How to clean a toilet properly, bowl to base

To clean a toilet, squirt bowl cleaner under the rim and let it soak while you wipe the outside from the top down: tank, handle, lid, seat, hinges, the outside of the bowl and the base. Then scrub the bowl and under the rim with a brush, flush, and finish with the floor around the toilet.

The order matters. Letting the cleaner sit does the hard part for you, and working from clean areas down to dirty ones means you never drag grime back up to the handle.

What do you need?

• Rubber gloves
• Toilet bowl cleaner, or white vinegar and baking soda
• A disinfecting spray for the outside
• A toilet brush, ideally one that reaches under the rim
• Paper towels or a cloth used only for the toilet
• An old toothbrush for the hinges and base
• A pumice stone, for hard water rings on white porcelain

Keep the toilet cloth separate from everything else in the bathroom. A different color helps.

How do you clean a toilet step by step?

1. Clear the top. Move anything sitting on the tank lid.
2. Get the bowl soaking. Squirt bowl cleaner around and under the rim so it runs down the sides. For a homemade version, sprinkle half a cup of baking soda in the bowl, then pour in a cup of white vinegar. Leave either for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Spray the outside. Tank, handle, lid top and underside, seat top and underside, and the outside of the bowl. Give the disinfecting spray the contact time on its label. Wiping it off right away cleans the surface but doesn't disinfect it.
4. Wipe top to bottom. Start with the tank and handle, then the lid, the seat, the outside of the bowl, and the base last. Flip to a clean side of the paper towel or cloth often.
5. Get the hinges. Lift the seat, and use the toothbrush around the hinge bolts and the gap at the back of the seat. Grime hides there.
6. Scrub the bowl. Brush the sides, then up under the rim, then down into the drain opening as far as the brush reaches. Flush and rinse the brush in the clean water as the bowl refills.
7. Do the base and floor. Wipe the bolt caps and the joint where the toilet meets the floor, then wipe the floor around and behind it.
8. Clean the brush. Let it drip dry by resting the handle under the closed seat, with the head over the bowl, before it goes back in its holder.

A weekly toilet clean takes about 10 minutes, and much of that is soaking time you can use for the sink and mirror.

How do you remove hard water rings and stains?

That brown or gray ring at the water line is usually minerals, not dirt. It needs an acid.

• Vinegar soak. Pour a cup or two of white vinegar into the bowl and let it sit an hour. Scrub and flush.
• Lower the water first for a ring above the reach of the vinegar. Turn off the valve behind the toilet and flush to drain the bowl, then lay vinegar-soaked paper towels on the ring for an hour.
• Pumice stone. On white vitreous china only, wet the stone and rub the ring gently, keeping both wet. Dry pumice will scratch. Don't use it on colored toilets, plastic seats or anything plated.

How do you clean inside the tank?

Do this a couple of times a year, or if you notice a musty smell or rust-colored water.

1. Turn off the water valve behind the toilet and flush to drain the tank.
2. Pour in white vinegar to cover any mineral line and let it sit an hour, then flush again.
3. Scrub the walls and floor of the tank with a long-handled brush and a mild, bleach-free cleaner.
4. Turn the water back on and let it refill.

Be gentle with the flapper, chain and fill valve. Check your toilet's manual before using tank tablets or any bleach product in the tank, because they can wear out the rubber parts.

What about a bidet or bidet seat?

Wipe the outside with a damp cloth and mild dish soap. For the nozzle, use the self-clean setting if it has one, then wipe it gently with a soft toothbrush. Don't spray water into the electrical parts of a bidet seat, and follow the manual for anything else.

Safety, briefly

Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners. If you've used vinegar in the bowl, flush twice before any bleach product goes in. Keep the fan on or a window open.

For the rest of the room, see 15 bathroom cleaning mistakes.

What a house cleaning covers

On Standard, Deep and Move-In / Move-Out cleaning, the toilet is cleaned inside, outside and at the base.

On Deep Cleaning, PureRenewal, the bathroom floor is also done at the edges and behind the toilet. Every item on the list is cleaned whether or not it looks like it needs it.

FAQ

What order should you clean a toilet in? Put bowl cleaner in first so it can soak. Then wipe the outside from the top down: tank, handle, lid, seat, hinges, outside of the bowl, base. Scrub the bowl last, flush, and finish with the floor around it.

How do I get rid of the ring in my toilet bowl? A hard water ring needs an acid. Pour a cup or two of white vinegar into the bowl, let it sit an hour, then scrub. For stubborn rings, a wet pumice stone rubbed gently on white vitreous china lifts it without scratching, as long as both stay wet.

How often should you clean a toilet? Clean the bowl, seat and outside once a week, and more often in a busy family bathroom. Clean inside the tank a couple of times a year.

Can I use bleach tablets in the toilet tank? Check your toilet's manual first. Bleach tablets left in the tank can wear out the rubber flapper and seals over time, which leads to running and leaks.

Does a house cleaning include the toilet? Yes. On Standard, Deep and Move-In / Move-Out cleaning, the toilet is cleaned inside, outside and at the base. On Deep Cleaning, the bathroom floor is also done at the edges and behind the toilet.

Book a cleaning

We clean homes across South Jersey and Central Jersey. Book online at tinascleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (609) 831-4455.