How to Clean a Toilet (Bowl, Rim, Tank and Base)

Short answer: Squirt toilet bowl cleaner under the rim and let it sit while you spray and wipe the outside of the toilet from the top down: tank lid, tank, handle, seat, hinges, then the base and the floor around it. Then scrub the bowl with a brush, getting up under the rim, and flush. For a hard water ring, let an acidic cleaner sit on it for 30 minutes and use a wet pumice stone.

You need: toilet bowl cleaner, a toilet brush, an all-purpose or disinfecting spray, paper towels or cloths kept only for the toilet, rubber gloves, and optionally a toilet pumice stone and an old toothbrush. Time: about 15 minutes; 45 if there is a mineral ring.

Before you start: the one safety rule

Never mix cleaners in or around a toilet. Bleach plus an acidic cleaner (most bowl cleaners, vinegar, lime and rust removers) makes chlorine gas. Bleach plus ammonia makes chloramine gas. If you used one product, flush twice and rinse the brush before you use another. Open a window or run the fan while you clean, and wear gloves.

Step 1: Put cleaner in the bowl first

Flush once to wet the bowl. Squeeze bowl cleaner all the way around under the rim so it runs down the sides. Leaving it to work while you do the outside is what makes the scrubbing easy later. Most products say to wait 5 to 10 minutes; read the label.

Step 2: Clean the outside, top to bottom

Work from the cleanest part down to the dirtiest so you never drag grime upward.

Tank lid and tank. Spray and wipe, including the flush handle, which gets touched more than any other part.
Seat lid, top and underside.
Seat, top and underside, then the hinges. The hinges collect gunk in their gaps; an old toothbrush gets into them. Many seats have quick-release hinges that let you lift the seat off for a proper clean, which is worth doing every month or two.
The rim of the bowl on the outside, and the bowl’s outer sides.
The base and the bolt caps. This is where urine splashes and dust stick. Pop the plastic bolt caps off if they come off and clean under them.
The floor around the base, and the wall behind the toilet if it is within splash range.

Use a fresh paper towel or a different section of the cloth as you go down, and keep toilet cloths separate from everything else in the house.

Step 3: Scrub the bowl

Scrub the inside of the bowl with the brush, working around the sides and pushing the brush up under the rim, where the flush water comes out of small holes and where most stains begin. Scrub down into the drain opening as far as the brush reaches. Flush, and rinse the brush in the clean flush water.

Hard water rings and stains

A brown, orange or grey ring at the waterline is usually mineral scale from hard water, sometimes stained by iron. Ordinary scrubbing will not move it.

Lower the water. Turn off the valve behind the toilet and flush. Most of the water leaves the bowl, so the cleaner can touch the ring at full strength. You can also push water down the drain with the brush.
Cover the ring with an acidic toilet cleaner or white vinegar. Some people lay paper towels soaked in vinegar over the ring to keep it wet.
Wait at least 30 minutes; a heavy ring can sit for a few hours.
Scrub with the brush, then with a pumice stone sold for toilets. Keep the stone and the porcelain wet the whole time; dry pumice can scratch. Do not use steel wool or a wire brush.
Turn the water back on and flush.

The tank

A few times a year, take the lid off the tank and look inside. If you see slime or rust-colored deposits, turn off the water, flush to empty the tank, and scrub the inside walls with a brush and a little vinegar or a mild cleaner. Do not scrub hard on the rubber flapper, and avoid leaving bleach in the tank, which can wear out rubber parts over time.

Keeping it clean longer

Give the bowl a 30-second brush every couple of days.
Close the lid before flushing to keep spray in the bowl.
Keep a disinfecting wipe container nearby for a quick seat and handle wipe.
Dry the toilet brush before putting it back in its holder, or the holder becomes the dirtiest thing in the bathroom. Trap it between the seat and the bowl for a few minutes to drip.
Replace the brush when the bristles are bent or stained.

Cleaning the toilet brush

After a deep clean, soak the brush head in a bucket of hot water with a little bleach or disinfectant for an hour, rinse, and let it dry. Clean the holder the same way. Remember the safety rule: if the brush still has acidic bowl cleaner on it, rinse it well first.

FAQ

How often should you clean a toilet?

A quick bowl scrub once a week, and a full clean of the seat, outside, base and floor around it every one to two weeks. A toilet used by several people, or by kids, needs the outside wiped more often.

Can I mix bleach and vinegar to clean a toilet?

No. Bleach mixed with vinegar or any acidic toilet cleaner releases chlorine gas, and bleach mixed with ammonia releases chloramine gas. Use one product, flush it away completely, then use the next.

How do I get rid of the brown ring in the toilet bowl?

That ring is usually hard water minerals. Lower the water level, cover the ring with an acidic toilet cleaner or white vinegar, leave it at least 30 minutes, then scrub with a pumice stone made for toilets, kept wet the whole time.

Is it safe to put cleaning tablets in the toilet tank?

Many toilet makers advise against bleach tablets in the tank because the chlorine sitting there for weeks can wear out the rubber flapper and seals. If you want a tablet, use one the toilet maker approves, or put the cleaner in the bowl instead.