Does your toilet always seem to be dirty? It’s a fact that toilets are one of the hardest items in the home to keep clean. They get plenty of use, and some people just aren’t that great about keeping the toilet properly maintained.
Cleaning your toilet doesn’t need to be a major chore. The following DIY toilet cleaning tips will help you maximize your cleaning efforts while minimizing the time you’ll spend on it.
The Right Tools for the Job
You want to make sure you have all of the necessary supplies for cleaning your toilet. At the very least, you should have a toilet brush, cleaning solutions, disinfectant, and gloves to protect your hands.
Although a toilet brush will get rid of most of the grime in your toilet, there are often some hard-to-reach areas that need careful attention. Using an old toothbrush for cleaning these spots makes it easy and prevents nasty buildup over time.
You can give your toilet a thorough clean by using baking soda on the toothbrush to scrub away mildew.
Vinegar is another powerful tool you can use. In many cases, store-bought cleaning products fail to get rid of the most stubborn stains. Vinegar can be left in your toilet overnight so that you can brush your toilet bowl clean in the morning.
Cleaning the Toilet
To clean your toilet, you need to first apply your cleaning solution under the rim of the bowl. This lets the solution drip down into the bowl. Scrub the bowl with the cleaning brush and then let it sit for about fifteen minutes.
Take this time to clean the outer side of the toilet using your spray disinfectant. Using a sponge, clean from top to bottom to make sure you get rid of dust and mildew.
Small carpets around toilets are commonly used bathroom accessories. If you have one, be sure to clean it regularly as it can encourage the spread of bacteria around the bathroom. You can also get rid of it if you want to make cleaning easier.
Long-Term Maintenance
The best way to keep your toilet as clean as possible is to ensure long-term maintenance. You want to be sure to clean the toilet as often as possible. Once a week will keep your toilet clean and prevent you from the extra work required to clean mildew that’s developed over a long period of time.
You can make it a practice to wipe down the toilet rim and seat each time you use the toilet. This makes it easy to prevent the buildup of stains and grime.
Disinfectant wipes are great to have by the toilet. If you have other family members who share the toilet, try to teach them to use these wipes when they use the toilet. This minimizes the spread of germs and lets everyone contribute to a clean toilet.
These DIY toilet-cleaning tips will keep your bathroom fresh and free from germs. Having the right materials to clean your toilet and encouraging others to clean goes a long way in maintaining a clean and functional toilet.
Author Bio:
Anne Flemings loves interior designing and is always in pursuit of the latest changes and trends in home improvement. Her other interests lies in cooking, painting and blogging. She is an enthusiast homemaker who lives in Toronto with her husband and two kids. She can be followed on twitter at @AnneFlemings.