Here’s all you need to know to make your commode sparkle. It is the most used seat in your home so it needs to be cleaned with care. It doesn’t require a lot of effort or time to clean your porcelain toilet. Find our guide for getting the job done.
Get Your Supplies
We know you won’t stop mid-task looking for a pumice rock. Instead, keep all your tools at arm’s length, maybe in a handy bucket. Use disinfecting wipes and sprays such as Seventh Generation Lemongrass Citrus Disinfecting Wipes
Use Paper Towels
You need a sturdy pair of gloves to clean your hands. Melissa Maker, the author of Clean My Space, loves the cuffed type. They are more resistant to unwanted runoff and won’t get in your wrists. You can use a toilet bowl cleaner that you make yourself or buy from a store. It may contain hydrogen peroxide or oxygen bleach.
Stick With a Pumice Stone
Most people focus on cleaning the bowl of the commode’s interior, but every inch is important, according to Donna Smallin Kuper (certified house cleaner and author of Unclutter Your Home). Use the disinfecting spray to liberally spray the entire toilet’s exterior, including the back and underside. Microbiologists at the University of Arizona discovered that bathroom particles can be released into the air with every flush before they settle on nearby surfaces. we should use a powerful flushing toilet for the best flush. Its flush quality is very cool. This makes the walls and floor around the toilet ideal spots for microscopic splatter. Let the cleaner sit for five minutes after spraying. Maker says that while many people spray and then wipe away, it is important to allow the cleaners to do their work. You can then move on to the interior of the toilet while you wait.
Clean the Bowl
Leslie Reichert (green-cleaning coach, and author of The Joy of Green Cleaning) says that some toilet cleaners can be too strong and will get diluted if they are put in a bowl of water. Before applying any cleaning solution, she recommends draining all water from the toilet. She says that if you drain the water from the toilet, you can still use mild cleaners with the same results. You can get a cleaner job done in fewer steps. It’s much easier than you think. Simply turn off the water valve at your toilet base, then flush once.
Reichert makes her own large batches of toilet bowl cleaner. She uses one cup of table salt and one cup of baking soda. We love OxiClean. She grabs her container, scoops out the toilet bowl, and goes about cleaning it. She says that the baking soda helps remove gunk, while the salt acts as a scrubber and the oxygen bleach disinfects. In addition to baking soda, Smallin Kuper recommends pouring distilled white vinegar mixed with one cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl to create a similar sanitizing and sparkling effect. You can also opt for store-bought solutions that use hydrogen peroxide, oxygen bleach, or both. This is a safer option than using chlorine bleach which can cause lung irritations. If you want to use chlorine bleach, be sure to open a window while using it. Whatever toilet bowl cleaner you choose, be generous with your application, and make sure to put some under the bowl’s edge. After 5-10 minutes, let the suds work for a while before you turn your attention to the exterior of the toilet.
Take it Off
Maker states, “I don’t usually like disposable products but wiping down the bathroom is one task where durable paper towels are ideal.” While you may be tempted to use water to disinfect the toilet, it is not necessary to do so. Use a paper towel to wipe the exterior of the toilet clean. Instead of letting the paper towels pile up, toss them in the trash.
Scrub Out Stains
To remove stubborn stains from your toilet bowl, use a stiff-bristled best toilet brush to scrub its interior and under the edge. You may have minerals in your water supply if you see a rusty ring around the bowl. A pumice stone is the best way to remove such stains, according to cleaning experts. You can use a stick to hold the stone, which will keep your hands from getting too close to the bowl. It should only take a few strokes of the pumice rock to do the trick. You don’t have to worry about scratching the porcelain surface because the pumice stone is a soft one. Turn off the water supply to the toilet and flush the bowl.
Sanitation Is Key
Clean your tools and supplies as a final step. Place the wet toilet brush underneath the seat cover. Then, pour bleach or cleaning solutions over the business end of the toilet bowl. Let the brush sit for about a minute and then rinse it with warm water. Fill the canister with warm soapy water and let it sit for a minute before you rinse it. You can also dump it in the bathroom. The maker recommends that you resist the temptation to put the damp brush back into the canister and then forget about it. To prevent bacteria growth, let the brush air dry completely before you put it away.
After you have cleaned the toilet, you will want to take off your gloves immediately. Before you do that, get to the sink and scrub your hands with soap and hot water. The maker states that this is the best way to ensure your gloves are clean and don’t get any dirt on them. To dry them completely, hang them or prop them up.
