Are you sure you're cleaning your toilet correctly? Here are the proper processes and products
Cleaning the toilet is not a pleasant household chore, but it has to be done, and done properly, to ensure good hygiene standards in the home. It only takes a couples of days for your toilet to accumulate dirt stains, limescale build-up, germs, mold and bacteria. This not only looks bad and gives off unpleasant odors, but can also pose a risk to your health.
Many of us do not read the instructions for use that come with our cleaning products. As a result, a product that claims to be capable of removing 99% of germs and bacteria will not necessarily do so if it is used incorrectly.
Given these potential "pitfalls", we suggest below the products and procedures you should follow to clean your toilet correctly.
The correct procedure for cleaning a toilet
Always start from the inside surfaces of the toilet to give the cleaner time to disinfect the bowl properly while you take care of the other chores:
- Sprinkle the inside of the toilet with a WC-specific detergent or bleach, paying particular attention to the upper part where the water comes out from, scrubbing carefully with the toilet brush. Allow these products to act for 5 minutes before flushing to rinse off;
- Then, clean the external surfaces of the toilet: depending on the detergent you use, allow the product to act for around 10 minutes (but make sure to read the instructions carefully). Sprinkle the entire external part of the toilet with the chosen product, starting from the sides, moving to the external rim of the bowl and then to the cistern. After leaving to act for a while (the 10 minutes referred to above), wipe down with a clean sponge;
- Finish the cleaning by dealing with the lid and seat: if the model you have is removable, detach it from the toilet for cleaning; alternatively, clean as per the external surfaces procedure above and flush to finish the job.
Natural products for cleaning a toilet
If you prefer natural products for your household cleaning chores, you can use citric acid or white vinegar, salt and bicarbonate. These products are effective in removing limescale build-up. Use the following methods to sanitize your toilet:
- Sprinkle the inside of your toilet with baking soda and wet this using citric acid or white vinegar. Leave on to act overnight, then, the next day, scrub thoroughly with the toilet brush and flush to rinse off;
- Alternatively, you can sprinkle the bowl with bicarbonate and leave this on to act for 30 minutes. Then, put 100 grams of baking soda and 100 grams of salt into the water in the bowl and scrub everything with a toilet brush;
- For the external parts of the toilet, prepare a paste using baking soda and a little water and rub this over the external surfaces, including the lid and the seat.
How often to clean the toilet
But how often should you clean a toilet? The ideal is around at least 1 or 2 times a week, depending on the frequency of use. Clean more often if someone using the toilet is sick.
And don't forget to disinfect the cleaning tools too: sponges and gloves can be immersed for 5 minutes in a solution of water and bleach, while the toilet brush can be sprayed with a disinfectant spray and left out to air dry.
Thanks to these tips, your toilet will always be perfectly sanitized!