How to clean your toilets in 3 minutes

Over the course of their lifetime, the average human will spend around 3 years sat on the toilet. That’s quite a long a time when you think about it, and it’s as unavoidable as taxes! With the amount of use we get out of them, they deserve a little bit of TLC every now and again, as demanding as that can be. Well, have no fear because we have created a fast-track guide to getting your toilets sparkly clean in only 3 minutes. Got your timer ready?

Equipment

For your commando toilet cleaning mission, you will need the following equipment:

• A homemade vinegar spray (find the recipe here)
• A toilet brush
• A pair of rubber gloves
• Clean rags
• Tea tree essential oil

The exterior (1 min)

When cleaning our toilets, we have a tendency to forget the outside of the bowl, as our attention is drawn to the inside. Whilst the interior of the toilet does take most of the action, upon closer inspection you’ll find that limescale and dirt will also have built up on the outside, especially if it hasn’t been wiped down for some time. With that in mind your first mission is going to be getting that exterior looking spick and span! To get started you’re going to want to grab your white vinegar spray and, starting from the top, spray your way methodically down to the bottom. The diagram below will highlight the most important elements:

Once your toilet has been completely covered you can start, from the top once again, wiping down all the areas you sprayed. You’ll notice that with the help of the white vinegar all the built-up dirt comes off effortlessly. Piece of cake! Believe it or not, that’s done with step one!

The bowl (1 min)

The toilet bowl requires regular maintenance to avoid dirt buildup and limescale: Do not wait until the damage is done before dealing with it! After all, prevention is better than cure!

You should be aiming to clean your toilet bowl 2-3 times a week. Trust us, a minute a few times a week is a lot better than an hour once every few months. You can use either bleach or white vinegar to help you remove all the impurities that lie within. Give it a good spray and get scrubbing! Once you’re done, the best practice is to give the toilet a flush to get rid of all the dirt you dislodged. Make this a regular occurrence in your household and you’ll be blessed with clean toilets for life.

Did you know? According to RTC, the Swiss are amongst the biggest consumers of toilet paper in the world, with each individual using around 20 kg of toilet paper per year! So, what does that have to do with toilet maintenance, we hear you ask. Simply to say that over time, using excessive quantities of toilet roll can damage your plumbing!

And on that note, if you do start to realise that your plumbing isn’t flowing quite like it used to, no need to sit back and wait for it to fail, take action!

To combat potential blockages, mix white vinegar with hot water in a bucket and then pour it into your toilet. Let it sit like this for a couple hours and then flush it, your pipes should be in working order! Surprisingly enough, you can actually carry out this process to the same effect by pouring in a couple bottles of Coca-Cola instead of the solution mentioned above. If you’ve got some sitting around the house next time you clean it could be worth giving it a go.

In the event the bowl has built up some thick limescale that is resistant to the initial wash, we recommend using a coffee machine descaler. Bear with us on this one because it actually produces some pretty astonishing results when used correctly. Line the bowl with toilet paper and cover it with the product. Let it sit for a couple hours, flush, and bask in the new-found glow!

The floor (1 min)

All that’s left to do is to clean the floor around your toilet. First sweep the area, then wipe it down with a cloth that has been soaked in a mixture of water and white vinegar. If you have some time to spare, you can polish your bathroom door handle with a little tea tree oil to give your bathroom a fresh smell.

Top tip: If after all of this cleaning your bathroom smells like vinegar, an age-old tactic that never fails is to light a match. The sulfur that is produced will chase out the undesired odours.

Did you know? According to several studies, pomegranate and cloves are considered to have been the very first "air fresheners" for toilets. So, don't hesitate to use them to spice up your bathroom.

Done! Quick, efficient, and by repeating it once or twice a week you will be sure to have squeaky clean toilets all year round. If you have any other tips for cleaning your toilets, don't hesitate to share them with us!