Did you know that most people do not clean their toilets correctly? This results in a buildup of yeast, mold, and germs on the seat.

Contrary to popular belief, a toilet is not the dirtiest thing in a bathroom. Most people believe it is toilets for obvious reasons, but also because they may experience stains and odor.

But what if there was a way to get rid of that?

Having a clean toilet can seem like an impossible task if you can’t get rid of rust rings or discoloration. But in this article, you’ll learn how to clean and sanitize your toilet for the best results.

If you’re interested in having a clean toilet, then keep reading!

Tips to Keep in Mind

There are a few cleaning hacks circulating around the internet that do more harm than good to your toilet. Here are a few things to stray away from when cleaning:

  • Mixing products
  • Pumice stone or sandpaper
  • The Coca-Cola Method
  • WD-40
  • Fabric softener

Most of these tips will usually result in a visit from your plumber because the products used are unsafe to flush.

For example, a popular “cleaning hack” you may see online is pouring fabric softener into your tank. The idea here is that it’ll release a fresh smell with every flush. But instead, your toilet’s flapper seal will end up damaged and your toilet won’t flush properly.

Flushing releases most of the water in your tank, which will flush away most of the scent you were looking for.

Before using any cleaning product, you must make sure that it is flushable and won’t ruin your plumbing. Products like WD-40 can loosen rust inside of your toilet bowl, but after flushing it, it’ll end up in your local water supply. This is why most municipalities forbid pouring any mineral oil down the drain.

The Coca-Cola Method involves pouring a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and letting it sit overnight. The acid from the soda is said to remove stains, but be aware of any insects the sugar may invite.

For the surface of your toilet, remember that toilet bowls are made of porcelain. Using a strong abrasive material is dangerous for the slick finish of your toilet.

The finish of your toilet bowl helps keep stains from becoming permanent, so you’re getting rid of the protection from future stains. Not to mention, you’ll leave scratches on your toilet bowl from using these materials.

Finally, be wary of mixing cleaning products together. Especially if you’re using bleach.

Some mixtures may only cause mild itching or watery eyes, but others can permanently damage your lungs. For instance, the two most common household cleaning products are bleach and vinegar. Mixed together, they create chlorine gas, which is fatal at a high concentration.

Or if you’re using a drain cleaner and it doesn’t work, call a professional before trying another brand. By mixing two different drain cleaners together, you can cause an explosion.

What You Need

Now that you know some basic cleaning tips, you can prepare to clean your toilet. Start by gathering your materials:

  • Toilet brush
  • Bowl cleaner
  • Disinfectant spray or wipes
  • Cloth or paper towels
  • (Optional) Rubber gloves

Some cleaning services provide products to use during the job. Most people opt for hiring professionals when they’re under time restraints or don’t believe they’ll do a good enough job.

How to Clean Your Toilet

Cleaning a toilet should not take more than 20 minutes if you use this method. It’s important to leave time for allowing the product to sit and perform. You can’t just wipe away disinfectant after a few seconds because it hasn’t had the time to do its job.

Pre-Clean

For any disinfectant to work, the surface must be pre-cleaned of surface scum or debris. You can accomplish this by passing over your entire toilet once with a disinfectant.

Using a disinfecting wipe is the easy way to do this, but you can also use a spray and wipe it down with a cloth or paper towel.

Disinfecting the Exterior

After you’ve removed the debris on your toilet, coat the entire exterior of your toilet with disinfectant with a concentration on specific areas like the flush handle. You can spray these areas for a bit longer to ensure that they stay wet for at least five minutes.

Once you apply your final layer of disinfectant, leave it to air dry for 10 minutes.

The Bowl

While waiting for your disinfectant to dry, you can start on the bowl. Most bowl cleaners contain bleach, which serves as a disinfectant.

Coat your entire bowl by starting underneath the bowl’s rim. Then, start scrubbing the product with your toilet brush. Make sure to get underneath the rim and the toilet bend.

After a good scrubbing, let it sit for five minutes, and then flush it away.

There is no need to do any extra disinfection if you’re using a product that contains bleach. If you’re not, you can pour about a half cup of bleach into your toilet bowl and use your brush to scrub it in like before.

Then allow an additional five minutes before flushing again.

Finishing Touches

After ten minutes have passed since disinfecting the exterior of your toilet, use a sponge or paper towels to wipe away condensation. This will make sure that your surface is dry and ready for use.

Some people like to add tank additives like tablets or disks to spread disinfectant around the bowl with every flush. But it is not recommended to use these products. They attack the tank trim and warp rubber components inside of your tank.

Having a Clean Toilet

A dirty toilet takes away from the rest of your bathroom, so it’s important to clean it regularly. Keeping up with a clean toilet is hard to do with a busy schedule, which is why you should hire a professional.

Housekeeping tips only work when you have time for them, but by hiring a pro, you don’t have to worry about making time for important cleaning tasks.

If you’re interested in hiring a maid service, contact us to get a quote!