Cleaning Tips for Toilets – Your 6 Step Checklist

Your toilet is one of the most important rooms in the house (and indeed the office). But it can also be one of the most disgusting, which is why we’ve put together these cleaning tips. Toilets can be a haven for germs if not disinfected regularly as they are a high touch, high traffic area. So the first thing you need to make sure you do with the toilet is ensure that you disinfect the bowl, the seat, the flush buttons and anywhere else you might touch in your toilet – light switches, toilet paper holders etc. This is literally our most important cleaning tip for toilets.

As such, we wanted to write this article to help you keep the toilet clean and disinfected. These cleaning tips for your toilet make it easier for you to keep the toilet clean, and keep it disinfected, so that you can ensure that one of the most touched surfaces in the house doesn’t become an avenue for sharing germs and viruses.

If you follow these steps, one after the other, your toilet will be cleaner and everyone in the house (or office) will be safer and happier. 

6 Step Checklist for Cleaning your Toilet

1. Clean and disinfect the inside of the toilet bowl

As we mentioned in the introduction, if not cleaned properly, toilets can be pretty disgusting. They can be a haven for bacteria and viruses if not disinfected regularly as they are a frequently touched, high traffic area. So the first step in our cleaning tips for toilets is to make sure you do with the toilet is ensure that you disinfect the bowl. You want to make sure it looks clean as well as being disinfected.

First off, we recommend that you squirt some bleach or hospital-grade disinfectant like Domestos into the toilet bowl and let it sit for an hour or so.

Letting it sit will allow it to work its magic and make it easier to clean. Next up, you need to scrub the inside of the toilet bowl with a toilet brush and then give it a flush. 

Pro Tip: While flushing, use the running water in the toilet to clean the toilet brush. You can then wedge the handle between the toilet bowl and the lid so that the brush can drip dry for an hour or so. Alternatively, tap it dry in the bowl and put it back into its holder.

 Pro Tip 2: Leave some Domestos in the brush holder to keep it disinfected. This is one of our favourite toilet cleaning tips!

2. Deal with odours as required

There are a number of reasons that your toilet could smell and it’s best that you deal with them quickly. As you are cleaning the floor around your toilet, check all of the seals and make sure that they are okay. If there are signs of cracks or wear and tear, this may be a sign that you should get a plumber in to look at replacing the seals. Your supermarket would also stock a range of “odour killers.” These odour killers can kill bacteria in the water that may be causing some of your odour problems.

3. Check and replace toilet paper as required

Of course, if you run out of toilet paper you should just replace it. But it’s also a good idea to have a few spare rolls in the toilet in case they are needed. Make sure the toilet paper is topped up when you do your regular clean. It’s not so much a cleaning tip for your toilet but people will certainly be annoyed if they “go” and suddenly realise there’s no toilet paper there. There are a number of suppliers online now that can deliver toilet paper to your home. That way you don’t have to worry about adding toilet paper to your supermarket purchases and you know that you will never run out.

4. Pick up any rubbish off the floor

Some people are lazier than others. Have you got that lazy person in your house who never takes the old toilet paper roll to the bin? They just throw it on the ground and make it someone else’s problem? If so, it’s probably time to put a little wastebasket in the toilet so at least they’ll drop them in there, making it easier to clean up the mess next time you are cleaning the toilet. Maybe they’ll make a “basketball” game of it. 

5. Clean shelves and wipe surfaces

Walls and other surfaces in your toilet can also be havens for bacteria and viruses. So, it’s important that they are also cleaned with a strong disinfectant regularly. You (and your family) are constantly touching surfaces in the toilet and there can be vapours flung into the air every time the toilet is flushed. If there is anything on a shelf, you need to pick it up and clean and disinfect underneath it as well. Yes you need to move the pile of books or magazines.

If there is a stain or mess on the wall, make sure you scrub and spot clean any stains before disinfecting the wall. Don’t forget the light switch and flush buttons on the toilet. After the toilet seat, these are the most touched areas in the bathroom – so most in need of disinfecting. It’s a pretty simple process. Just spray your chosen disinfectant onto surfaces, leave for a few minutes, then wipe clean with a damp cloth. Make sure you read the instructions on the packet to ensure that it is suitable for the surfaces in your toilet.

6. Vacuum and mop floors

The final step is to vacuum and mop the floor. Vacuum first to clean up any dust and loos particle like hair. You should take off the vacuum head to get the nozzle into those hard to reach corners around your toilet. Make sure you do this to clean up any excess hair and dust.

Once you have vacuumed, mop the floor with a high grade disinfectant. Make sure you mix the disinfectant in water at the right concentration. Another tip is to make sure you keep the area as well ventilated as possible in order to avoid being potentially overwhelmed by fumes.

If you follow these 6 cleaning tips for your toilet you can be confident that it is cleaned properly. If this has shown you the importance of cleaning but you realise that “cleaning” is not for you, our team can help you with all your cleaning needs – including making sure your toilets are cleaned and properly sanitised. If you want help with cleaning, or if you want to have a chat and get a no obligation quote, then please reach out today.

Check out our blog for more cleaning tips.