How do you clean a toilet for beginners? This ultimate guide to cleaning your toilet will tell you all you need to keep that bowl shiny and smelling nice.
Table of Contents
- 1
- 2 How do you clean a toilet for beginners? Introduction
- 3 Cleaning the bathroom in general
- 4 Safety while cleaning a toilet
- 5 Cleaning in a specific order is important | How do you clean a toilet for beginners?
- 6 Weekly toilet cleaning
- 7 Cleaning in between
- 8 Cleaning products
- 9 Remove stubborn dirt | How do you clean a toilet for beginners?
- 10 Do not mix cleaning products
- 11 Tips on toilet brushes
- 12 Facts about air fresheners
- 13 How do you clean a toilet for beginners? Conclusion
We’ll go over general bathroom cleaning tips, as well as specific toilet cleaning tips covering: safety, schedule, order, cleaning products, toilet brushes, air fresheners, and how to remove stubborn dirt.
How do you clean a toilet for beginners? Introduction
No one likes to clean the toilet. Many people are afraid of the smells, splashes, and leftovers they might face.
The filth is generally not too bad if one cleans the toilet regularly. But sadly, it will never be fun…
But what is the best method to clean the toilet? A few household tips:
Cleaning the bathroom in general
Our toilet by itself is not the cleanest place in the house. Therefore, it’s recommended not to move bacteria while cleaning. In other words: do not clean the pot first and then the sink.
Therefore, it is essential to use a separate cloth for cleaning the toilet. Do not use the same cloth used for dusting the kitchen cabinets, for example!
Cleaning the toilet means cleaning the pot, as well as the walls, door, floor, brush, and possibly (scented) decorative materials.
A toilet should be cleaned about 2 to 3 times a week. But the frequency depends mainly on the number of family members and whether there are small children.
In other words: the larger the family and the younger the children, the more often one needs to clean the toilet.
Safety while cleaning a toilet
Before you start cleaning your toilet, think about your own safety. This is because you come into contact with chemicals and (harmful) bacteria during cleaning. Therefore, take the following measures:
- Do not smoke while cleaning
- Don’t drink or eat while cleaning the toilet
- Wear waterproof household gloves
Cleaning in a specific order is important | How do you clean a toilet for beginners?
Essential is the order of cleaning the toilet. Start with the ceiling by using a feather duster to remove dust and cobwebs.
Next, start with those items that usually have the least number of bacteria on them:
- lamps
- decorative materials
- the sink
- the door
- the lock and latch
- the light switch
- air fresheners
- pipes
- walls
For the toilet itself, follow this cleaning order:
- The sink
- Top of the lid
- The bottom of the lid
- The top of the seat
- Bottom of the toilet seat
- Edge of the toilet
- The foot of the toilet
Finally, you should also mop the floor, and then your toilet will be completely clean.
Weekly toilet cleaning
Descale the toilet with a special toilet descaler or cleaning vinegar. Optionally, you can also soak in an effervescent (meaning bubbly) tablet for dentures (a dental appliance cleanser) for a few hours.
Meanwhile, empty the trash can and clean it with an all-purpose cleaner. If you have a toilet mat lying around, put it in the washing machine and wash it at sufficiently high temperature.
Then, change the towel that’s used to dry hands after washing them with soap.
Put toilet cleaner under the rim of the toilet. Brush the inside of the bowl well with the toilet brush. After this, leave the brush upright in the pot.
Clean the walls and door with an all-purpose cleaner. Rinse the cloth regularly because otherwise, you’re just moving bacteria around.
Above all, don’t forget the toilet roll holder and the light switch. Dry everything again to avoid mold and streaks.
Clean the faucet with an all-purpose cleaner and remove limescale with a sanitizer descaler.
Flush the toilet bowl with clean water and remove the drained toilet brush. After this, clean the lid, seat, the outside, and the rim.
Don’t forget to clean the back and hinges thoroughly! Do the flush button last, as there are many bacteria on it.
Lastly, mop the floor with clean soapy water and do this again with clean water.
Cleaning in between
Cleaning in between can be done twice a week.
But if you live with more than three people in the house, then daily cleaning is recommended.
Put toilet cleaner under the rim of the toilet, brush it out with the toilet brush and set it upright in the bowl.
Clean the outside of the bowl, seat, lid, and rim with an all-purpose cleaner. Clean the flush button last.
With a clean cloth, clean the faucet, light switch, and door handles. Flush the toilet and put the drained brush back in the holder.
Clean the floor with water and an all-purpose cleaner, using a disposable cloth if necessary. Hang a clean towel.
Cleaning products
To clean your toilet and surroundings, you can use an all-purpose cleaner. There are many different brands in the supermarket, with all kinds of fresh scents.
You can also use a classic soap, which is just as effective and much cheaper than other cleaning products.
Do you want to clean in an environmentally friendly way? Then choose a sanitary cleaner with an Eco label.
Do you still want to use a disinfectant from time to time? Then a Dettol solution is a good option.
You could use chlorine for the inside of the toilet, but unfortunately, this is not good for the environment.
Today, there are a few alternatives available, for example, oxygen bleach. This is a lot more environmentally friendly than a chlorine solution.
Do not use more detergent than necessary.
Sometimes people pour a hefty dash into a bucket of water while a capful is more than enough. This also applies to bleach: a little bit under the toilet rim is more than enough.
Remove stubborn dirt | How do you clean a toilet for beginners?
Remove limescale
Lime can quickly build up in the bowl since many gallons of water are flushed down the toilet every day. It’s possible to remove this with a special toilet cleaner with anti-calcium.
But there is also a cheaper alternative:
- Place toilet paper soaked with cleaning vinegar on the areas with limescale.
- Then, allow this to take effect for one to two hours.
- Afterward, you can simply flush the toilet.
For very stubborn limescale, it may be needed to repeat the treatment. Make sure not to use too much toilet paper because it can cause blockages.
Caked-on dirt
One of the worst things one can find in the toilet is caked-on dirt. The best method to tackle this stubborn dirt is with hot water, (liquid) abrasive, and the toilet brush.
Dirt under the waterline
Sometimes, the pot itself can be cleaned well, but the area underneath the water remains filthy.
In this case, you can throw a denture cleaner or a dishwasher tablet into the bowl. Let it soak in well overnight and flush in the morning.
Do not mix cleaning products
Do not combine cleaning agents, and absolutely do not mix them yourself! All cleaning products contain chemicals that can develop dangerous explosive and/or toxic gases when they blend.
Especially chlorine is known for this effect. Mixing chlorine with soap or urine creates toxic chlorine gas! So always flush your toilet after every cleaning.
Tips on toilet brushes
A toilet brush eventually looks a little dirty because some leftovers can get stuck in it. Many quickly want to buy a new one, but cleaning is much better and cheaper.
For example, leaving the toilet brush in the pot overnight with some bleach works wonders.
Do you not want to use chlorine in your toilet? Then place the brush in a bucket with a chlorine solution for about eight hours.
Don’t want to use chlorine at all? Then use anti-lime on the bristles to get them clean.
Facts about air fresheners
What could be better than stepping into a toilet that smells great? It gives a nice, clean, and fresh feeling that many enjoy.
But air fresheners are not always good for health and the environment. Usually, they are synthetic substances with unknown side effects. They may not yet know or have not even been investigated…
One can easily make their own delicious air fresheners. For example, try an orange or lemon with cloves stuck in it.
Lavender in dried bouquets or scented bags also spreads a wonderful fresh scent.
But opening a window, of course, also gives a fresh effect thanks to the outside air.
How do you clean a toilet for beginners? Conclusion
If you follow this thorough guide on how to clean a toilet, you will surely end up with a cleaner and better smelling toilet than before.
To summarize, we’ve gone over general bathroom cleaning tips, the importance of the order in which you clean, safety while cleaning, toilet cleaning schedule, cleaning agents, toilet brushes, air fresheners, and how to tackle stubborn dirt.
If you come to the realization you could use a new toilet seat, have a look at our top toilet seats for big people.
Lastly, we’ve also got some other toilet-related articles you may be interested in: