It isn’t a pleasant task, but every toilet in your home works hard, and it needs some care and attention from time to time. This is an ongoing process; a cleaner toilet will contain less harmful bacteria, and if you carry out some simple maintenance you can solve minor issues without formal training. If you discover a more serious problem, it’s a good idea to call your
local certified plumber for expert help and advice.
5 Steps to Clean Your Toilet Correctly
Many people attempt to clean their toilets regularly, but there is a lot of conflicting information available, and it’s easy to get wrong. Cleaning your toilet like a pro is easy if you follow these five simple step.
Step 1: Preparation
To clean a toilet correctly, you will need a pair of cleaning gloves, a sponge, some hot water, a toilet brush, a good formulated toilet cleaner, and a disinfectant spray. Gather these items so that they are close to hand and put on your gloves. Cleaning gloves are essential; a typical toilet is a haven for bacteria that you don’t want on your skin.
Step 2: Clean the Toilet
Take the sponge and moisten it with the hot water, then wipe off all of the grime on the seat, lid, base, bowl exterior and around the tank. Then dispose of the dirty water in the toilet bowl and give it a flush to get rid of it.
Step 3: Clean the Bowl
Take your favorite formulated toilet cleaner, apply it as per the instructions to the interior of the toilet bowl and leave it to soak in for a few minutes. Then take the toilet brush and scrub at any grime periodically dipping the brush in the toilet water. This will help to manually remove the grime, and it will encourage the formulated cleaner to activate suds. Some people rely on in tank tablet cleaners to keep their toilet clean, but this is less effective, and these types of products can even cause damage to the washers and gaskets in your toilet system.
Step 4: Flush and Rinse
Flush the toilet and continue to scrub with the toilet brush as the water drains away. This is a great way to rinse out the toilet bowl and your toilet brush at the same time.
Step 5: Disinfection
Now you can clean the rest of the toilet with your disinfectant spray to remove any remaining bacteria. Pay careful attention to the flush handle and seat as these are locations where germs can easily spread.
Troubleshooting a Toilet Problem
Sometimes, a simple clean will not be enough to get your toilet running well. There could be a more serious underlying issue; a common problem is a toilet that will suddenly start to flush or drain slower than usual. If this happens, it’s likely that a clog has developed and some further investigation is needed. Open the water tank and take a look at the water level, if it’s lower than normal there will not be enough water to flush the toilet. Try to carefully bend the float arm up, this can get stuck sometimes, and the water tank may start to refill. If this doesn’t work, contact your local plumber for expert help and advice.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solution.
