The Basic Brush Off, And Beyond: Keeping Your Toilet Clean

Keeping the surface of your porcelain toilet brilliant white and sparkling clean is important to maintaining an attractive, pleasant bathroom. Neglect it for a week or so and you’ll understand the unpleasant impact a gray, dingy toilet bowl and dirty exterior can have on your bathroom. Fortunately, cleaning your toilet doesn’t take much time, and is easy to do, using only a few basic products.

The Basic Brush Off

This is your standard operating procedure: do this step on a regular basis and you save trouble later. Sprinkle some powdered cleanser (Ajax or Comet, for example) in your toilet bowl and let it sit for a while. Then, about a half hour later, take that round brush (strategically hidden behind the toilet basin) and swirl it aggressively around the edges and rim of the bowl (but don’t splash – the cleanser can harm your eyes).

Once a week should be enough, depending on how many people use the bathroom. It doesn’t hurt to scrub the area behind the seat with the toilet brush. Failure to do the Basic Brush Off on a regular basis could result in a circular water stain and discoloration problems of the bowl later on (more on how to fix this problem later). Cleaners with bleach are preferred for this part of the job.

YES: Do it often.
NO: Don’t neglect this easy but critical task. It won’t take to long notice if you do, and once stains have set in, they’re harder to remove.

The Exterior Glow

An all purpose cleaner is ideal for the exterior of your toilet (Lysol makes a fine product). Spray on, and wipe off. To get a drop free, streak free shine, buff with a few clean paper towels. Toilet seats are generally composed of hard plastic, or soft plastic with a filled foam interior, so you want to avoid any harsh chemicals or abrasives. Again, use an all purpose cleaner and a clean, damp cloth, then dry thoroughly with a paper towel.

YES: Clean behind the toilet as well, where it meets the wall, and on the underside of the seat. Grime and odors can build up here.
NO: Don’t use harsh abrasives on the plastic seat; and don’t forget to dry the seat thoroughly.

Stain Control

As promised, here’s some info about removing those stubborn, dingy rings and other stains that can conceal the brilliant white porcelain beneath. The circular ring contains lots of calcium and other minerals from your water supply; what you need is something to break the bond. Some will recommend a pumice stone or fine grit sandpaper. This should only be used with caution, as they can etch or scratch your toilet’s surface (more on that later). For this reason, we recommend commercial products like “The Works” (which we’ve heard very good things about).

YES: Use commercially available cleaners and a Scotch type pad, along with some good-old fashioned elbow grease to clean the surface of the bowl. Wear gloves.
NO: Avoid caustic chemicals containing various types of acid; these are better left to professionals. And if you do choose to use a pumice product, or fine sandpaper, do so with care, and be warned that once you remove the outer layer of porcelain, you’ve irreversibly damaged the surface of your toilet, making it that much more attractive to stains.