How to Clean a Toilet

This will probably never be your favorite household chore, but you have to admit, it's one of the most important!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Disinfectant Sprays
• Toilet Brush
• Toilet Cleaner
• Pumice Stones
• Rubber Gloves
• Rubber Gloves

1. Open the bathroom windows and door, or turn on the fan. You need good ventilation when working with household cleaners.

2. Put on rubber gloves and lift the toilet seat. Flush the toilet to wet the sides of the bowl.

3. 

   Apply a generous amount of powder or liquid toilet cleaner to the bowl, focusing on getting it along the sides, not just in the water. Be sure to follow the directions for your type of toilet bowl cleaner.

4. Let the cleaner stand for a minute.

5. 

   Using the toilet brush, swab all around the interior of the bowl, paying special attention to the area immediately beneath the rim, and to the water line.

6. Flush the toilet to rinse. As the water in the bowl is replaced, thoroughly rinse the toilet brush in the incoming water.

7. Notice if the toilet bowl has developed a ring. If it has, scrub the stain with a wet pumice stone. Be sure the pumice remains wet throughout the process.

8. 

   Spray the seat, the underside of the seat and the rim with disinfectant.

9. Wipe down the base, lid and tank top with disinfectant.

10. Allow the disinfectant to dry before using the toilet.

Tips & Warnings

• Never mix cleaners. The fumes could be deadly.

[apalmer]

on 9/28/2009 The pumice bar sounds like it might do the job. I have fought this crud for quite awhile and its starting to win. Thanks for the tip!

[infoesource]

on 5/24/2009 Letting the disinfectant air dry will insure a better kill rate of the germs. If you will note they all pretty much claim 99.9% kill rate but the fine print is that to have this claim they have to stay wet and on a hard surface for 10 minutes. Anything less gets less kill claim.http://www.infoesource.com/cleaningconsultant

[jonathanhummer]

on 1/25/2009 Before you start, put your hand into the water and sort of "push" the water down the hold. After a few seconds of pumping your hand down the hold, the water level will slowly start to lower. This makes it so you can apply cleaner below where the normal water level would be. When you are done cleaning, just flush the toilet and it will go back to normal level!

[PJR957]

on 12/13/2008 I can't thank you all enough for the recommendation to try a pumice stone. It worked beautifully! I found the stone at the dollar store which was unbelieveable after all the money I have wasted on those expensive cleaners that didn't work.

[pomonian]

on 10/28/2008 I used your everyday toilet cleaners, CLR, ammonia, bleach, soda, brillo and A LOT or elbow grease, sometimes all together. Much of the deposits were removed. But not until I used a pumice bar, did I save about a hundred bucks and not have to purchase another toilet, which I was about to do. It removed the remaining stubbornest stains in about 2 seconds. If you try this, make sure its wet, and that you only apply enough effort to remove the stain because it may leave scratch marks, even on porcelain. I only had to rub relatively gently for it to work. Also, someone mentioned not to use the Beauty Shop variety...mine was from one of those stores and it still worked great. Just confirm its really pumice you're buying. I hope it helps you, too.