Vinegar in the toilet

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cmedsailor

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Will vinegar in the toilet (for cleaning purposes) do any harm? Any other products for cleaning the toilet, besides of course flashing it with clean water?
Thanks
 
You can pretty much use any acid as long as it's not ridiculously strong. The most commonly used acid is phosphoric I get mine from Lidl (toilet cleaner)
 
I have toilet grade biocide impregnated toilet hose and i use olive oil or any food oil works great and lubricates the mecanism.
 
An acid wash on a regular basis is very helpful when the toilet is in regular use. In UK I guess vinegar is one of the most available, although I don't think it is really strong enough to dissolve the carbonate scales that you are trying to remove. In Europe, where they seem to free of some of the ridiculous 'safety' rules and regs that we suffer here, hydrochloric acid is sold in almost every supermarket for exactly this purpose. Half a litre per week in the toilet will keep it completely clear of scale and will not harm any seals or other parts.
 
I think it is here, Toolmart sell Concrete cleaner, 5 litres for £6. Brings up bronze items a nice pink colour and disolves barnacles of stainless steel props a treat.

Pete
 
I have, I think, seen a suggestion that vinegar can on prolonged contact have some effect on seals etc. On that basis I think I would put some in and pump it through but then after a while flush it out of the system rather than just leave it there until next visiting the boat.

Acetic acid is, has Vyv Cox indicates, only what is termed a weak acid so it will not remove limescale quickly but require a fair time. Vinegar however contains a surprisingly high concentration of acetic acid but I forget the actual figures now.

Brick cleaners contain hydrochloric acid and being a strong acid it will dissolve the limescale much more quickly that vinegar but being so strong I would dilute it well.
Some lavatory cleaners contain hydrochloric acid (eg Harpic 100% limescale remover original)

I would avoid leaving high concentrations of hydrochloric acid in contact with stainless steel components or even bronze seacocks etc for prolonged periods.
 
Only problem there is if you have a holding tank the proprietory loo cleaners (intended for household use) will destroy the bacteria in the tank. I always use white vinegar and olive oil - stops the whiff and lubricates the pump the evade that irritating squeak.......!
 
We have dosed our toilet with hydrochloric acid on a regular basis for years. We buy yhe stuff available in supermarkets in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, which I think is normally concentrated. It usually passivates in about 10 minutes, as evidenced by the gassing that can be heard from the seacock.

My elastomer chemical resistance chart says that 30% acetic acid has a minor to moderate effect on nitrile seals, little to minor effect on EPDM, neoprene and fluoroelastomer seals. Don't know the concentration in vinegar but I doubt very much that it is anywhere near 30%. I also don't know what typical toilet seals are made from but I would expect it to be one of these.
 
Thanks for the info on the effects of acetic acid on seal materials. I knew I'd seen something but as you say the concentration in vinegar is much less than 30%. According to the great "authoritative" source Wikipedia it is typically 4 - 8 % (by volume) although higher for pickling.
Should cause no problems then.
 
Only problem there is if you have a holding tank the proprietory loo cleaners (intended for household use) will destroy the bacteria in the tank.
I didn't realise that the holding tank acted as a septic tank..you learn something every day!
 
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