How to Clean a Toilet for a Pristine Bathroom

Follow these tips for cleaning a toilet to make quick work of rings, rust, and stains.

Few household chores are more groan-inducing than cleaning a toilet. No one wants to get up close and personal with their commode, but it’s a necessary part of a good bathroom cleaning routine. As one of the most-used fixtures in most bathrooms, toilets need regular attention to keep germs and stubborn stains at bay.

Cleaning a toilet starts with removing any visible dust, dirt, or other grime. Then follow a few of our tricks to make cleaning a toilet easier, many of which utilize household ingredients and require little to no touching of the actual toilet.

How to Clean a Toilet

The best way to clean a toilet involves disinfecting the entire surface, including the bowl, seat, rim, handle, and exterior, to eliminate any viruses, bacteria, or mold and mildew growth. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be a tedious or gross task. Learn how to clean a toilet and remove tough toilet stains with these simple steps.

Clean the Exterior

Step 1: Wipe Down Exterior. Using an all-purpose cleaner, spray and wipe down the seat, lid, handle, and entire exterior of the toilet, including hard-to-reach areas around the base and rim.

Step 2: Disinfect and Wipe Dry. Follow up with disinfecting spray or wipes, ensuring the area stays wet for at least 5 minutes (or according to the manufacturer’s instructions) before wiping clean with a dry cloth.

Clean the Toilet Bowl

To streamline the cleaning process, empty the toilet bowl and add the bowl cleaner while you wait for the disinfectant to work on the handle, seat, tank, and exterior. By the time you’re done wiping down these areas, the toilet bowl cleaner will have soaked in.

Step 1: Empty the Bowl and Add the Cleaner. Pour a bucket of water into the toilet bowl. This will flush the toilet without triggering a bowl refill. The lowered water level lets you put cleaner directly on the bowl for a deeper clean. You can also turn off the water valve near the base of the toilet and flush to drain the bowl (just remember to switch it back on after cleaning).

Step 2: Scrub and Flush. Scrub the bowl clean with a toilet brush, then flush.

Cleaning Tip

If you’re in a hurry, you can quickly clean the inside of your toilet by popping a denture tablet or two into the bowl. The effervescent action will deliver a quick clean in minutes—no brush required.

Clean the Toilet Tank

Step 1: Empy the Tank and Fill with Vinegar. Before cleaning the inside of your toilet tank, empty the tank of water by turning off the water valve and flushing until the water is completely drained. Then fill the tank with distilled white vinegar up to the overflow valve and let sit for 12 hours (or overnight) before flushing.

If you can’t go 12 hours without using the toilet, combine vinegar with baking soda and dish soap for extra cleaning power. After draining the tank of water, add 2 cups of vinegar, 1 cup of baking soda, and a few squirts of dish soap to the tank. Use a brush to mix the solution around and scrub the sides and bottom. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, scrub again, then turn on the water and flush to rinse.

Step 2: Scrub and Refill the Tank. Use a scrub brush to remove any leftover residue. Turn the water valve back on and flush a few times to rinse and refill the tank.

How to Clean Toilet Stains

Hard water, mildew, and mold can leave unsightly stains or rings around your toilet bowl.

Step 1: Empty Toilet and Add Vinegar. To remove toilet stains, start by emptying the bowl of water. Add 1 cup of vinegar and let sit for one minute.

Step 2: Add Baking Soda and Scrub. Sprinkle baking soda over the stained areas and pour in another 2 cups of vinegar. Let the mixture fizz and soak for about five minutes, then use a brush to get rid of any loosened stains.

Step 3: Tackle Tough Stains. If tough stains remain, scrub the inside of the emptied bowl with a pumice stone, which will loosen hard-water stains without scratching the porcelain surface. Choose a pumice stone with a handle to avoid having to come too close to the toilet.

Step 4: Prevent Future Stains. To prevent toilet stains from forming, use vodka to clean your toilet. (A cheap bottle of vodka will work fine). Pour 1/2 cup of vodka into your toilet bowl each month to keep rings from forming.

How Often Should You Clean Your Toilet?

You should plan to clean and disinfect your toilet about once a week, depending on the frequency of use, or more often if someone in your household is sick. In addition, make sure to clean your toilet tank at least twice a year because a dirty toilet tank can result in unpleasant bathroom smells, buildup of grime, rust, or mold, or even damage to the toilet.

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