Scrub A Dub-Dub: The Truth in How to Clean a Toilet
Cleaning the toilet. It’s something that must be done...but is rarely the chore that anyone raises their hand to complete.
Still, the toilet can cause health, well-being, and aesthetic problems when not properly cleaned. And, if it’s not done effectively, you’re putting yourself and your family at risk.
Today, we’re breaking down how to scrub the toilet to remove both the visible and the not so visible dirt and other particles (you know what I mean).
When Clean Club Calgary goes into a home, there are seven typical areas of the toilet that must be cleaned. That’s right, SEVEN!
Toilet bowl
Seat Cover
Flush handle/buttons
Tank
Walls around the toilet
Toilet lid
Floor and baseboards and a possible carpet or area rug
And here you thought it was just cleaning the toilet!
So, how do we clean these well-used seats in every single home?
Well, it’s not pretty, but it starts by getting down on our knees for the best elbow grease power. Then, we tackle the toilet section by section.
THE TOILET BOWL
Every single inch of the bowl should be scrubbed...unfortunately many homes ignore this and do a quick swish of the toilet brush. But, because water and urine flow down the sides, when dried, it sticks and leaves behind germs.
THE TOILET SEAT
The seat itself does not have one or even two sides. It has four! Of course, it’s important to clean the top of the seat, but the bottom is often much dirtier due to sewage backsplash...that’s dried! It’s a serious hotspot for collecting germs and, if not regularly cleaned, these particles enter the air you breathe. Who wants that?
THE FLUSH HANDLE/BUTTONS
Yes - even the handle needs to be cleaned as everyone touches it, often with unwashed hands. The toothbrush comes in handy to get right into the tiny cracks of the handle. Here, Clean Club Calgary members also disinfect the handle over and above cleaning it because of the amount people who touch it.
THE WATER TANK
This is often hidden, so it makes sense to miss cleaning it. However, it doesn’t hurt to toss in a chlorine tablet from time to time to keep the tank clean and disinfected. If the tank is exposed, dust - especially toilet paper dust - will fall in. We also make sure that we always clean the top of the tank, along with the sides to remove any dust or backsplash that may have gotten away from you during your “private time.”
THE WALLS AROUND THE TOILET
I don’t want to scare you, but have you ever looked at the walls behind your toilet? They are dirty with both toilet water and urine. While you may have cleaned the toilet, if you’re not wiping down the walls around it, you’re leaving urine and fecal particles behind for you and your family to breathe in. Make sure you wipe down the walls!
THE TOILET LID
The lid itself must also be cleaned and disinfected (top and bottom) to ensure a true cleaning of the toilet.
THE FLOOR, BASEBOARDS, and CARPET
Much like the walls, the floors, baseboards and toilet area carpet (if you have one), must be cleaned. Plain and simple - gravity takes over when we use the washroom, causing splashing and overflow. Cleaning these are MANDATORY (I mean...many of us use the bathroom without socks or slippers...just think about what you’re stepping on for a moment). When Clean Club Calgary cleans, we vacuum and then handwash around the toilet to get the best results and sparkle.
Now that you know WHAT needs to be cleaned, let’s chat about the HOW.
YOUR TOILET CLEANING TOOLS
Gather all your tools ahead of time
Toilet brush.
Bucket of clean, hot water.
Cleaning product. Dish soap with a splash of bleach in water will do the trick.
Toothbrush (not the one you use on your teeth!!! A separate toothbrush solely for scrubbing nooks and crannies. Make sure you keep it separate from your actual toothbrush. No one wants to mix these up).
Two cloths - one damp and one dry.
CLEAN YOUR TOILET IN 10 STEPS
Fill the bucket with clean, hot water, and then add your cleaning product. We use dish soap and bleach as this cleans AND disinfects.
Use the damp cloth to wipe down the toilet lid first, followed by the dry cloth. If there are any tough to remove stains, use the toothbrush to scrub them off. To use the toothbrush, dip it in your hot bucket water first to ensure there is disinfectant on it. When finished, run hot water on the toothbrush before putting it away for next time.
Add your cleaning product directly to the toilet bowl and scrub with a good toilet brush. Then flush. Note - if you are a fan of bleach in your toilet do not mix it with the toilet bowl cleaner! This produces toxic fumes and is extremely harmful to breathe.
Using the toilet brush, scrub under the rim of the toilet bowl. This is often overlooked, however, it is prone to black mould as urine/fecal splatter deposits here. If you have kids, they may put their tiny fingers here to hold onto while going and you do not want them touching this.
Take your damp cloth and wipe down the toilet tank, along with the handle/buttons, followed quickly with your dry cloth to add some shine.
Next up, the toilet seat itself! Start on the underside, at the back where the seat attaches to the bowl. Wipe down the whole seat; remember all four sides. Then follow up with your dry cloth. Again, if there are any super tough stains, use that toothbrush to scrub them off.
Now, wash the outside of the toilet with the damp cloth, paying close attention to where the bottom of the bowl meets the floor. This is often where “drippings” collect. If needed, use your toothbrush here too.
Wipe the back of the toilet and then behind it. This is where the water pipe connects to the wall and is notorious for catching lint and dust from toilet paper.
Wipe down the walls and baseboards, removing those unsightly stains that have splashed onto them.
Finally, clean the floor. I recommend doing this by hand rather than a mop to make sure your elbow grease removes any stains on the floor.
TIPS TO REMEMBER FOR A COMPLETE TOILET CLEAN
It takes ~10-15-minutes to do a proper cleaning/disinfecting of the toilet alone. This is not a quick two-minute job. If it is, well...you’re fostering more grime, more urine, and more fecal particles that impact the quality of the air not just in your bathroom but throughout your entire home.
Clean the toilet last so as not to spread the germs around your home.
Always disinfect the toilet paper holder.
Clean and disinfect the toilet brush and holder as well.
Replace the toothbrush every so often, just as you do the toilet brush.
Do not use the rags and sponges you use to clean the toilet anywhere else. If you do not want to throw them out, wash them with detergent at a high temperature. Even if you do this, still only use them to clean the toilet.
Not the quick swish you may have thought, but an in-depth technique to ensure your home’s “throne” is truly clean, keeping you and your family’s health intact.
Of course, even with all this information on how to properly clean your toilet, you may still not want to rush and tackle this chore. That’s exactly what Clean Club Calgary is here for - scrubbing toilets to keep you healthy and your home all sparkly.
To forget about cleaning the toilet, simply book Clean Club Calgary for this truly gross chore and we’ll do the dirty work for you.
Don’t worry - we’ve got the stomach for it!