How to clean a toilet properly, inside and out

To clean a toilet properly, squirt bowl cleaner under the rim and let it sit while you wipe the outside from the top down: the tank, the handle, the lid, the seat, the hinges, the outside of the bowl and the base. Then scrub the bowl and under the rim, flush, and finish with the floor around and behind the toilet. Use a cloth that's only for the toilet.

What do you need?

• Rubber gloves
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• A toilet brush, ideally with a bristle tip that reaches under the rim
• An all-purpose bathroom cleaner or disinfectant
• A microfiber cloth used only for the toilet, in its own color
• An old toothbrush for the hinges and the base
• Paper towels for the floor behind the toilet

How do you clean a toilet, step by step?

1. Bowl cleaner first. Lift the lid and seat and squirt cleaner all the way around under the rim. Let it run down and sit for the time on the label.
2. The tank and handle. Spray and wipe the top of the tank, the sides and the flush handle.
3. The lid. Top and underside.
4. The seat. Top, underside and the edge.
5. The hinges. Grime and hair collect around the bolts. Use the toothbrush, or pop the seat off if your seat has quick-release hinges.
6. The outside of the bowl and the base. Wipe down to the floor, including the back of the bowl, which is easy to miss.
7. Scrub the bowl. Brush under the rim, around the bowl and down into the drain opening. Flush, and rinse the brush in the clean water.
8. The floor. Spray and wipe the floor around and behind the toilet with paper towels, then mop.
9. The brush. Let it drip dry over the bowl, held under the seat, before it goes back in its holder.

If you use a disinfectant, the surface has to stay wet for the contact time on the label. Read it; it's often several minutes.

How do you get rid of the ring?

A ring at the waterline is usually mineral buildup or stains that have set.

• Lower the water. Turn off the supply valve behind the toilet and flush. The water drops below the ring.
• Vinegar soak. Pour white vinegar over the ring and let it sit a few hours or overnight, then scrub with the brush.
• Baking soda paste. For extra scrubbing power, sprinkle baking soda over the vinegar and scrub.
• Pumice, carefully. A wet pumice stone made for toilets can lift a stubborn ring. Keep it wet, use light pressure, and test a small spot first.

Turn the water back on when you're done. Never mix bleach with vinegar or ammonia.

How do you clean the tank?

Once or twice a year:

1. Turn off the supply valve and flush to empty the tank.
2. Scrub the inside with a brush and a little dish soap or vinegar. Avoid harsh bleach on the rubber flapper.
3. Turn the water back on and flush a few times.

Check your toilet maker's guidance before using drop-in tank tablets.

How do you clean a bidet seat or attachment?

Follow the maker's cleaning directions. Usually that means wiping the nozzle with a soft cloth or toothbrush and mild soap, using the self-clean setting if it has one, and wiping the seat with a cleaner the maker allows. Unplug electric seats first.

How do you keep the toilet clean between cleanings?

• A quick wipe of the seat and handle every few days.
• Close the lid before you flush.
• Keep a brush and a bottle of bowl cleaner in every bathroom.
• In an older rowhome with one bathroom for the whole house, a quick daily wipe matters more.

The rest of the room is in our guide on how to clean a bathroom, top to bottom, and the timing is in our bathroom cleaning schedule.

Want the bathroom done for you?

Book House Cleaning or Deep Cleaning online, and put your bathroom priorities in your booking notes.

FAQ

What is the right way to clean a toilet? Squirt bowl cleaner under the rim and let it sit. Meanwhile wipe the outside from the top down: tank, handle, lid, seat, hinges, the outside of the bowl and the base. Then scrub the bowl and under the rim, flush, and wipe the floor around it.

How do you get rid of a ring in the toilet bowl? Lower the water level by turning off the supply valve and flushing, then pour white vinegar over the ring and let it sit for a few hours or overnight. Scrub with the toilet brush. For a stubborn mineral ring, a wet pumice stone made for toilets can work, but test it gently on a small spot first.

How often should you clean the toilet tank? Once or twice a year. Turn off the water, flush to empty it, scrub the inside with a brush and a little dish soap or vinegar, then turn the water back on. Check your toilet maker's guidance before using drop-in tablets.

How often should you clean a toilet? Clean it fully once a week, and give the seat and handle a quick wipe between cleanings, especially in a house with kids or one bathroom for everyone.

Book a cleaning

Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.