please report to me, sharing how it worked for you. In addition, I'm sure there are other methods for cleaning and removing these stains too, so if you have another method that worked please share it here.

In addition, Dave is right that you need to be careful when trying to clean stains of this nature not to mix cleaning chemicals together. For example, you should never mix cleaning supplies where one contains bleach and another ammonia, since that can create toxic fumes. Here's more information about why bleach and ammonia don't mix!

Lysol Cling Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner Country Scent Removed With Soft Scrub

by John
(Pennsylvania)

John shared how he finally cleaned his toilet after it got stained with this toilet bowl cleaner.

John says:

I purchased this for my wife. What a mistake. Stained the bowl so bad it took over an hour using Soft Scrub to remove most of the stain. I think I will sue them for a new toilet.

This is junk that was never tested on a real toilet bowl and no, we do not have a lot of lime in our water.

It is going back to the store for a refund!!!

Taylor says:

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the Lysol Cling Gel toilet bowl cleaner. Unfortunately, this has happened to a lot of people.

Glad to know your method for cleaning up the mess though!

You can check out more Soft Scrub reviews and uses here.

Removed Lysol Cling Max Coverage Stain With CLR And Scotch Brite Pad

by John
(Eagan, MN)

John shared how he cleaned up the stain left behind from Lysol Cling Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner.

John says:

I had asked my wife what happened to our toilet bowl, why it had blue streaks in it...Well they appeared after the Lysol was used and she tried bleaching it.

After checking out the web I came on this site and read that Lysol is convinced that it is dying the calcium deposits. So I thought I would try to clean it up.

5 to 10 minutes of working with a scotch brite pad and some undiluted CLR cleaner did the trick. All the blue is gone.

I did not look too closely to see if the pad scratched the bowl or not, but the stain is gone now. I did not take pictures unfortunately.

CLR Cleaning Products {Referral Links}

Taylor says:

Thanks so much John for sharing your tips for what worked for you. Hopefully this will help others having the same problem!

I Got My Teal Lysol Cling Gel Stain Off With Folex

by Hannah

Hannah shared how she removed the Lysol Cling Gel stains from her toilet, and toilet seat, using an unusual product for the job.

Hannah says:

I also stained my white toilet seat with this product and wanted to get it off with something less harsh than bleach.

I used a carpet cleaner spray called Folex. It was really easy to use. I just used a sponge with a scrubby side, and sprayed the carper cleaner on the stain, scrubbed it and then IMMEDIATELY washed it off with water.

I had just stained the seat, so the stains were still fresh. I'm not sure how well this would work long time stains.

Folex Carpet SPot Remover {Referral Links}

Taylor says:

Thanks for sharing what worked for you Hannah in cleaning up these stains.

As you can see from all the ideas listed, lots of different and diverse things have worked. I wonder in your case how much of the clean up worked because of the Folex and how much because you used a sponge with a scrubby side that helped used the power of abrasion to clean off the stain.

Who knows for sure, but I'm glad your method worked for you!

Bar Keepers Friend Got Lysol Cling Toilet Stains Out

by SR101 Reader

SR101 Reader:

I too used the Lysol toilet bowl cleaner and was horrified that it left the toilet bowls (all 3) with purple streaks. I will no longer buy any Lysol toilet bowl cleaner at all.

I lightly scrubbed the toilet bowls with "Bar Keeper's Friend" and it has removed the stain.

I would think that if you have let the cleaner stay in the bowl for any length of time, that it would be harder to remove.

No more Lysol for me!

Bar Keepers Friend Products {Referral Links}

Taylor says:

Thanks for your tip!

I also got a comment from another reader who told me basically the same thing. She said:

I used Bartender's Friend (another brand that's like Comet) and a brush, and it worked for me, too. Thank goodness!! This product is far too dangerous from a staining perspective to ever use again.

***Update: Yet another reader has used this method successfully. Howie Pass says:

Here in Southern California we live with very calcium rich water so buildup is a very common problem.

One of our toilet bowls turned entirely blue below the water line after the mother-in-law tried to clean it with a blue toilet cleaning product.

I was certain it was a thin calcium layer which took the stain, so I broke out my trusty canister of Bar Keepers Friend and annihilated that colorful crust in seconds with a blue scrubby sponge.

Bar Keeprs Friend is mild acid powder which is non-abrasive so I find myself using it frequently to clean calcium related stains.

I always check to make sure a surface is safe for use with the product before proceeding.

***End Update

I Used Bleach To Remove The Purple Stains From My Toilet

by SR101 Reader

I removed the pretty purple stains Lysol's product left behind by turning off the flushing function of the toilet, adding more water and a big glug of bleach. Let it sit, and it was gone!

Very disapointed that Lysol would do such a, well, stupid thing adding too much color. Never again!

Chlorine Bleach Products {Referral Links}

You can get more information in this ultimate guide to chlorine bleach here.

Bon Ami Removed The Stains Caused By Lysol Cling

by SR101 Reader

Thanks for the suggestion to use some abrasion--Bon Ami removed the stain for me.

I would expect one of those magic erasers would work well too, as they are highly abrasive.

Won't buy this stuff again. Geez.

Bon Ami Cleaning Product {Referral Links}

Lemi Shine To Remove Blue Staining From Toilet Bowl

by Beaz
(Illinois)

Beaz shared how she got rid of the stains in her toilet caused by this product, using Lemi Shine dishwasher detergent additive.

Beaz says:

I used Lemi Shine to remove the blue staining from Lysol gel toilet bowl cleaner.

It worked like a charm, easy to use and didn't have to scour like other products ... just sprinkle on, let sit a few seconds and clean your bowl like usual.

I did add more, about 3 times, and just used the toilet brush and it looks like new again.

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for sharing what worked for you.

This product really helps remove lime scale and hard water build up, which I've long suspected was one of the things the toilet bowl cleaner was staining -- that build up. It makes sense that dissolving the build up would also help remove the staining then!

You can get more information about Lemi Shine here, including reviews and uses for this product.

Nothing Seems To Remove The Blue Line From My Toilet

by Denise

Denise shared her problems with the blue line in her toilet.

Denise says:

I was surprised to learn that Lysol toilet bowl cleaner may be the source of the ugly blue line in one of my toilets, since the other two are perfectly fine.

In any case, I have tried so many products and methods to no avail.

I've scrubbed with Bon Ami, CLR, and Zud, none of which have worked. Neither has straight vinegar nor bleach removed or faded the stain.

The blue line does not appear to be from lime or calcium scale as there is no crusty residue. It actually looks and feels like the blue stain has been completely absorbed into the porcelain.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS??

Taylor says:

Denise, I'm sorry nothing has worked for you so far.

I sure don't know of anything that could remove a stain which has absorbed all the way into the porcelain. That is surprising though, since porcelain is used for things like toilets because it is not very porous at all, and doesn't absorb much.

Does anyone else have more suggestions for Denise? If so, add them in the comments below.

In addition, you can share your own or read other toilet bowl cleaner reviews here.

I Removed Lysol Cling Gel Stain From Counter With Vinegar & Baking Soda

by Jamie-Lynn

Jamie-Lynn had her white countertop stained with this toilet bowl cleaner, and shared what she did to remove it.

Jamie-Lynn says:

This Lysol stained my white counter top. The bottle had been sitting there and I didn't realize it had been dripping until much later.

I'd say a couple of hours later I tried vinegar and baking soda mixed together and it came out!

First, I wiped with just vinegar, then with just baking soda, then I poured the baking soda right on the stain and then poured on the vinegar so that it would have its little chemical reaction right on the stain and continued to wipe it.

It got a little messy with all the baking soda and vinegar I used but it came out! Hope this helps!

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for sharing what worked for you in cleaning up the stains from this product Jamie-Lynn.

I hope that one of these methods listed above, and shared by readers, will work for you to remove stains in your toilet caused by Lysol Cling Gel, or another toilet bowl cleaner that has excess dye in it.

If not, also check below in the comments, since there are even more ideas and tips shared there.

In addition, make sure to check out these additional household cleaners reviews shared by readers, to make sure you're always using the best product for the job.

You can also share your own reviews there as well!



Left hand photo by rowdykittens, from Flickr CC

Related Pages You May Enjoy

House Cleaning Tips & Hints For Busy Moms

Tips For How To Clean A Toilet

Go From How To Remove Stains Caused By Lysol Cling Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner To Home Page

There are affiliate links on this page, and if you purchase a product through them I receive a small commission. Purchasing through my links costs you nothing extra, but helps support the free information provided on this site and my family. To learn more please see my product review disclosure statement.