How to Use a Brillo Pad in the Toilet

Stains inside your toilet bowl can be tough to scrub off without the proper tools. Cleaning the toilet is no one's favorite chore, but a steel wool toilet cleaner can effectively make the entire process much more manageable. The simple act of using a Brillo pad in the toilet can thoroughly remove stains from hard water, frequent use and more.

It may seem counterintuitive to drain the toilet of its water to clean it since water can be such a powerful cleaning component, but it allows you to apply the cleaner and let it sit without it washing away. First, turn off the water to the toilet by moving the water supply valve on the back of the toilet to the off position. Then, flush the toilet again, which should drain the water without refilling the bowl. If a bit of water remains in the toilet bowl's bottom, that's OK; it won't interfere with the cleaning.

Lift the lid and then let the toilet bowl sit empty for a couple of minutes so that it dries out a little bit more. Then, sprinkle a commercial nonabrasive powder cleaner onto the bowl, especially the rings and stains. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to soak into the porcelain.

Now that the cleaner has sat and soaked in for a few minutes, wet a Brillo pad with cold water. Use it to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl, starting with any rings or stains. If they prove stubborn, apply more cleaner and then move on to other parts of the toilet while the cleaner penetrates.

Continue using the Brillo scratchless cleaning pad to clean the inside of the toilet bowl. A lot of bacteria, dirt, and even mold can accumulate there, so take your time. Be sure to get the space at the top of the bowl where the water comes out when the toilet is flushed. This is one of the toilet parts that gets the dirtiest.

Now that the inside of the toilet is clean, it's time to move on to the outside. Spray all-purpose cleaner on the seat, lid, handle and the rest of the outside of the toilet bowl. Ideally, this cleaner should have a germ-killing agent. Bleach or vinegar is particularly effective. Use paper towels to clean each of the surfaces. Make sure you get the underside of the seat.

Take extra care to get the handle clean. That's what everyone touches when they finish using the toilet, so it's an especially dirty spot. You should also take extra care to use a new paper towel for each section of the toilet because you don't want to spread germs with the paper towels while trying to clean.

The paper towels are obviously disposable, but the Brillo pad can be cleaned and used again. Wash it in warm water to get rid of any remaining dirt or gunk. Dip it into a bowl of bleach diluted in water to kill any remaining germs and then rinse again. Let it dry completely.