Each square inch of a toilet seat has over 1200 germs on it, but do you know stains and buildup on toilet seats are the classic signs of excessive bacteria and germs on your toilet? While quick cleanings might make your toilet look tidy, they often leave behind hidden bacteria. That’s why we’ve gathered practical toilet cleaning hacks to remove stains and eliminate germs, giving you a fresh and clean toilet.
Identifying What Spoils Your Toilet
The bathroom is a tricky and challenging place to clean. The whole thing can become even more difficult when you have to clean the white walls in your toilet. But what really spoils your toilet and bathroom so much and so quickly?
- Brown or Rusty-Colored Stains: The iron content present in the water forms iron oxide by coming into contact with the air, which leaves a brown or rusty-colored residue on the toilet seat.
- Black Stains: Mold and mildew thrive in moist environments and are the ones to blame for the black stains on your toilet surface. Apart from mold and mildew, minerals like manganese, if sitting for too long in the toilet bowl, can also cause black stains.
- Limescale Deposits: If the water you use in the toilet has too much calcium carbonate in it, it can cause hard and crusty deposits on your toilet in areas that are constantly in contact with water. These deposits can get thicker over time and can be very challenging to clean as they stick to the surface very strongly.
- Old Corroded Plumbing: The old metal plumbing inside your house can corrode over time lead to residues on the toilet seat and cause black stains. It happens due to the mineral and organic matter present in the water.
- Hard Water Stains: If you use hard water in the bathroom, then there is a good chance that minerals like calcium, magnesium, calcium chloride, magnesium carbonate, etc. may deposit residues on the toilet, which may appear chalky gray or white. These hard water stains are most noticeable at the upper rim of the bowl and at the areas under the water line.
Cleaning Your Toilet Like A Pro
Mineral deposits and organic matter present in the stains will form a food and breeding ground for the bacteria and germs. Thus, proper cleaning of your toilet becomes quite vital. To make sure that you don’t leave behind any stains or bacteria after cleaning, you must have the following essential cleaning supplies with you.
- Regular Toilet Brush
- Scrubbing Brush
- Stiffer Bristles
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Borax
- Hydrogen Peroxide
Once you’ve gathered your supplies, you can pick one of the following hacks to get rid of those stubborn stains on your toilet.
Vinegar And Baking Soda
Vinegar and baking soda are cleaning superheroes. They can clean different kinds of surfaces and stains. To clean the toilet seat and lid using vinegar and baking soda, pour two cups of vinegar directly on the stains, scrub it a little, and leave it for an hour. After an hour, sprinkle a cup of baking soda on the stain, pour another cup of vinegar on the soda, leave it for 15 minutes, and then scrub the stain and flush the toilet.
White Vinegar
White vinegar a.k.a. distilled vinegar has a pH value of approx. 2.5, which makes it super acidic and perfectly capable of dissolving the mineral scales. Therefore, you can use white vinegar to clean around the toilet and bowl. Pour 2-3 cups of vinegar directly on the stains or apply a few thin layers of toilet paper soaked in vinegar on the stain. Let it sit for about 2-3 hours, then scrub the toilet and flush; you’ll have a super shiny, stain-free toilet. You can also use this method to clean the toilet tank and get rid of the scales inside.
Vinegar And Borax
When you mix ¼ cup of borax powder with one cup of vinegar and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes, you get a super toilet cleaner that can prevent any kind of stains from your toilet, including hard water mineral deposits. Sprinkle ¼ cup borax powder on stains and pour 1 cup vinegar on it. Leave the surface for about 20 minutes, and then scrub and flush to say goodbye to the dirty toilet. You can also make a paste by mixing borax powder with a few drops of vinegar and applying it to the stains to get rid of those toilet stains.
Baking Soda And Hydrogen Peroxide
The combination of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide act as a cleaning cum disinfecting agent. You can pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide on toilet stains and sprinkle a cup of baking soda on it. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes, and then scrub and flush the toilet, and you’re done. You may bend over backward while cleaning your house from top to bottom, but if you ignore your toilet while doing so, you’re not doing it right. Luckily, the above mentioned toilet cleaning hacks will help you get done with the task without breaking a sweat and have a stain-free toilet.