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Expert tips on how to clean your toilet
Cleaning your toilet is not the most pleasant of household chores, but it is a vital part of ensuring your home is clean and hygienic.
'It’s the throne everybody has to sit on, so you’ve absolutely no choice – you need to clean it regularly,' said Delia Cannings, who is chair of the British Cleaning Council.
Read on to find everything you need to make your latrine gleam, including how to clean limescale and stains from your toilet.
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How often should you clean your toilet?
How often you clean your toilet depends on how many people use it.
'In a family home of about five people, it’s sufficient to give it a wipe over when needed and a thorough clean once a week,' said Delia.
If done regularly, she says this should take around 10 minutes, although a dirtier toilet will take longer to clean.
Delia recommends you should also give your toilet a more in-depth clean periodically. This involves using a screwdriver to unscrew the bolts, before gently removing and dismantling the seat and cleaning the brackets, hinges and the small connection holes on your toilet where you attach the seat.
A periodic clean of your toilet should take around 15 minutes.
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Cleaning your toilet – what should you use?
Here are some items you should have on your toilet cleaning checklist:
- Toilet brush
- Toilet cleaner
- Rubber gloves
- A cloth or two
- An old toothbrush
- A bucket
'It’s useful to have a colour-coded system for your toilet cleaning kit,' said Delia.
'For example, you could use red cloths and red gloves to reduce the risk of transferring bacteria to other areas of the house.
'The products you use are really important. You need to make sure you use a cleaning product that cleans and disinfects and note the recommended dilution guidance.'
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Should you use bleach to clean a toilet?
Bleach is a popular choice for many people when cleaning their toilet, but there are certain things you should be wary of when using it.
Household bleach in the UK is usually sodium hypochlorite-based and is effective at killing germs and disinfecting when used properly. It can also help eliminate odours.
But it's essential to know how to use bleach safely before cleaning with it. It's a highly corrosive substance, so you shouldn't leave it sitting undiluted in the toilet bowl for more than a few minutes – check the instructions for how long.
It can also react with other cleaning solutions, particularly acid-based products like limescale removers and vinegar, which risks creating toxic gas. It can even react with the ammonia found in urine, so it's important to flush the toilet before and after cleaning it with bleach to reduce this risk.
Remember, bleach won't tackle limescale staining – only lighten its colour. So it's best to consider a limescale cleaning spray instead if you're dealing with build-up in your toilet.
When using bleach-based products, make sure you always wear gloves and old clothes and follow the instructions carefully.
This will help minimise the chances of an accident when using bleach.
If you don't want to use bleach, why not consider one of the best bathroom cleaners from our testing?
Three steps to a cleaner toilet
Delia says her favoured technique is 'Flush, Push and Brush'.
1. Flush
Start by flushing the water away. This will ensure any debris in the bowl is flushed away and will allow you a clearer view of the area that needs to be cleaned.
Make sure the lid is down when you flush to avoid a 'toilet plume'. This is the spray of particles that occurs when you flush the toilet, which can coat other surfaces in your bathroom.
2. Push
Use your toilet brush to push the water right back into the bowl and down the channel. That will allow you to see the tide mark – the point where the water usually rests.
Apply the cleaning agent around this point and leave it to do its work – for a few minutes or for as long as the information on the bottle recommends – this is known as contact time.
You can remove the brush and allow the bowl to refill, ready for the next stage.
3. Brush
Scrub and rinse the inside of the toilet with the brush, making sure you reach right down the channel to tackle any stains. Then flush the toilet again, remembering to close the lid.
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How to clean stains in the toilet
Once you've applied the toilet cleaner and left it to take action, give any stains a thorough scrub with the toilet brush. Careful use of cleaning cloths is essential.
Delia recommends a technique that involves folding the cloth in a systematic way, so you can use a clean face every time you change the direction you’re cleaning in. This helps avoid transferring germs from one area to another.
'If you need to use a cloth to remove any faecal matter, make sure it’s disposable so you can use it and lose it,' said Delia.
How to clean limescale from your toilet
If you live in an area that has hard water, you may get a build up of limescale in your toilet.
'Not only does limescale look unsightly – it harbours bacteria,' said Delia. 'You need to use a descaler periodically, maybe once every three months, although the frequency will depend on how hard your water is.'
Always follow the manufacturer's guidance as descalers often contain acid.
How to clean rust stains from your toilet
Another potential consequence of living in a hard water area is brown, rust-like stains in your toilet caused by higher levels of iron. This type of staining can also be caused by old pipes shedding iron into your water.
You'll need an acid-based cleaner for this kind of staining - bleach won't affect it much. You could use a rust remover, such as CLR (which stands for Calcium Lime Remover), or vinegar - the kind for cleaning, rather than eating - is a good option. Fresh lemon juice may also work, and it smells good too.
If using a product like CLR, follow the manufacturer's instructions for use. If you've opted for vinegar or lemon, simply apply to the staining and then leave to sit for an hour or so, then scrub and flush as normal. You may need to repeat this a few times, or leave it to sit for longer before scrubbing for more stubborn stains.
If that doesn't work, another option is to use a pumice stone - you can buy toilet-specific ones that come with a handle so your hand won't come into contact with the bowl or water. Pumice is a soft, porous and abrasive stone used in cleaning and personal hygiene applications.
You'll need to be very careful when cleaning with pumice, as using it incorrectly can scratch and wear down your toilet bowl, making it even more prone to staining and damage in the long run. Follow our steps to using it safely:
- Before doing anything, soak the stone in water for a minute or two. This will soften it and make it less likely to scratch your toilet bowl.
- Once saturated, use the stone to very gently scrub at the staining in a circular motion. Again, don't apply too much pressure as you may scratch the bowl.
- Once the staining is removed, flush and clean as normal.
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Cleaning the exterior of your toilet
The outside of your toilet needs cleaning too. When doing so, start at the cleanest parts and work towards the less cleaner areas. This process – known as working from clean to dirty – avoids redistribution of contaminants.
'The dirtiest parts are the areas people come into contact with most,' said Delia. 'That would include the flush handle, the lid and the toilet seat. Leave those areas until last. The flush is always the last part to be cleaned as, regardless of whether anyone has sat on the seat, the flush will have been flushed.'
You can use a cloth for general cleaning, but an old toothbrush can come in useful to clean with more precision in harder-to-reach areas – for example, around the brackets and hinges of the seat, as well as any other nooks and crannies.
'A little buff up with your extra cloth will ensure no moisture is left on the external surfaces and the throne will be fit for a king,' said Delia.
How do you clean the brush and brush holder?
Once you’ve finished cleaning your toilet, it’s important to give the toilet brush and holder a clean before replacing them.
'The best way to clean your toilet brush is to submerge it in a bucket of cleaner disinfectant,' said Delia. 'Alternatively, you can spray it and the toilet holder and wipe them with a disposable cloth. Don’t wash the brush in the toilet you’ve just cleaned, or you’ll simply reintroduce the germs and bacteria.
'Remember, you should replace your toilet brush regularly – the standard recommendation is every six months to a year, but this may vary depending upon how often you use it and the condition of the bristles.
'If the head starts to go discoloured or the bristles become frayed or bent, it’s important to replace the brush.'
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