Ahhh, the toilet. Cleaning it is everyone's least favorite job even though a clean toilet is one of the nicer luxuries in life. Especially if you find yourself face to face with one late one night. Here's how to really really get it clean:
Equipment Needed:
• Gloves
• Goggles (if it's really gross or a public toilet)
• Sponge or Scrubber
• Toilet Brush
• Cleaning Product*
*A note on cleaning products. Some people insist that Vinegar alone is enough to clean every part of the toilet. And though I don't do this, my grandmother did, and many readers do. It's less toxic and the vinegar will help dissolve mineral deposits in the bowl. Check out this post on natural toilet cleaners. No matter what cleaning agent you choose, make sure it's one that is antibacterial. You'll need something for the outside of the toilet and something for the bowl.
1. Start with the Bowl. Most toilet bowl cleaners have a curved neck so that you can squirt the soap up under the rim and let it drip down. (I like to start here so that the soap has some time to sit on the part of the bowl that isn't under water and soften anything that has hardened there.) Use the toilet brush to scrub the whole bowl, making sure that you get the rim and deep into the bottom. Don't flush, just let the soap sit for the next couple of steps.
2. Close the Lid.
3. Spray the Outside. Using whatever cleaner you've decided on (I've been using Murchison Hume's All Natural Bathroom Spray) spray down the outside of the toilet and start wiping down with your sponge, rinsing often using the bathroom sink, scrubbing where necessary and not forgetting the back of the toilet or that bottom part that collects all the hairs and dust (ew, I know).
4. The Rim. Now you're ready for the rim, which is by far the grossest part of the process and one made infinitely worse if you live with men with poor aim. Lift the lid spray the cleanser and wipe. Don't forget to do the underside of the toilet seat. This can be a nasty surprise.
5. The Bowl Finale. Get the toilet brush and give the bowl another scrubbing using the soap that's already been sitting there. Flush. Make sure to rinse the toilet brush as you're flushing (you may need to flush more than once). Hopefully the bowl is clean now. But if it isn't, scrub away.
6. Clean and Maintain. Now your toilet is clean. You can keep it this way longer if you practice some daily maintenance. I like Flylady's no nonsense tip of keeping soapy water in with the toilet brush so that you can just swish it in the bowl every day to keep the gross from building up. You can also use wipes or a sponge to wipe down the top of the toilet every day or every couple of days. If you do these things you can avoid a major overhaul.
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I like to use the attachments on my vacuum to clean to bottom part of the toilet, behind the seat and the top of the tank before I do anything else. Nothing is worse than rubbing hair and dust around with a wet sponge. Blek.
Three words: Clorox Toilet Wand.
This is, hands down, the best thing ever. I hate cleaning toilets, but even more, I hate dirty toilets. This kit comes with a neat tower for storing sponges and has a stand for the wand/handle. Best part, the handle is the only thing you need to touch for the entire cleaning process. Woo!
I second goggles, or at least a pair of glasses. It sounds ridiculous, but once I got a stray, airborn droplet in my eye while using standard toilet cleaner and a toilet brush. Boy did it hurt. I rinsed my eye under running water for several minutes. I use vinegar for a lot of other cleaning, and for some reason haven't tried it in the toilet. Straight vinegar is a great mold and mildew killer and is even recommended for cleaning cutting boards that have been used for raw meat, so I would guess it also passes muster for toilet cleaning too.
How about the the very bottom of the toilet? It's easy to clean the toilet bowl itself but at the very bottom (where everything, ahem, "lands") is difficult to get with a toilet brush because usually the brush is bigger than the escape hole (at least mine is). Is there any sort of product you can drop in there and let sit? Any recommendations?
Method toilet cleaners are awesome. Also Kaboom. And very occasionally 1 cup of bleach left in over night.
A much easier solution that requires very little effort - pour 1/2 cup bleach in the bowl, then use 2 strips of toilet paper and line the inside of the bowl, just above the water line. The toilet paper should mostly stick on it's own. Spray over the toilet paper with bleach or Clorox Clean-Up and let it sit for an hour. Flush and done.
If your toilet looks like something out of a horror movie - employ the other methods, but for those of us who clean once a week - this will do the trick in a jifffy.
It's nice to have a clean-looking, fresh-smelling toilet. But why is it necessary to keep it entirely free of all germs? It's a toilet, not a drinking cup. You're not going to be licking it. You'll be washing your hands after you use it or touch it (at least, I hope you will). And minutes to hours after you finish scrubbing, you'll be filling it with excreta again.
I actually suggest doing the outside last as when you're doing the rim and seat there's a very good possibility that you'll be getting dirty drips down the outside.
Just a reminder that bleach and ammonia do NOT mix.
Not to be a jerk, but isn't this a pretty standard method for cleaning a toilet?
And a clean toilet is a luxury in one's home? Really, it takes all of 5-7 minutes to clean the toilet weekly.
This is going to sound harsh, but...really, AT? Could this possibly be more useless? Who doesn't know the ridiculously basic steps to clean a toilet? OMG.
The only way to really get it clean is through this method. Take rubbing alcohol and put it in a spray bottle. Spray it all over your bowl on the inside and outside. Set it on fire (and turn out the lights for effect). The alcohol will burn itself out and the toilet will be clean!
Note: Make sure it's "clean" before you clean it with this method.
CLOROX TOILET WAND... you'll kick yourself when you realize how quick and easy it is.
Great to know you guys are giving us the basics.
It's nice that so many of us came up from households that taught us how to clean the basics, but not everyone is so lucky.
Thanks for the refresher course!
Nice to have some of the comment ideas. I am the only girl in a house of many boys of many ages and only two bathrooms. I try to teach aim...but...hard to do. I clean EVERY day. It is so gross.
cleaning the toilet really is the fastest thing to clean which is why i can't understand the bathrooms on hoarders, eww!! some comet or lysol under the rim cleaner to soak the bowl then, a few minutes later or immediately next, toilet brush it, spray the outside and seat and wipe down. and you're done! i like the idea of vacuuming around the bottom. might have to do that
I already knew how to "really, really" clean my toilet, but what I need it know is how to "really, really, REALLY" clean my toilet.
Can any of you readers help me out?
Oh that fire one was great!!!
Is it April 1 already?
What about getting the boys in the household to sit down when they pee? Works for us!
If you need goggles, you have waited too long to clean the WC.
I second Clorox Toilet Wands. Very clean toilet and no touching.
I use Lysol wipes for the handle and outside.
light it on fire... awesome.
Well, since you started it...
Confession time: we have 2 bathrooms in our apartment (powder room and master bath), and the bowls will mold under the rim if I don't bleach there every 5-7 days.(!) That's exactly what I do, of course, but the phenomenon is a total mystery to us. Both my partner and I have been using/cleaning toilets all our lives, and we've never, ever seen mold in the toilet before! I can only think it's the design of the toilet (Toto brand) that the rim doesn't get any air flow, but I'd like some confirmation. Has anyone experienced this before?
This is VERY useful. I sent my husband the link, as a hint.
thx!
Can I suggest not using a sponge? Do you really want to keep and reuse something that was used to clean your toilet? (Aside from the unavoidable toilet brush to get the underwater parts.)
Paper towels are much better. Toss 'em out, use new ones next time.
I've read about vinegar & bicarb as the basic cleaning for toilets (in detail) too:
http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=163221
these books are very popular here (nothing to do with me, btw)
No one uses the fizzing toilet bombs? Wow - they are great.
TMV, I use a scrubby sponge, but it has TOILET written on it in huge letters with a sharpie marker. The sponge lives under the toilet where no one can see it, and is never ever used on anything else.
Works a hell of a lot better than a wand or paper towels for cleaning the inside of the bowl. Especially if you're dealing with hard water buildup.
I figure if I can live with changing diapers or cleaning up a sick friend's puke, I can stand stand using a sponge. Instant cure to feel better is a good hard scrub with hot water and soap... which you should do anyway if you even touch a toilet wand, since the flushing action gets bacteria around that area even if you close the lid.
OMG some of these comments are hilarious! I'm going to try setting my toilet on fire this weekend, lol :)
I'm with fcresenc on this: Clorox Toilet Wand is the best thing that ever happened to my bathroom.
I was kind of hoping for tips on how to get rid of hard water stains.
Off to look up Clorox Toilet Wand now.
I use vinegar and baking soda in the toilet.
Nothing like a toilet post to show some readers' true colours. Insensitive and un-Eco friendly!
You'd be surprised at how many people don't clean their toilets because they do not how to properly do so.
Great post, Laure!
@igurl, I have the same problem and I also clean it once a week but still the mold. It would be great to find a reasoning for the mold growth and even better a solution.
@TrishinPeoria, I lived in a similar situation during college. My solution was to take turns cleaning the bathroom. They take better care of it when they know what goes into keeping it clean.
I also have questions about hardwater (i think?) stains. I travel during summers and forgot last year to have my house sitter regularly flush the toilets in all the bathrooms. Several ended up with reddish rings around the waterline that scrubbing alone just doesn't seem to get rid of. Is this a hard water stain (I live in the Southwest, and we have very hard water)? What's the best (and ideally most eco friendly--but I'm willing to experiment with harsher chemicals as long as its a one time thing). Thanks!
OK the toilet wand seems nifty but the waste really bugs me. Those sponge heads are in some dump piling up. As for the toilet fizz bombs they stopped making them or I can't find them, I miss those things!
As great as the comments and tutorial are, there is one real issue that wasn't addressed - under the toilet seat hinge. I have two small boys with the worst aim and I have to remove the seat at the hinge to truly remove the grossness and rid the room of odors.
It's all in the details :)
The best way to make sure the toilet is clean:
1. Train your partner on how to clean the toilet, and then make he or she do it by saying: "Hey, clean the toilet!"
2. Tell boys to pee sitting down. Unless you have a urinal.
3. Have kids, and then make sure you train them on how to clean the toilet. Then say "Hey, clean the toilet!"
Michelle
http://cheeseloversinternational.blogspot.com
Hey all! I posted in a previous comment the set-your-toilet-on-fire method for disinfecting, but I'm seeing quite a few questions on how to get rid of hard water build up.
The secret to getting rid of that build up is to use a pumice stone. Pumice is harder than the hard water build up, but softer than the pocelain. This means that the abrasive pumice will scratch away the hard water stains but leave your porcelain scratch free.
I used pumice for years when I worked as a professional janitor (awesome job btw). They don't sell it for cleaning anymore because there is still a risk of scratching the ceramic, so don't scrub too hard. In truth though, it's pretty hard to do.
The other option is CLR. It will melt away hard water stains, calcium, lime, rust. It's pretty sweet stuff.
I have lived with friends who were never taught how to clean a toilet, so really, this kind of post can be very helpful for some people. I cannot recommend enough tip #6. A quick and easy frequent scrub and wipe down man that you never have to clean it when it's nasty.
Now, cleaning up after those people who think that a spritz with cleanser is sufficient, and who never scrub for years -- that's a task I couldn't even get CLR to do for me.
Also, using items with "antibacterial" on the label isn't necessary. The basic nature of soap kills the vast majority of bacteria, and bleach kills even more. Vinegar also kills bacteria, which is why people pickle food for storage. Antibacterial additives shouldn't be used on a daily basis, because using them promotes the development of antibacterial-resistant strains of bacteria. That makes the anti-bacterials less effective where they're needed most -- in hospitals!
This is exactly my process of cleaning the toilet. and it works perfectly. Now if only it would stay clean lol
I'm with Polly S., it's a toilet. It doesn't need to be clean enough to eat off of.
I use a earthy crunchy citrus cleaner, a sponge and bare hands. And I figure if washing my hands is okay after using the toilet, it's okay after cleaning the toilet. I do cut the corner off the sponge and segregate it so it's not used for any other purpose.
Laure, you mention rinsing the sponge often using the bathroom sink, but you don't include cleaning and sanitizing the sink. That sink is where you wash your hands and clean your teeth it needs to be cleaned as part of your toilet cleaning routine.
I use toilet paper and vinegar in place of a sponge, (which itself has to be cleaned), and is disposable.
Best AT post ever.
Can I become an editor for AT? 'Cause, seriously.
Can I become an editor for AT? 'Cause, seriously.
I am really amazed that people need instructions on how to do this.
I am really amazed that some people need to be told to read the title and move on if it's not for you. And/or who might need lessons on civility.
If you really want to help AT in the quality-control department, shoot them an email. Their comment policy tells you how to do that.
@shofner - when it was time to replace the cheapy, broken-down seats on my toilets, I replaced them with removable seats for easy, thorough cleaning! Those honkers can go outside for a spray down - awesome to do every few months.
I think it should be a requirement that all men clean their own toilets. Let's see how quickly their aim would improve if that were the dealbreaking key to having access to sex. Post THAT on your facebook pages, gals! ;-D
I hate cleaning the bottom of a toilet - why Why why are they designed with curvy nooks and such! One of my to do lists is to encase my toilet in a concrete block, I am serious too, my husband has a concrete counter top business and he promised me he would consider it, yeah!
Wow! What a way to start a Sunday morning! I like the fire idea...however if you want to spend a little more - Martha recommends a TP587 Platinum Mdl. 2100 Flame Thrower (available now on her website) It comes with an optional toilet cleaning accessory that really gets into those pesky hard to reach places.
FengShuiByFishgirl- I AGREE!
Our guest bathroom is mainly used by guys who come to record here (my fiance is a music producer) and I swear, all they do is go in and out of that bathroom all day. And guess who has to clean the toilet? Yeah, me. I'd ask him, but then it would never get done. I HATE CLEANING PEE STAINS!
some commented on why this needed to be here, doesn't everyone know, is it april 1st, etc: I had a girl friend that dressed well, college educated, lived by herself, and we discovered that she never cleaned her toilet. we had to tell her how! so yes. this may be helpful to some.
did anyone comment on dumping a bucket of water quickly into the bowel to lower the water line? a trick my mom showed me when I was taught as a youngster, helps a lot.
also, I take my kitchen sponge after its near-used up, clean the toilet and throw it away.
I read an article that mentioned men/boys hit the toilet better when there is something to aim at in the bottom of the toilet when they pee.The suggestion was waterproof stickers. You have to empty the water first/ dry well then place the sticker in the bottom of the toilet. It worked amazingly in my house, no more pee all over the place.
I do get questions about the stickers though.
I love the idea of setting the toilet on fire!
I buy cheap denture cleaner (the tablet kind) and drop into the toilet tank. It helps to keep the toilet bowl clean every time you flush.
I, for one, am very glad to see basic maintenance included here. Lots of people have never been taught how to do these things. If you already know and don't want to read it, don't read.
Cleaning the bathroom is actually my favorite chore, because I like the rigid structure I have applied to it. I do the same things in the same order, once a week (maybe a little more often) and it's become a comforting ritual. LOL.
I've heard that fizzy denture tablets can help if your brush doesn't do the job down the escape tunnel.
For a quick fix of the "aim" issue with small boys, I keep a bottle of 1:2 vinegar to water in the bathroom. If I don't have time in the mornings when I notice a problem, I spray it down until I have time to properly clean it. It keeps away odor and stains.
These comments are priceless! @Susan in Austin--LOL! The fire thread is reminding me of my brilliant "I'm gonna be a millionaire" idea I had when my boys were little. It was for a self-cleaning bathroom that burned itself out overnight just like the self-clean cycle on the oven. In the morning, just dust away the ash. Maybe someone out in the AT community can work on that...
Excellent article, I normally clean the totile with alcohol, water and vinegar. and then after with a brushes, rub the surfaces, or other janitorial supplies. I write some articles in the next link http://janitorialweb.blogspot.com/2013/03/toilets-spotless-with-janitorial.html