Harpic Toilet cleaner

[cagey]

Re Lady in bed earlier post does this really work if so you have solved the quest.
The yellow line above the water line if they are right is in the past.
please dont say it was toilet humour
K

 

[Bob_Ranft]

Slightly off topic. It may well remove yellow water line stain etc. if it does this at greatly reduced cost to the norm, carry on using it. If you read the label, think it states only to be used on ceramic surfaces, or words to that effect.

Accidently dripped some across a stainless steel sink at home, it etched a very noticeable stain on the stainless. Not sure how anodised aluminium or painted surfaces would react to Harpic. Straight from the container it appears to be more corrosive than is initially realised.

 

[CET1]

Another use for Harry Pickups invention? This toilet cleaner was invented by Mr Harry Pickup, hence (har pic) who was based in Roscoe Street, Scarborough, in North Yorkshire. I would be carefull, as it was originally designed for use on vitreous china ie the toilet pan

 

[sarabande]

Urban teenage guerillas used to drill a small hole in an incandescent light bulb, and put a bit of harpic in it.

Click, BOOM. Practical chemistry for adolescents, page 23.

(No, Snopes doesn't know anything about Harpic....)

 

[VicS]

There are many Harpic lavatory cleaners, even before you start counting all the different flavours. The 100% limescale remover version contains hydrochloric acid so you would expect that to be pretty effective at removing limescale bound deposits which probably includes the yellow waterline stain. Other Harpic limescale removers also contain HCl or formic acid. That too is quite an effective limescale remover.

IIRC back in the early mists of time Harpic was a powder. That I believe contained sodium hydrogen sulphate. Although a definite chemical compound you could regard it as a mixture of sodium sulphate and sulphuric acid.

GRP is pretty resistant to mineral acids so no problem with cleaners containing strong acids although I would have to check on organic acids like formic acid. The point of the cautionary labelling on Harpic and other acid cleaning products is that that must not be used on enamelled cast iron baths. I dont know off hand what the enamel is but it is very definitely not resistant to acids.

Subject of another thread but Cillit bang Lime and Grime contains phosphoric acid and sulphamic acid. Neither to the best of my knowledge harmful to GRP but definitely not suitable for enamelled baths!

See http://www.rbeuroinfo.com/

 

[sparkie]

Been using it for four seasons on my acrylic painted GRP hull, wonderful!! Wipe on with damp cloth, leave 15 mins, rinse off with clean water and sponge, all yellow gone. Easy peasy and best thing I've ever used. Also dirt cheap.