Easy spring clean how to! Make this Easy Natural Toilet Cleaner and spring cleaning tips for your bathroom! This post is sponsored by Kimberly-Clark and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. May contain commissioned links.
Easy Natural Toilet Cleaner | Bathroom Cleaning Tips
I have some rough news for you and your spring cleaning efforts today. You are NOT cleaning your bathroom toilets as well as you think that you are. There are in fact 6 other places around the bathroom toilet that you are missing. Yikes!
So today, I’m making sure that we disinfect every single one. Because toilets are in MOST definite need of a spring cleaning too. Make this Easy Natural Toilet Cleaner + grab these 6 Bathroom Toilet Cleaning Tips and get your spring clean game on!
1. Start with the Water Tank
So, do you know how often I open up the water tank of my toilet? Not often. But if you take a look at the depths….it’s a breeding ground for hard water stains, mold, mildew and bacteria. Eww. So whenever I start my toilet cleaning endeavors, I start with the water tank to help keep my toilet bowl cleaner between uses.
Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the tank. Allow to sit while you clean. Then flush 2-3 times to rinse out the tank. (You definitely do not want to leave vinegar in your tank for a long period of time. It will start eroding your metal components.)
2. Make this Easy Natural Toilet Cleaner
I highly dislike the smell of toilet cleaners. In fact, there are some to this day that still make me so nauseated, I have to leave the room. So going the more natural route for a toilet bowl cleaner is so much better for my sensitive nose.
Only a few ingredients will produce a powerful, natural and more pleasant smelling cleaner that disinfects too. Trust me when I say that you will definitely want that many drops of essential oil…because toilets are gross. (You can make this Easy Lavender Natural Toilet Cleaner too) Ready to make your own Easy Natural Toilet Cleaner?
Easy Natural Toilet Cleaner DIY
What you will need:
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 10-15 drops of lemon essential oil
- 10-15 drops of rosemary essential oil
- 1 cup of vinegar
Directions:
- In a glass bowl, mix together your baking soda and essential oils. Store in a tightly sealed mason jar until ready for use.
- When ready for cleaning, pour 2 TBSP of baking powder mixture into your toilet bowl.
- Give the bowl a good initial scrub with your toilet brush.
- Then add 1 cup of white vinegar. This will not only give you disinfecting power of the vinegar, but react with the baking soda for a great foaming action in your bowl. BONUS, right?
- Then go ahead and give that toilet bowl another deep down clean with the brush.
- Flush.
Boom, done. By the way, I’m pretty embarrassed to show you these before and after photos, but you can see how effective the natural toilet bowl cleaner is! I love the smell of the lemon and rosemary while doing the dirty job. Makes cleaning toilets much more bearable 🙂
3. Disinfect Your Brush
You use your toilet brush all the time to get the bowl. Bravo. But when was the last time that you cleaned the brush? Ahem – yeah. Me too. So while you’re bowl may look sparkly clean, you’re also spreading those germs from the last clean…and the clean before that…and the clean before that from your friend, Mr. Toilet Brush. Gross!
While there may be debate here, I do recommend on soaking the whole brush in vinegar first, overnight. For a deeper clean, I would go ahead and soak in bleach too. And if you haven’t changed out your brush in awhile (like once or twice a year), it may be time for that too.
4. Clean the WHOLE Toilet Surface
You’ve tackled the bowl, perhaps you even got the seat and under the seat. That’s great. But imagine if you will the moment when you flush the toilet. There’s particles of bacteria, water, and YUCK floating all over the bathroom. So making sure to clean the whole toilet, include every surface is super important.
There are only a few places where I will give up my reusable rag for a paper towel, and a toilet is definitely one of them. I use Viva® Vantage® Big Roll Paper Towels for the deep down toilet clean, because of the awesome scrubby texture. Great for scrubbing down the toilet area, I know that I am getting the dirty job done right.
5. Clean the Toilet Paper Holder
I don’t need to explain that flushing illustration again, right? So you can imagine how many germs are sitting on your toiler paper holder. Oh, and then add in how many times hands are grabbing for toilet paper. I know, new mental picture. Make sure to clean every inch of that toilet paper holder. Now is a great time to stock up on your favorite toilet paper too, like Cottonelle® Clean Care with its Clean Ripple Texture.
6. Clean the Toilet Bowl Handle…Again
Maybe it’s because of my history as a pediatric nurse, but I’m pretty clean obsessed when it comes to any handles and knobs. And the toilet handle is one of the most touched areas of your bathroom. So even if I think that I got all of the bathroom toilet flusher handle area, I go ahead and clean that sucker again right before I leave. Because….yep, it’s gross.
Go ahead and pat yourself on the back. Your deep spring clean of your bathroom toilet is complete. If you were already using all 6 of these steps in your bathroom toilet cleaning practices, I applaud you. Because honestly, it’s so easy forget step 1, or 3, or 6 or heck, all of them! So I hope these steps have help you on the way to toilet bowl cleaning success. I definitely feel much better after a deep toilet spring clean.
Make sure that you’re ready to tackle spring cleaning with the right tools, like the Kimberly-Clark Family Care Products at your local Walmart. I can grab all of my paper product essentials from Viva® Towels, Cottonelle®, and Scott® 1000 in one spot, at a price my budget-conscious family can appreciate.
Cleaning your toilets to the nth degree is super important, especially during Spring Cleaning season! Make this easy natural toilet cleaner, stock up on your Kimberly-Clark Family Care Products, and let’s clean those toilets the right way this spring!
What bathroom spring cleaning tip is most important to you?
Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more easy DIYs for your family, crafts, recipes and more.
Need more spring cleaning tips?
Joanne says
Do you add the essential oils when finished with cleaning? I don’t see anything about oils in directions just in ingredient list. I have heard Coke also is good for toilet stains. I need something that works!
Lola says
If you will go back & look at that ingredient list again you will see that along with the 1/2 cup of baking soda it list 10 to 15 drops of lemon oil & also Rosemary oil. Those are the essential oils. You mix those 3 ingredients together & keep them in a jar. You use 2 Tablespoons of this mixture in the bowl & scrub & then put on 1 cup of vinegar to let it react by foaming & let it sit for a bit before you flush.
Kelly Tomlinson says
Will this work on toilets stained from well water? I clean my dad’s house. His toilet and shower are very stained from the well water.
Robin says
If you have stubborn toilet bowl stains from hard water, a pumice stone will remove them!
Victoria says
Thank you will be doing this soon ,great ideas and I also started following you this morning for more great ideas and tips Happy New Year vicky
John says
My dad, a career Army Officer, raised my brother and me to always sit down on the commode in order to preclude splashing urine all over the place. The urinial or in the Woods was for standing up. The toilet was for siting. He didn’t want our mother or sisters to have to clean up after us. Us either.
If you have ever seen the dividing walls in a public men’s room you will see stains and rust on the walls from splashed urine. You can imagine the walls and outside of your toilet having these same splashes.
Gina says
Does this vinegar mixture have an adverse effect on a septic tank?
Theresa Pye says
I was also wondering about the effect of that large amount of vinegar on a septic tank.
D.A. says
One thing I noticed that is very important to note: Vinegar can be left in the bowl a long time but not the tank. Vinegar corrodes metal so time has to be limited. I don’t let it go over 10 minutes and then flush, making sure the elements in the tank are washed of vinegar with clean water. Happy cleaning!
Catspitt says
We like the smell of Peppermint and Eucalyptus in our bathroom where as our son prefers Blackberry or Rasberry.
The jury is still out on what the cats prefer when their box gets done.
Always nice to be able to please the all of the family members.
Sarah says
@catspitt how many drops of the peppermint and eucalyptus oils? thx :}
Tif says
I’ve got lemongrass oil what other oil can I use with lemongrass to make this mixture. I some advice on mixing oils.
JD Southern California says
Do I have to use essential oil for cleaning or is it just for fragrance. I do not drive anymore, I do not have it? Every two week my niece comes to help me with shopping so, I do not want her to have to make too many stops.
Laurie says
I have water that has very heavy iron and even with a water treatment system I always have some Iron. I have tried many many iron removal products and the very best I have found is Iron Out and remember to use it in the tank each time. FYI ONLY
Lisa says
Do you empty the bowl of water before you clean it or leave it full?
Esmay Landry says
A huge thank you for the natural cleaning products information. I have a skin problem that doesn’t allow me to use most store brought soaps, and all this information I will certainly use.
Thank you so much,
Shirley says
I always pour vinegar into my toilet tank but never thought about it corroding the things inside. I can see I need to do several flushes now as we have gone through too many tank kits over the past 5 years and couldn’t figure out why. I think this might be the answer. I also use the baking soda and vinegar to clean the bowl but I also have a pumice stone/stick to remove the hard ones that sneak in there at times. My daughter-in-law had never heard of a pumice stone before and when I purchased some and gave a few to her she was hooked!
Thanks for sharing the recipe as I never really gave much thought to adding essential oils but I’m sure it does make for a nicer smell.
Karen says
I’m excited to try this! I’m all about DIY safer cleaning products.
I highly recommend microfiber cloths instead of paper towels or even instead of sponges. Microfiber actually picks up bacteria just with water alone.
Thanks for sharing your methods and recipes 🙂
Donna Casey says
I forgot to mention using Tea Tree Oil as it and the lemon oil are powerful germ killers. Make sure to shake well before and during use.
Karen Daniels says
My plumber suggest pouring the vinegar into to the pvc pipe that’s in the tank on the right. Then when you flush it, it comes out the holes in the bowl around the ring of the toilet.
Victoria says
Bathrooms have a lot of stains and dirt due to the spillage of water from the shower head. Sometimes the water elements mix with the soaps you use hence form stains or germs. To clean all that you need the best and the safest cleaner. Natural bathroom cleaners will make a good choice since you will keep your shower very safe for your health.
dedg says
Are you paying high water bills? Maybe your bathroom is the cause due to the faucets or shower heads you are using. Taking too much time making a shower does not mean that you are wasting water, sometimes other factors are contributing to the loss in the shower. Learn about different water saving tips in your bathroom.
Suhana Morgan says
Here is a good explanation DIY to clean my bathroom. I have used small gadgets for cleaning my bathroom. I have used 1) baking soda
2)Vinegar
3)Lemon sap
melanie says
You can spray the vingar over the toilet and let sit about 10 minutes then put in baking soda with prefer essential oils