June 8, 2015

Toilet Care Game Changers

Toilet Care Game Changers via Clean Mama

A while back, I polled my readers and asked what their cleaning conundrums were. I received an outpouring of questions on a variety of topics and have enjoyed tackling these issues in prior “What’s the Best?” posts. Today, I am taking on a topic that many of you have issues with: TOILET CARE.

How to Clean a Toilet

First things first, let’s talk about HOW to clean a toilet properly. This is the process I follow and I believe it’s the best way to efficiently and effectively clean a toilet:

  • Spray thoroughly with your favorite bathroom cleaner (I use the recipe below or this one). Spray the top, back, the handle, the seat, under the seat, the base, basically every single part of the toilet.
  • Let the cleaner sit for 10 minutes to clean and disinfect the surfaces.
  • Start at the top and wipe down to the base of the toilet. Use a fresh cloth OR paper towel for every toilet and do not use this cloth on any other surfaces.

Toilet Bowl Rings

One of the most common bathroom cleaning questions I receive is in regards to the annoying ring that tends to develop in toilet bowls. Toilet bowl rings are the result of hard water and mineral deposits that develop from standing water in the bowl. No amount of scrubbing, harsh chemical cleaners or bleach will completely remove this buildup. The solution to this is rather unexpected to most: pumice. Pumice is a natural volcanic rock that does a superior job at removing surface stains in toilet bowls without scratching the surface. Thankfully, it is easy to find one that has a handle so that you don’t need to stick your hand in the toilet bowl in order to get the job done. Simply rub the pumice around the interior of your toilet bowl where the ring is and that’s it! It couldn’t be much easier. The Pumie is a pumice stone specifically designed to clean your toilet rings and stains. You can use any pumice stone, but I like that this one has a handle and is designed specifically for toilet cleaning.

Residue Around the Toilet

For those of you with little boys (or big boys) these tips are for you. Let’s face it – a lot of boys have a hard time aiming and hitting the bowl when they go to the bathroom. The result is not pretty and it seems as though no matter how hard you may wipe and wash, there tends to be a residual odor that is left behind. A lot of you have asked for my recommendation on how to eliminate this annoying situation and scent and I am happy to give my first hand recommendations.

First of all, as annoying as it can be, do your best to wipe up drips and drops sooner rather than later. It doesn’t take long for tile grout to get permeated and this makes it harder to eliminate the odor. Depending on the age of your children, this can be a job for them to be trained in (with good hand washing after, of course!). I like to use my Lavender and Lemon Bathroom Disinfecting Spray in the bathroom. Not only does it smell great with the addition of essential oils, but it’s safe and works well on getting rid of all those bathrooms germs and bacteria.

Gather your simple ingredients (this recipe can easily be cut in half if you don’t want to mix up a whole batch).

Lavender and Lemon Bathroom Disinfecting Spray:

  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup vodka (excellent germ-killing properties)
  • 10 drops lavender essential oil
  • 10 drops lemon essential oil
  • 1 1/2 cups water (distilled or boiled and cooled)

I find that using a funnel makes it really easy to pour ingredients directly into a spray bottle. Alternately, you can use a measuring cup or container with a spout with good results too.

Take note of this additional step before you start as this addition is the game-changer for scent removal. Spray around your toilet base liberally and sprinkle baking soda on top. You will want it to be a thick, paste like consistency. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to kill all those germs. At this point you can use your desired tool of choice to scrub a bit if you want to really get at it, or you can simply wipe it up using a damp cloth until no residue remains.

My Toilet Seat Game Changer

With two little boys, I have had my fair share of moments of being really grossed out by all the residue that is around the toilet seat, screws and hinges. This area is really tricky to clean well. I recently discovered and purchased this toilet seat for 2 of our bathrooms and it’s one of my favorite finds. Instead of having to clean around the hinges and screws, the toilet seat actually lifts up so that you can easily wipe around the hinges and screws. It also is slow-closing to prevent finger pinching and slamming. (Please note that you need to check the size of your toilet before purchasing a toilet seat.)

Favorite Toilet Cleaners via Clean Mama

I’ll continue to answer your cleaning conundrums in upcoming weeks, so keep an eye out for simple solutions to your biggest cleaning irritations. Go here to see all the posts in this series.

Are you following me on Instagram? I post my weekly cleaning routine – come follow along!

If you like these DIY recipes and tips, you’ll LOVE my book, The Organically Clean Home!

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bathrooms, DIY Homemade Cleaners, What's the Best...?