How to Properly Clean a Toilet

Gather Supplies and Prepare the Area

Start by removing everything from around your toilet—cleaning a toilet can be a messy job, and there's always the chance of splashing cleaner or water outside of the actual toilet. Prevent extra cleanup by removing all excess items from around the toilet and on the tank lid. Don't forget to remove anything on top of the tank to prevent dropping items into the bowl during cleaning.

Flush and Add Cleaning Solution

Put on rubber gloves before beginning any work. Flush the toilet with the lid down to prevent splashing or spraying. Add your choice of powdered, liquid, or gel cleanser into the toilet bowl, applying as close to the toilet rim as possible to prevent the cleanser from being diluted.

Clean the Exterior of the Toilet

After the cleansing solution soaks into the toilet grime in the bowl and you flush it away, clean the outside of the toilet with a bathroom cleaner that is strong enough to disinfect as well.

Start at the top to prevent dripping on already clean surfaces. Spray the tank, handle, and tank edges and wipe them all down. Next, do the outside lid of the toilet. Finally, wipe down the entire outside of the bowl. Start with the sides and front before cleaning the bottom edges of the toilet where it meets the floor.

Now is also a good time to quickly mop the floor around the toilet, which may also be dirty.

Clean the Toilet Seat

The toilet seat should never be neglected. After all, it's the part of the toilet that comes into actual contact with people, and it needs to be cleaned thoroughly. Raise the seat, spraying the seat, inside lid, and the rim of the toilet with bathroom cleaner. Wipe down the lid, seat, and hinges at the back of the toilet seat.

Some toilets have hinges that will pop open to allow better access for cleaning. Wipe the entire seat with a cloth moistened with clean water to remove any traces of bleach or chemicals from the sitting surface.

Clean the Inside of the Toilet Bowl

Begin cleaning the bowl from the top down. Always begin scrubbing under the rim first. Look under the rim to get all the stains and grime scrubbed away. Next, scrub the bowl with the toilet brush, including the drain hole opening at the bottom of the toilet bowl. Flush the toilet with the lid down.

If the toilet bowl has brown or reddish rust or mineral stains, you can clean the porcelain with baking soda or a commercial product, such as Lime-Away or Rust-Away. Some people suggest pouring a can of cola into the bowl, scrubbing and rinsing, then mixing vinegar into the toilet bowl water to dissolve any remaining stains. Either way, make sure you have flushed the toilet first before working on rust stains, as the rust-cleaning products may react with the chemicals in the general-purpose cleaner. Flush the bowl with the lid down after this scrubbing, as well.

Clean Up the Surrounding Area

To finish up, clean up any drips of cleanser or water that may have occurred, put away tools and trash, and replace any items you removed on or around the toilet.