Toilet Cleaning 101 - Painless & Easy

Cleaning the toilet is one of those grin-and-bear-it chores that you want to get through as quickly as possible. Many toilet-bowl cleaners and deodorizers claim that they’ll help you do this. Some products are truly helpful, others are not. Some cleaners are placed in the tank and dispense solution each time the toilet is flushed. Even the best in-tank cleaner, though, is not a substitute for a regular scrubbing, when you also clean the seat and the rim of the toilet bowl.

Toilet bowls and tanks usually are made of vitreous china, which is nonporous and easy to clean. Before you clean your toilet, read the label on your cleaning product to learn its exact chemical makeup and how it should be used. Be especially careful never to mix products. Always wear rubber gloves when you work with toilet cleaners. They contain strong chemicals and should be flushed immediately after the bowl has been cleaned. 

We suggest that you keep a long-handled brush for cleaning only toilet bowls.

The exterior of a toilet should be cleaned with the same products you use for tubs and basins. Wipe the toilet seat, the tank, around the rim, and around the base when you clean.

For easy toilet cleaning, shop our Ultimate Bowl Brush; Bowl Refresher Concentrate; & Extra-Strength Bowl Cleaner

Pro-Tips:

• Once a week, pour 2 cups vinegar into the toilet and let it sit. (Hint: Rest toilet bowl brush inside bowl with lid closed to remind yourself and family members not to use the toilet until it gets brushed) After 8 hours or more, brush toilet well, and flush. This regular treatment will keep hard-water stains at bay and clean and freshen your bowl between major cleanings.

• A 1/2 cup of baking soda in the toilet bowl will work for light cleaning. Let sit for 30 minutes, then brush and flush.

• To remove toilet bowl stains, pour in a can of cola. Wait 1 hour, then brush bowl clean and flush.

• Clean your toilet by putting 2 denture cleanser tablets in the bowl and letting them sit overnight. Then scrub the toilet in the morning.

• Clean your toilet while you’re not even home! Pour 1/4 cup bleach into the bowl, but don’t flush the toilet until you return — even days later. (Be sure to close the bathroom door before you leave, if pets will be around)