Pour white vinegar into the bowl to cover the stained areas. Let the vinegar soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Scrub the stained areas with a toilet brush. If the stains persist, sprinkle baking soda on the remaining stains and let it sit for up to 10 minutes, then scrub again with the toilet brush.
We recommend using a mixture of ¼ cup of vinegar for every 1 cup of water. This ensures your toilet tank is being disinfected without causing damage, which the use of bleach or chemical cleaners can do.
Professional cleaners often use the same household supplies as you would: toilet-bowl cleaner (or bleach), disinfectant wipes, rubber gloves, as well as a nonscratch scrub sponge, a microfiber cloth, or paper towels. A handheld scrub brush or a pumice stone can get to especially tough stains.
They either dump the entire bottle directly into the toilet tank, or cut a hole at the bottom of the bottle and place it inside the tank. The idea is that whenever they flush, the toilet bowl itself will fill up with the sweet smell of Fabuloso, negating any unsavory scents that might otherwise be lingering.
Our favorite, editor-approved toilet bowl cleaner is the Lysol Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner. It's an easy-to-find cleaner that works great on tough stains, has a clean scent, and lasts for a long time.
For example, applying white vinegar or lemon juice and scrubbing with a toilet brush typically works on newer stains. You can also try mixing white vinegar and baking soda if you need a stronger scrub. For older stains, using an industrial-strength cleaner like CLR should do the trick.
Add a cup of white distilled vinegar to the tank once a month. Leave it to sit overnight and then flush it in the morning. Check for sediment buildup and staining every month or so. This may be especially important if you have hard water or if you have a toilet that doesn't get used very much.
White vinegar is the perfect cleaning agent if the toilet rim has mineral deposits. Since vinegar is an acidic product, it dissolves the buildup (and even takes care of any bacteria problems to a degree), leaving your toilet as good as new.
These tablets may seem like simple solutions, but they are often more trouble — and damage-causing — than they are worth. If you use drop-in toilet cleaner tablets, we recommend you change to a different method for keeping your toilet bowl clean.
Simply drop a ball into the toilet bowl and let its powerful formula work like magic.
To get rid of these stains, pour roughly three cups of distilled vinegar directly into the bowl and let the vinegar do the work. Using a toilet brush, dip it into the water and scrub around the inner edges of the bowl. Be sure to get underneath the rim of the bowl where buildup is particularly prone to occur.
The 'fizzing' reaction of the baking soda combined with vinegar can also play a part. That fizzing may help to break down the clog into smaller particles, making them easier to flush!
It is widely claimed that adding aluminum foil to a toilet tank helps to achieve a clean and shiny toilet, but critics challenge these claims due to a lack of scientific evidence.
Citric acid
Simply pour a kettle of almost boiling water into the bowl, follow up with 250ml of citric acid, and leave it for some hours – preferably overnight.
Who knew that dishwasher tablets could help keep your toilet sparkling clean? Just drop a dishwasher tablet in toilet bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, use a toilet brush to scrub the bowl and flush it. The tablet will help to break down any stains or buildup in the bowl, leaving it fresh and clean.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking soda is also a mild abrasive, so it will remove stains and grime from your toilet bowl. To clean your toilet, use one cup of baking soda with two cups of white vinegar. Brush it into the bowl, let it sit for five minutes, then flush again with the water on full force.
Pour white vinegar into the bowl to cover the stained areas. Let the vinegar soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Scrub the stained areas with a toilet brush. If the stains persist, sprinkle baking soda on the remaining stains and let it sit for up to 10 minutes, then scrub again with the toilet brush.
Hydrogen Peroxide: A Super Toilet Cleaning Hero
Hydrogen Peroxide is a DIY toilet bowl cleaner. Pour 1/2 cup of this disinfecting superhero right into the toilet. For additional power, pour in one cup of baking soda. Let the combo sit for at least 15 minutes, then scrub with a toilet brush.
Drop a Magic Eraser corner straight into the toilet bowl. Before washing the toilet ring, let the Magic Eraser soak in the water for a few minutes. Once the stain is gone, swirl the Magic Eraser around the toilet bowl. To have the cleaning residue washed away, flush the toilet.
Vera Peterson, president of Molly Maid, recommends starting with vinegar to soak the tank. “First, remove the lid and take a peek inside,” she told Martha Stewart Living. “If you see any mineral buildup or crud, pour four cups of vinegar into the tank. Allow this to soak for up to an hour.”
According to EPA, the illegal Fabuloso products contain an active ingredient, glutaraldehyde, that is not authorized in the U.S. as a household disinfectant, because of potential health risks, including throat and lung irritation, asthma and difficulty breathing, dermatitis, nasal irritation, sneezing, wheezing, ...