I really hesitated to do a post about this...because to be honest...the hubster does most of the toilet bowl cleaning around here. But when you think about it...since I am currently the only "girl" in the house...living with 3 menfolk...I think it's only appropriate. :-) Cuz we all know boys make the toilet area of the bathroom much messier than the girls.
So, at the risk of being hypocritical...and since I have had several people request a Toilet Bowl Cleaner alternative to the store-bought nonsense....here is what I found to be effective.
Baking Soda and Vinegar.
That's it.
End of post.
Not really.
While that IS all there is to it...I think when cleaning the loo, the METHOD is just as important as the ingredients. I've always thought it was counter-productive to pour toilet bowl cleaner into toilet water and then brush it around. Doesn't that just dilute the cleaning solution? Not to mention that the BOTTOM of the toilet bowl probably barely even gets TOUCHED by any cleaning solution at all.
So it makes more sense to me to remove the toilet water FIRST, then scrub the bowl. Of course who wants to be scooping TOILET WATER out of the toilet?? Not me!! No thank you! Well, luckily there is no need for that.
Here is a simple way to remove the water in the toilet bowl (without having to touch it), and give it a GOOD CLEANING.
Here is what you're going to need:
1 cup baking soda (cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours)
1 cup white vinegar (cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up)
spray bottle (optional)
toilet brush
Step 1: Turn the shutoff valve found under the toilet clockwise until it will no longer turn. The toilet's water now is shut off.
Step 2: Flush the toilet and continue to flush, until the bowl no longer fills.
Step 3: Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda all around the inside of the bowl, then either SPRAY or POUR white distilled vinegar into the toilet. (There will be some bubbling reaction which is perfectly safe!) I prefer to SPRAY the vinegar, because then I can spray up under the rim. I like to use one of those heavy duty spray bottles sold near the cleaning supplies at the grocery store. They provide a strong spray stream.
Step 4: When the bubbling has subsided, scrub the toilet with a toilet brush. Leave the vinegar and baking soda in the toilet for a few hours or even overnight.
Step 5: Scrub the the toilet one more time. Turn the shutoff valve back on, and flush the toilet.
You have just cleaned your toilet bowl for PENNIES and without ANY chemicals.
I have also found that for tough STAINS...THE very best solution is a PUMICE STONE. Seriously, if you don't have one, you need to get one.
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If you are looking for a good ALL PURPOSE SPRAY for the outside of the toilet...I found this one on AmyBayliss.com that I'm definitely going to make up. Sounds like a good one.Ingredients (one bottle):
1 tsp Borax
1 tsp of washing soda
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 cups hot water
25-30 drops of essential oil (Tea Tree, Grapefruit, or Eucalyptus would be good.)
24 oz spray bottle
Mix the castile soap, Borax, washing soda, and vinegar in a large bowl or measuring cup. Slowly add the water and stir. Allow it to cool and then add some essential oils. Using a funnel pour it into the spray bottle.
Now you are ARMED AND READY to attack that most dreaded household chore.
The toilet.
But be honest.....aren't you glad you HAVE ONE to clean? ;-)
How to CLEAN THE CAN without chemicals and without spending a small fortune is today's.....
Thanks, Jill. I use the soda and vinegar mixture to clean my kitchen sink since we have one of those bio septic systems that hates bleach. Will try it on the crusty toilet here in our empty apartment in The Netherlands. Keep your fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteThis is great Jillee! I never thought to empty the toilet water before scrubbing it down - makes total sense! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteAn easier way to empty the toilet is to take about a half gallon of water and dump it into the toilet. The additional water will cause the toilet to empty, but NOT refill! When you're all done, just flush. :)
ReplyDeleteThe all purpose cleaner calls for castile AND vinegar, and I thought it was already discussed that the two don't work together?
ReplyDeleteJoanna...I did NOT know that. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteUnknown...good catch on the castile AND vinegar. Hadn't occurred to me. I updated the post and included a link explaining why the two don't necessarily MIX well. Interesting.
Let me share what I did this weekend. Being the daughter of a plumber and the owner of a plumbing company , I hate to have a toilet stained....and my toilet was, the urine salts from probably not flushing (thanks kids) stain the inside of the bowl and I hate it.
ReplyDeleteI was fed up on friday night so what I did was I turned the water supply off to the toilet, flushed the toilet once ( I have a power flush toilet with a black tank that is full of air, so only one flush will do) then I scooped the rest of the toilet water out so it was as empty as I could get it. I had two very bad spots....and then some minor spots...so I took one of my jugs of white vinegar and poured the entire thing in the toilet, and then I went to bed.........the next morning, I turned the water supply back on, flushed the toilet and all was gone.............the only labor involved was scooping out the rest of the toilet water.....white vinegar is a miracle worker!
Hi, Jillee! I absolutely LOVE your blog! I love cleaning. A lot. Love reading about cleaning. Love showing people cleaning tips. Love it. :) I've made my own natural non-toxic cleaning products for years and thought I would offer a bit of advice. Baking soda and vinegar is great to clean with-- for certain things. Cleaning sink drains: 1 c. baking soda down drain, followed by 1 c. vinegar, plug drain for 10 min., flush with kettle of boiling water...great. Scrubbing sink/tub/toilet w/ baking soda and following w/ a vinegar rinse to dissolve baking soda...great. However, once you mix baking soda and vinegar it causes a chemical reaction that leaves you with carbonic acid, which is unstable and immediately falls apart into water and carbon dioxide. So...leaving the mixture in the toilet for some length of time won't make the cleaner work better because you leave it on longer. (You're basically letting water sit in the bowl, which isn't really doing any cleaning.) Also, w/ all-purpose cleaners...mixing baking soda/vinegar in a spray bottle (even w/ other ingredients) basically negates the effectiveness of each substance so, again, you're just creating water/carbon dioxide. ;) Just FYI, in case you didn't know.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite all-purpose cleaner recipe is as follows: To a clean, empty spray bottle add: 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. borax, and 2 c. HOT water. Shake until powders are dissolved. Then add 1/2 tsp. castile soap (isn't that stuff wonderful???) and a few drops of essential oil (if desired). Give 'er a shake and spray on practically any surface (including carpet stains-- spot test first!) and wipe. I use this on everything! The baking soda is deodorizing, borax is mildly antiseptic, and castile soap is just a good all-around cleaner for most surfaces. You can also use washing soda (which is slightly stronger than baking soda) in place of baking soda but I don't like to as it has the potential to slightly bleach out some surfaces.
Hope this tip helps!Thanks for such a wonderful blog! You're amazing!
Wonderful idea! We have a septic tank and I live in fear of it backing up one day. I have used baking soda and vinegar in the drains before but never thought of using it for the toilet. I looked at your link for the castile soap, too, and ended up wandering around on her site, so now I think I need to find some Sal Suds. It looks like a great all purpose cleaner.
ReplyDeleteHey Jill, love your blog! Thank you so much for all you do for us!
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that I should not mix Dawn and vinegar for our soap scum shower cleaner? Or is Dawn a "detergent" and is that different from "soap"? Please do a post explaining!!!
I am going to give this a try, thanks so much! I also wanted to tell you that the pumice stone works GREAT at cleaning out the stubborn spots in our toilets. I use it every few months to take out some of the more stubborn stains and it works every time!
ReplyDeletePumice stones can take the finish off your toilet bowls and make it easier for stains to adhere to next time. You have to be very, very careful and use something gooey like dish soap with it and scrub gently to protect the porcelain finish of the bowl. Bleach can also eat away at the finish.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I noticed the whiteness happening when I made the homemade clorox wipes, but didn't realize what was happening. Should I be using something else for the "soap" part for that recipe too? I love using them, but if their not cleaning as effectively as they should, I would like to try something else.
ReplyDeletevery important!!! You do NOT HAVE TO TURN OFF THE SHUT OFF VALVE TO EMPTY THE TOILET BOWL...
ReplyDeleteyou can just SHOVE the water back down into the hole...it really works...I was a skeptic, and now I am a BELIEVER!!
JUst use a brush like this one(any brand)http://www.cleanreport.com/p1177-Johnny-Mop-Toilet-Bowl-Swab.html
You don't have to shut off the supply. You can dump a bucket of water into the bowl and the toilet will flush itself and not refill.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love using pumice stones!!! I use them on our toilets, and (a different stone)on the nasty black stuff on the bottom of the oven. Works great!
ReplyDeleteFor a dry scrub cleaner I use a mix of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part borax and mix it in a cheese shaker. Use it for scrubbing toilets or kitchen sinks and etc.
ReplyDeleteI do an all-purpose cleaner too. In a quart spray bottle add 1/4 c. vinegar and a few drops of dish washing liquid. I like to add a few drops of lavender essential oil to it. Fill with water and use to clean anything.
Love your blog.
Jody
I also just push the water out of the bowl to clean while empty. Just use a a rag type plunger and plunge...the water goes down and you can clean, saves water too! Love all of your ideas!
ReplyDeleteis there an "all purpose spray" that can be used on wood, granite, everything?
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your blog! Reading your posts make me WANT to clean! I found a neat website that lists a bunch of other uses for vinegar I never thought about.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html#5
I felt like a genius when I finally thought to use a pumice stone on stubborn toilet stains that NO toilet cleaner could remove. Glad I'm not the only one that uses one. :)
ReplyDelete