Vinegar and baking soda produce that oh-so-familiar chemical reaction that powers through buildup and loosens tough stains. While it might seem like it's chewing its way through grime, it's not powerful enough to damage the porcelain finish of the toilet bowl.
Vinegar is safe and milder than caustic cleaners designed for the toilet, and those commercial cleaning agents can eat away the good bacteria in your septic system. To safely and inexpensively clean your toilet bowls, pour a generous glug of vinegar, followed by a heavy sprinkling of baking soda, into the bowl.
Vinegar will not damage your toilet in any way if it's left in your toilet overnight. In some cases, leaving the vinegar in your toilet overnight is recommended to get the best cleaning results. No matter what material your toilet is made from, the vinegar will not damage your toilet.
Avoid Abrasive Cleaning Compounds
It may be tempting to use bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and the like, but it's best to avoid these cleaning agents as much as possible. It's not likely that the chemical compounds above will crack your porcelain toilet, but they can damage the finish of the porcelain.
While the bowl's wet, sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda into the toilet bowl. Concentrating it on stain rings is great, but focus on getting it all over. You should see the reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda; this reaction helps to mitigate buildup without damaging the porcelain.
Things to Avoid
Stay away from products with bleach or ammonia because they can change the tile or grout coloring. If you need to scrub your floors, make sure not to use any brushes with hard bristles since they can scratch the porcelain surface.
"The biggest don't when it comes to toilet tanks is bleach—do not use bleach or products containing bleach inside the tank, as it can corrode the internal parts of your toilet. If you are aiming to remove tough stains from the tank, I also recommend white vinegar diluted with water."
Spray some white vinegar inside the toilet bowl and let it sit for a few minutes. I usually let it work for at least 10 minutes. You can also let it sit for several hours or even overnight. You can even just pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl's water and let it sit.
Cleaning your toilet bowl with vinegar is quick and easy
Get Green Be Well warns about choosing the right type of vinegar for the job — always use white vinegar. Though apple cider vinegar cleans just as effectively, its brown coloring can stain the porcelain.
In this case, a basic toilet cleaning product may not be enough, and you will need to use undiluted bleach. As a one-stop cleaning solution, pour one cup of bleach around the bowl. Then tackle every inch with a toilet brush or a handheld scrub brush. Let it sit for five minutes, then flush.
You only need to do it once or twice a year, and it can help get rid of bacteria, mold, and mineral deposits to keep you and your family healthy. We'll walk you through a few different methods to clean the tank so your toilet will be sparkling clean and germ-free in no time.
Cons of cleaning bathroom with vinegar
Additionally, vinegar can be acidic and cause damage to the tiles over time if used frequently.
Pour a cup of vinegar into the bowl, then mix it around with a toilet brush. Add a cup of baking soda to the coated areas and immediately follow up by adding another cup of vinegar. Wait about 10 minutes to allow the baking soda and vinegar to interact, creating that effective fizzing action.
What I recommend, that works well is distilled white vinegar. As far as your toilet to keep it clean inside the bowl. Use 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and poor inside your toilet tank, also pour half of that cup in to the overflow, which is the small, round pipe that stands up in the middle of the tank .
What does white vinegar do to limescale? Without getting too sciencey, vinegar is great for removing limescale from a toilet because it's acidic. The acid in vinegar breaks down the calcium carbonate that makes up limescale, as well as killing bacteria in the process.
The most commonly recommended natural and non-toxic way to clean a toilet is with vinegar and baking soda. Simply poor two cups of vinegar into a toilet bowl, and pour one cup of baking soda. When the solution stops fizzing, spread it over the bowl with a toilet cleaner brush. Leave for 10-15 minutes and rinse.
To maintain your sparkling toilet, it is recommended that you regularly do a white vinegar wash – once a week should be enough. You can do this by adding 4 cups of white vinegar to the toilet bowl and then letting it sit overnight before flushing it in the morning.
Benefits of Using Downy in Toilet Tank
Eliminates unpleasant odors: One of the main benefits of putting Downy in the toilet tank is its ability to eliminate unwanted odors. The fabric softener's fragrance is released with every flush, leaving a refreshing scent in the air.
Do not use cleaning products that contain acids or ammonia (and other harsh chemicals) as these can damage grout and glazed surfaces of the tile. Choose products that are compatible with your grout to avoid damage or discoloration of the grout. Always dry your porcelain thoroughly after cleaning.
For regular cleaning, just sweep away debris, wipe with clean water, and thoroughly dry. For deep cleaning, use a pH-neutral or mildly alkaline detergent. Use a nylon or plastic scrubber, if needed.
For anyone wondering how to make porcelain tiles shine weekly, there are two types of cleaning that you should always perform. The first is week-to-week cleaning which consists of sweeping and vacuuming to remove any dirt or debris. The next way to clean is with a vinegar-water solution and should be completed monthly.