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Water stains on the counter, scum in the shower, fingerprints on the mirror…they’re all signs of a bathroom that needs to be cleaned. The worst sign of all, however, are the rings around your toilet bowl accompanied by a foul smell. No one enjoys cleaning their toilet, even the thought of it makes some people squirm. But, it is necessary considering the amount of time we spend on our porcelain throne. If cleaning the toilet is that you can’t stand the thought of, worry not. We’ve come up with some of the most helpful tips for how to clean a toilet without giving you too much of a headache.
Let’s get started!
Our Top Tips For How to Clean a Toilet
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Below are our top tips for how to clean a toilet in a breeze. Cleaning your toilet doesn’t have to be your most dreaded chore, and with these tips, it won’t be.
1
Use Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide is a significant ingredient in many toilet bowl cleaners. The big difference between plain hydrogen peroxide and the store-bought cleaners? Hydrogen peroxide is significantly cheaper and doesn’t include nasty, unnecessary chemicals. If you’re trying to keep your bathroom clean without destroying your lungs with harsh fumes, add a ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide to your toilet bowl and let it sit for at least half an hour before flushing.
2
Use Vodka
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It’s no secret how strong vodka is, and alcohol can pack a punch on dirty surfaces if you let it sit long enough. Buying a cheap bottle of vodka, or using one that’s lying around your house, can stop nasty rings from forming in your toilet bowl. Vodka is a great quick fix to removing stains without having to use a lot of work. Simply add a ½ cup of vodka to your toilet water once a week to prevent rings from forming. Less ring formation means less time spent cleaning in the future!
3
Extra Water Flush
Sometimes, when your toilet smells less than pleasant, the problem is beneath the surface. Often, there is waste clogged behind the toilet that you can’t see and is causing your toilet’s smell. To take care of this problem, fill a bucket with water, and add some cleaning solution. Start flushing the toilet with the bucket to provide more force than a regular flush. This will get out all the problems you don’t know are happening under the surface and give a much deeper clean.
4
Lather Up the Cleaner
One of the biggest mistakes people make when cleaning their toilet is they will add the cleaner, then immediately start scrubbing. Scrubbing as soon as you put the cleaner in your toilet bowl can double or even triple your time spent cleaning. Instead, add the toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit for at least five minutes.
While the toilet cleaner is sitting, the chemicals have time to work and make their way into rust, gunk, and bacteria. When you go to scrub after the soap has set, you’ll easily wash away all the stains that have been ruining the appearance of your toilet bowl.
5
Try a Magic Eraser
If your toilet bowl is covered in tough to reach rings that don’t seem to come off when you scrub, give a Magic Eraser a try. The Magic Eraser is filled with a ton of household cleaning ingredients that makes dirt slide right off. To loosen the gunky rings around your toilet bowl, throw in a Magic Eraser overnight and allow it to soak up all the dirt and bacteria. In the morning, simply brush around the rings and they should slide right off, allowing you to tackle tough stains in minutes instead of hours.
6
Pop Some Denture Tabs
Denture tablets are a great way to freshen up your toilet bowl. While they don’t get the deep clean you would get by scrubbing your toilet; denture tablets are a great way to freshen up if you’re in a hurry or guests are on their way. Simply add a few denture tablets to your toilet bowl water and get a nice clean scent in minutes.
Denture tablets are made with baking soda. The freshening ability of the baking soda acts as a natural cleaner to your toilet bowl.
7
Make a DIY Cleaner
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If going out to the store to buy toilet cleaner is what’s stopping you from cleaning your toilet, you can make your toilet cleaner with ingredients you probably have in your house. If you make the toilet cleaner in big batches, it will ensure you have toilet cleaner on hand every time you need to give your toilet bowl an extra scrub.
Simply mix one cup of salt with one cup of baking soda and one cup of oxygen bleach. Since this recipe calls for equal parts of each ingredient, it’s easy to change up the amount if you need. The baking soda will remove any gunk in your toilet while the salt acts as a scrub. The bleach will disinfect and leave your toilet bowl sparkling clean.
8
Spray the Walls Behind the Toilet
Microbiology research has shown that with every flush, bacteria from the toilet is launched into the air, making its landing onto nearby surfaces. That means, your floor, walls, and counter space surrounding the toilet is also covered in waste.
Every time you clean your toilet, make sure you’re also cleaning the surrounding area. The wall behind the toilet, floor surrounding, and all surfaces around should also be thoroughly wiped down with an antimicrobial cleaner. Doing this makes for the most hygienic experience in your bathroom.
9
Get the Water Out
So many people try to clean their toilets with the water still in the bowl. While this is fine for a quick clean, if you’re trying to get in there and clean the toilet, you’re going to need all of that water out first. Simply turn your water valve on the side of the bowl to turn off the water supply and drain the remaining water in the bowl.
Draining the toilet also means you can use more mild soaps and cleaners. Without the water diluting the cleaner, you can use something less harsh and cut down on cleaning time. For those wanting to use green products or simple solutions, make sure you drain the bowl first.
10
Attack Rust with a Pumice Stone
If you’re deep cleaning your toilet and notice rust-colored stains all around the rim, you’re probably rolling your eyes at the thought of using a brush to scrub those out. Rust is hard to get and requires some significant power. Instead of using traditional cleaner, a brush, and scrubbing for hours, take a few minutes to get the stains out with a pumice stone. That’s right, the ones you usually use on your feet.
A few passes with the pumice stone should do the trick on even the toughest rust stains. The stone is also soft enough so it won’t scratch the porcelain surface. When you’re finished, turn the water back on, flush, and you have yourself a clean bowl.
11
Freshen up with Fruit
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If you’re mostly concerned about the scent of your toilet, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on fancy sprays or scrubs. One of the best ways to get your toilet smelling fresh is to use homemade fruit and sugar scrub. The scrub only has two ingredients: a piece of citrus fruit and some sugar. The scrub is most commonly used with grapefruit, but feel free to substitute oranges, lemons, or limes to match your desired scent. Simply cut the fruit in half, dip it in sugar, and begin scrubbing your toilet. You’ll be left with a fresh scent in no time.
Conclusion
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There’s no need to fear the toilet cleaning process. Yes, it can be gross, and yes, it’s not an area anyone wants to get up close and personal with, but it is necessary. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel having a clean toilet and a fresh smelling bathroom.
We hope you take some of our top tips on how to clean a toilet and use them in your own life. If you’re looking for a quick fix like the denture tablets or using vodka as a cleaning agent, you’ll still see great results. However, if you’re trying to make the most of your toilet cleaning, make sure to follow our tips for scrubbing surrounding areas, draining the water, and using nontoxic cleaners.
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Last update on 2024-03-29 at 10:19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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