Toilet replacement or just mold?

[Masa Asao]

I have a renter asking me to replace their toilet because the toilet's inside rim has "black" stuff that they can't get rid of. Even if they get some of it off, it returns in 2-3 days.

We're in the northwest where it's rainy and damp all year long and as far as I can tell from investigating the internet and youtube (yes, the source of all truths lol), these are mold and yes, they are hard to come off. They sent me pictures and video of the toilet's inside rim.

Does anyone have similar experiences? Are these mold or should I really replace the toilet?

NOTE: Please be warned that the images contain pictures/videos of inside a toilet!!!

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsQMTIUZ_mlll4EJzxBDLWfwazLDQw?e=nzFaXA

[Jim K.]

@Masa Asao

I would most definitely echo @Katie Miller's congratulations here. Yes, that is mold. Typically, you get rid of ALL the mold buildup with a mix of baking soda and a toilet bowl cleaner like Lysol. You dump a cup of Lysol or distilled vinegar into the upper toilet tank every day after its last flush, and flush it in the morning. Repeat for a month, also cleaning under the rim weekly as described, and that will usually take care of the mold completely.

If the tenant continues to complain about mold buildup in the toilet, you can repeat your cleanout with far more expensive mold-control Concrubium from Home Depot and dumping half a cup of laundry bleach into the tank every night. Use cotton balls wrapped around a doubled and twisted piece of coathanger wire to get inside the holes under the rim when you use the Concrubium.

But this is all hygiene theater. This minor mold issue will not affect the functionality of the toilet. All toilets, due to their nature, are prone to minor mold and mildew buildup.