Cleaning a Toilet and getting rid of the "ring"

First thing that I do when I start to clean a bathroom is put the toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet. I let it set while I clean the rest of the bathroom and then I come back and finish the toilet at the end.

While one of my customers had a toilet that was running water down the bowl all the time, it left a rust spot down the bowl where the water was running. I was so frustrated because it took such extra effort each week to get that rust spot gone. However, Lime Away toilet cleaner came to the rescue - it was on sale and I decided to use it. I put it in the toilet and cleaned the bathroom. When I came back the rust spot was gone without any effort. That is what hooked me onto Lime Away. It's not a good smelling as the Lysol - which does a great job too. But if you have a rust spot on the sides of your bowl - this may make the job easier.

After the toilet bowl cleaner has set for while, I come in with my toilet bowl brush. Make sure the bowl brush contains NO metal. The metal will scratch the bowl. It's better to use a a brush that is plastic - no scratching.

"Scrub away" all around the bowl. Scrubbing up under the lip of the bowl is very important as well as down the canal. I also have found with the new toilets they are designed in such a way that it is impossible to get your regular bowl brush into the groove down the canal. That is where I use the smaller brush - or even my sponge. Sorry - but I am sure the designers are people who don't scrub their own toilet - which is frustrating but you have to do what you have to do to get the tip of the canal clean.

Also while I am brushing the bowl, I slosh around the water to the lip to loosen any feces/poop. I scrub for a whole minute or more. If it is really bad and smelly then I flush and put in some comet and scrub again. I want it smelling clean and sometime it takes a second scrubbing.

Sometimes you will have a hard water ring around your toilet. This is from the new house I cleaned on Friday. No matter how much you clean your bowl - if you live in a place that has really hard water (like Idaho) the hard water ring is there every once and a while.

To get rid of the hard water ring (or ring from not cleaning it too often), you will need a Pumice stone. I usually find these in the hardware plumbing aisle. Sometimes a store will have them by the cleaning supplies and sometimes you can find the with a handle. They cost around $3.50.

I leave the plastic wrap around the stone and peel it back as I use it. That way it protects the stone until you use it.

After you have cleaned the bowl you gently rub the stone back and forth against the ring until it is gone.

Walla - ring is gone and bowl looks like new again. This also works where the water comes down into the bowl. Sometime the hard water makes lines running down to the bowl water. Use the Pumice stone on that too - always making your toilet looking new.

After the inside of the bowl is all clean, I spray 409 all over the whole toilet. The seat, the tank, the sides of the toilet, the place where the toilet is bolted down to the floor and all around the floor. I really like the "lemon fresh" 409. 409 is antibacterial and kills the germs.

Then I take my sponge and wipe every surface of the outside of the toilet.

I like how a sponge will fit into all the grooves.

Make sure you get the outside of the bowl where there are drips. Your toilet will not smell or BE clean if you don't clean the outside of it.

Make sure you get the floor around the toilet - very important. Make sure it is sprayed good with 409. Scrub right up to the ridge where the toilet meets the floor - it's gross but you gotta get all the pee that missed the toilet.

Then I wipe it down with a rinsed out wash cloth.

Then I dry it good. (my poor working hands - that are in chemicals all day long)

Dry the floor around the toilet and it will be clean and smelling clean.

Men/Boys and toilets! Seriously - can they hit inside the toilet?? It is just a frustrating thing when I have to clean up pee all over the toilet. I've had many discussions with my boys - on what the problem is.

One thing I have learned is that it is a MUST to have a night light in your bathroom. Boys don't sit and if it's dark - they can't aim... Make sure you have a night light to help with their aim.

It's all about training the male species in your house to lift the lid and hit the bowl. If they can't seem to get the pee in the bowl - the must be taught to grab a Clorox wipe and clean the mess up. No body wants to sit in it (me) or see it around the toilet. It's all in the training. Have Clorox wipes by your toilet all the time - it's a good thing (as Martha Stewart would say).

As a house cleaner .... I get pretty sad boys are not taught to aim into the toilet bowl. I wonder how they are at school -- really I don't want to know. But, I think it is vital that we teach our boys/husbands to be considerate and clean. Clean up their mess or aim better. Sorry to get graphic - but sometimes it just needs to be said.

Happy cleaning your toilets!

The Pumie from Amazon click here: