Find The Best Way to Clean a Toilet With These Deep Cleaning Tricks
Cleaning your toilet is not the most pleasant of tasks, but with these handy deep cleaning tricks you can make the task a whole lot more efficient, easier and most importantly a bit less unpleasant!
Essential toilet cleaning products
Before you start cleaning your toilet you’re going to want to be armed with some essential products.
To do a proper job, you should make sure you have at least the following items:
- Waterproof rubber gloves.
- Scrubbing sponge.
- Toilet cleaning spray or disinfectant spray.
- Toilet brush.
- Cloth or towel.
Once you’ve got these items in hand, you should prepare your toilet for cleaning. By this, we mean the removal of any items you’ve got stored on top of your cistern or near your toilet that might get in the way.
What are the steps of cleaning a toilet?
Wipe the toilet down with a damp sponge
Take your damp sponge, along with a bowl of warm water and proceed to wipe around the entire toilet. At this stage, you don’t need to worry about the bowl. Instead, you’re looking to just give the exterior of the toilet a complete once over.
Doing this will begin the process of breaking down any grime that can build up on your toilet. It will also remove any residue of dust that has built up on the surfaces of the toilet.
Apply toilet cleaner to the bowl
Now it’s the bowl’s turn to receive some attention. Take your toilet cleaning spray and apply it to the rim (unless you have a rimless toilet) of the bowl. Use enough so that it drips down into the rest of the bowl and water. Aim for an even application so that the entire bowl ends up covered in toilet cleaner.
Scrub the bowl with a toilet brush
Once you’ve the active agents within the toilet cleaner enough time to get to work and break down any grime and break down mineral deposits, it’s time to reach for the toilet brush.
Use the brush to really scrub the bowl, paying special attention to those areas that can easily be missed. If you find any particularly stubborn stains, then feel free to use further toilet cleaning spray in collaboration with the brush.
Flush the toilet
Once you’re satisfied that you’ve done enough scrubbing with the toilet brush, it’s time to give it a flush. The flush will help to wash away any grime or stains that you’ve loosened with your brush.
If the flush doesn’t quite catch everything, then use the brush or a wipe to get rid of remaining dirt.
Use your toilet cleaner on the exterior of the toilet
The next step is to use your toilet cleaning spray on the exterior of the toilet. Make sure you wipe down the entire toilet. You’d be surprised what parts of the toilet can accumulate dirt and dust. So, clean the base, the cistern and even the sides.
Don’t forget to spray the handle too! You don’t want the area that you’re most likely to touch to be riddled with germs.
You should also be sure to clean the floor around your toilet, as this can also incur a build up of germs.
This is often overlooked, but if certain people in your household have a habit of occasionally ‘missing’, then you’ll want to make sure that the floor surrounding your toilet is nice and clean too. If you have a lino or vinyl floor, then a normal disinfectant spray will be sufficient to make it nice and clean again.
Wash your hands
Yes, even if you’ve been wearing gloves whilst you’ve been cleaning your toilet, you should give your hands a thorough wash afterwards (it also pays to use different colour gloves when cleaning your toilet, so don’t get them mixed up with gloves you may use to clean your kitchen).
Natural ways to clean a toilet
If you worry about using harsh chemicals and cleaning agents, then there are more natural, ‘organic’, ways of cleaning your toilet.
Cleaning your toilet with baking soda
One great natural cleaning alternative is baking soda. Simply apply it all around the sides at the top of the bowl and leave it to sit for five minutes. During this time it will ‘eat away’ any dirt and grime.
After this, use a toilet brush to scrub the rest of the bowl, working the baking soda into the surface of the toilet. Then flush the toilet and you’re done!
Cleaning your toilet with vinegar
Another great natural cleaning alternative is vinegar. To clean your toilet with vinegar, begin by mixing a solution of equal parts water and vinegar into a spray bottle and use this spray as you would a traditional one - so spray the bowl and the exterior of the toilet.
Once you’ve sprayed the exterior with your vinegar solution, you should let it sit for about five minutes before then wiping it off with a dry cloth. The bowl, however, should be left until the next flush.
How often should I clean my toilet?
Whether you use traditional cleaning chemicals, or opt to use more natural alternatives like baking soda or vinegar, one thing you should take away from this article is the necessity of cleaning your toilet regularly!
Leave it for too long and you’ll have a big (and dirty) job on your hands.
Ideally, you should give your toilet a quick wipe down after every use. You should then perform a more deep clean like the one outlined above on a weekly basis.
So, there you go. Plumbworld’s guide to cleaning a toilet. We hope it helps you avoid any future toilet cleaning nightmares!
If you found this post useful, you may also be interested in - Kitchen Cleaning Tips - Four natural cleaning methods for a sparkling bathroom - Bathroom Cleaning Habits You Can't Live Without.
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