The Do’s and Don’ts of Cleaning Your Toilet

Regular toilet cleaning timelines differ from household to household. Some people include cleaning their toilets in their weekly cleaning routine, while others only bother to pull out their scrubber when the toilet shows visible dirt or grime. Cleaning a toilet really isn’t as difficult as some people make it out to be, and there are important things to pay attention to as you shine up your household commode. Below we’ve listed a few dos and don’ts of cleaning your toilet that every homeowner should follow.

Do: Clean Your Toilet Weekly

Although your toilet may look clean to the naked eye, trust us when we say it’s not. As we mentioned above, bacteria and mold love a damp toilet bowl. If you have multiple people living with you, your toilet is probably the most used seat in your home! Because of the repetitive use, you should clean the toilet weekly, if not a few times a week. Toilets get grimy quickly, and you want to make sure you tackle any dirt or bacteria before you can even see it.

Don’t: Ignore Your Toilet

Avoiding your toilet except for your regular “visits” to the throne will inevitably leave you dealing with multiple issues in the long run. If you aren’t cleaning out your toilet bowl, mineral stains can occur, which traps dirt and bacteria, all of which can gather and be built up over time. If you choose to ignore these stains, mold growth is another issue you’ll be dealing with because of all the bacteria in your bowl.

Do: Invest in Quality Cleaning Products

Just like you need to purchase a new toothbrush often for your mouth, an over-the-hill toilet brush isn’t something you should keep in your closet for years and continually use it to clean multiple toilets in your home. Rotate out the old and bring in a new brush every 3-6 months to keep your cleaning tools ship-shape. Use a quality toilet-bowl specific cleaning spray and scrub well inside the bowl and under the rim.

Don’t: Use Toilet Cleaning Tablets

You know what they say—if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. The idea of toilet cleaning tablets, the kind you put in the toilet bowl and forget, is great at first, but they contain harmful, caustic chemicals and aren’t good for your plumbing. These tablets (bleaching or blue) sit in your toilet bowl and can eat away at important parts of your toilet, leaving your plumbing needing major repairs. Regular cleanings the old-fashioned way—cleaner, a good brush, and a little elbow grease—are the best thing for your toilet.

Do: Clean the Exterior of the Toilet

When you’re performing your regular cleaning of your toilet bowl, always include the toilet exterior, seat and lid as part of your disinfecting routine. Select an exterior cleaner that kills bacteria and germs, and scrub down the exterior bowl from top to bottom with a sponge or rag. Use a new towelette to sanitize the seat and lid, because these are often overlooked areas of a toilet. Once you’ve finished cleaning the exterior, dispose of your towelette or wash your sponge or rag so you don’t spread germs the next time.

Don’t: Use Flushable Wipes

Here is a list of potential cleaning items that you shouldn’t be flushing down your toilet. Your plumbing and septic systems will last longer, and you’ll prevent a potential backup from occurring.

• Flushable” wipes (Trust us, they’re not flushable.)
• Paper towels
• Napkins
• Cloth products
• Cotton balls and swabs

Have you been ignoring your toilet more than you should? Did our dos and don’ts of cleaning your toilet tips help you understand how important it is to take care of cleaning on a regular basis? Cleaning your toilet isn’t as difficult as you might think. If you have questions, or you need an experienced plumber to inspect your toilet to see if your issues are bigger than a typical cleaning will fix, don’t hesitate to contact us at 1st American Plumbing, Heating & Air. Our qualified technicians are here to help answer any questions you may have.