How To Clean A Toilet in 3 Minutes
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Cleaning expert, Melissa Maker, walks you through the products and tools you’ll need as well as the simple steps to cleaning a toilet quickly and effectively.
Tools you’ll need
Rubber Gloves
Use separate ones for the bathroom (these ones are while, choose another colour for the kitchen).
Cleaning Toothbrush
Use an old one or a brand new one, the most important thing is that it is only used in the bathroom!
All-Purpose Cleaner
Here we’re using a homemade solution of 1 tablespoon dish liquid to 6 oz water, but feel free to use any one that you like.
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
This is specifically designed to clean the toilet bowl and will break down dirt, bacteria and limescale.
Paper Towel
It’s easier to use a few sheets of paper towel or pre-moistened cleaning wipes and not worry about mucking up cloths. Some people can’t stand the idea of using a cloth even after it has been washed if it was used to clean a toilet. Remember to throw the paper towel in the garbage and NOT down the toilet (unless you have a crush on your plumber and want him to come over). Just make sure you check for left over lint and hair (paper towel can leave this behind).
Toilet Bowl Brush
The one we are using here has an extra brush to scrub strategically under the rim (it’s a Vileda brush in case you are curious).
Okay, take off your tiaras and let’s get started..
1) Spray your toilet with the all-purpose cleaner from top to bottom covering everything from the tank, flusher, hinges, both sides of the lid and seat, rim, exterior bowl and base. Just douse it with product, don’t be shy. Let it sit for a minute to start to break down the dirt.
2) Add the toilet bowl cleaner into the bowl. You’ll notice that toilet bowl cleaners have an angled spout – this is designed specifically to make the application of the product under the rim easier for you. Gently glide the nozzle around the inner rim of the bowl and squirt out the product in a steady, even flow.
3) Begin wiping the toilet bowl clean, literally re-tracing your steps from step 1. Start wiping the tank cover, flusher, tank, change paper towel. Get into the hinges (more on this later), wipe the lid top, flip it up and wipe the lid bottom, change paper towel. Wipe the seat top, flip it up and wipe the seat bottom, change paper towel. Wipe the top of the rim and then get the exterior bowl, sides and base. Get into those little crevices! You can always clean the floor and area behind the toilet with a mop as opposed to doing it by hand, either way, it needs to be done.
4) Take your cleaning toothbrush and spray it with a little bit of all-purpose cleaner. Use it to get into those hinges and brush out any build up (if you haven’t cleaned your hinges in a while, you’ll understand the value of this tip).
5) With your toilet bowl brush in hand, start to scrub under the rim (don’t do it too vigorously or else you’ll get backsplash) and work your way entirely around it (lots of build up lives here). Then, spiral the brush around the inside of the bowl, starting at the top and swirling it around until it gets to the waterline. Continue swirling until you get to the chute and pump the brush in and out of the chute a few times to clean it as well.
6) DONE!! Hold the brush in the toilet and flush. Let the water clean the brush off so you don’t have to. To allow the brush to drip-dry, hold it on the rim and put the seat down. Let the brush sit for a few minutes and then replace it dry into the brush container (if it is wet and it goes back in, you get nasty build up).
OK people, it wasn’t that bad! Cleaning your porcelain throne is easy and really important to do. Don’t be afraid of work like this, it keeps you humble.
Want to know how to clean your bathroom cleaning tools? Any of your bathroom cleaning tools can always be cleaned by soaking them in a solution of 50/50 water and oxygen bleach for 10 minutes, rinsing and laying flat to dry.
A VERY SPECIAL thanks to our friends Oksana & Vito for lending us their stunning home for this video shoot – we couldn’t have done it without their generosity!
Oh yeah, please note, the bonus footage at the end of the video where I’m actin’ the fool: The brush was BRAND NEW at that point (we shot that before the cleaning part) and was dry and clean. I would NOT do that with a used brush.
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Hi Melissa,I love your blog!! I was wondering the easiest way to get sticker price tags off glass cups, tumblers. It’s a pain in the butt and I wish I knew the fastest and easiest way to get of those sticky price tags..
Thanks!
Thanks, Eunice! That’s a terrific question. Try applying some oil to the stickers (olive oil, canola oil, baby oil, whatever). Let it sit for a few moments and then gently rub the sticker off with a sponge. The oil breaks down the adhesion and voila, no more stickers. Rinse the glass in soapy water to remove the oil and you’re all good
Let me know how it goes!
Hello! Just found your blog on Pinterest (the how to clean your Toms video) – and I love it!!
One thing to be careful of, and we have to be always mindful in our home, is pets who love the potty water. For some strange reason, my kitties prefer potty water to anything else I provide for them. I know, crazy!!!
So be careful to use all natural products. Homemade are the best, using vinegar, tea tree oil in small quantities, etc. They can clean and disinfect just as well as the high power stuff from the store, but can be far safer for those furry friends who have to, for some unknown reason, take a sip from the potty. Or there are store brands made from citrus extracts that can be safe also.
Ew — I know. But who can explain the ways of the cat (or dog).
One tip I learned a few years ago, for those who don’t get to their toilets as often… Is a pumice stone for the ring where the water line is. With a little bit of elbow grease, it works like a charm!
Hi Millissa! I came across your blog and I have learned quite a lot from you. I love your homemade solutions for cleaning especially the tub and tile cleaner it works very well. I clean houses for a living and am coming across some hard to clean toilets. Can you recommend a cleaner to get the rusty stains removed? I have tried a pumice stone which it does help with the ring but not the rust. Any information would be great.
Hi Melissa – any tips for deep cleaning a boy’s bathroom? My son’s bathroom is also the guest bathroom, and it wreaks of urine. I have scrubbed the toilet, the base, the bolts, behind it on the floor, the walls, the baseboard – everywhere and it still smells. At first I tried using a store bought cleaner, then I read that baking soda/vinegar would work. It’s clean, but the smell lingers. I’d love any tips for what to use to get rid of the smell. Thanks!
I have found this problem too. My boys bathroom is small and the heat/ac vent is located on the floor about 7″ to the right of the toilet.. while cleaning one day I decided to take the vent cover up and there was urine under the “lip” of the vent. Now its part of my regimen to clean under the vent cover as well..
[...] How To Clean A Toilet in 3 Minutes 9 Apr, 2012 [...]
[...] you’ll hit the toilet. Assuming you’ve sprayed the whole toilet (learn how to do it here), put some gloves on and take your paper towel and wipe the tank, flusher, lid, top and bottom of [...]