We all have at least one – they are used every day and are usually the subject of the least liked cleaning chore. Yes, that’s right, it’s a toilet.
Let’s face it, cleaning standards vary. You could easily describe some toilets as smelling like roses, but others are more akin to a swamp both in appearance and odour. I think back to a toilet block at a sporting club of my youth and shudder to this day.
Anyway, how do you clean a toilet properly? It’s not just a matter of squirting a bit of ‘toilet duck’ around the bowl and walking away with confidence. As the place with one of the highest bacteria loads in the house, it needs a little more finesse.
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Here’s our guide.
Weapons of choice
You are going to need a stout, stiff, clean toilet brush. If yours has any stains replace it, or at the very least soak it in bleach or vinegar. The best have nylon bristles pointing in various directions to get into all those nooks and crannies.
I’m not sure if these cherry toilet brushes fit the bill, but I want one nevertheless.
You are also going to need rubber gloves.
Flushed with success
There are different schools when it comes to cleaning the bowl. Frankly, if it all gets a bit icky, letting a cup of bleach stew in there for a while does the world of good, but a more thorough clean requires more effort.
Bunnings recommends using borax, and, of course, you can get it there. Anyway, pour some into the pan, swish it around all the surfaces you can and then add vinegar. Let it soak for at least 20 minutes, longer if necessary.
The longer you can leave the mixture in the bowl, the better, so 20 minutes is the absolute minimum.
While that’s stewing, crack out some disinfectant spray – not those wipes, they just add to landfill – and give the seat, cover and tank a generous spray, paying particular attention to the hinges and any joins. Wipe down with toilet paper. You can use fabric wipes, but then you have to disinfect them as well. Using toilet paper means you can just flush it away immediately. Much better.
Now that the borax and vinegar have done their job, grab the toilet brush and get scrubbing, getting into every corner you can.
Then flush, holding the brush in the stream.
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Dirty job
If the staining is extreme, you may need to drain the toilet and apply a stronger cleaning method. Simply close the shutoff valve and flush until the tank and bowl are empty.
Mix borax and vinegar to make a thick paste and apply immediately to any stains. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes and then give it a vigorous brush with the toilet brush.
Turn the water back on and flush. You should have a sparkling toilet that even your nanna would be proud of.
Alternative reality
There are a few cleaning hacks out there that may be worth trying. A popular one is leaving a dishwasher tablet in the bowl. Dishwasher tablets are designed to tackle hard water and stains, so it makes sense it would work in a toilet.
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If just leaving it in the bowl doesn’t work, put on some gloves and use the tablet to ‘erase’ the stains and then leave it in the bowl to dissolve before giving it another go with the toilet brush.
Another popular cleaning tip is pouring Coke into the bowl and leaving it to sit for a bit. Coke’s acidity and fizziness supposedly removes the stains, but after trawling the internet to check out the evidence the results are less than overwhelming.
The brush off
Your toilet brush has just had a heavy workout and will probably be harbouring some bacteria. You can pour boiling water over it over the toilet, soak it in disinfectant or give it a bit of a spritz with a bleach solution. The canister should also be given a once-over with some disinfectant.
Do you have any tried and true toilet cleaning tips? Why not share your suggestions in the comments section below?
I have been using bicarb soda and vinegar recently which seems to be doing a great job. We are on a property with a septic so can’t use bleach. Sprinkle a good bit of bicarb soda around the toilet bowl and into the water at the bottom, then pour in vinegar around the toilet bowl and again into the water at the bottom. It will then bubble up beautifully. Let it sit for a while and then give it all a good scrub with the toilet brush and flush away. Hope this is helpful.
We have calcium buildup in our area. Have had dark brown “sausage” looking marks deep down both sides of the toilet for years. Have tried EVERYTHING! What has worked for me is the following:
Pour a kettle of hot (not boiling as could crack the toilet) water into the toilet
Put in 125g citric acid (bought in bulk fro local Weigh n Pay)
Leave as long as possible then use the toilet brush and flush.
I left the worst toilet (the one with the “sausages”) for most of a day and overnight. The next morning the otherwise perfectly clean toilet water was dark brown and after flushing it looks brand new! SOOOO EASY!!