The Miracle Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Friends. Let’s talk about cleaning the toilet.
It’s the place that we feel most comfortable grabbing the stronger chemical cleaners. I get that and I pass no judgment. Because while I had been told that toilets could be cleaned with a variety of nontoxic products (most commonly recommended: vinegar and baking soda), I tried them and didn’t love it. And that says something, if you know anything about my love for vinegar cleaning.
Those products work well for routine cleaning around the house but when it came to cleaning the toilet, I wanted a product that delivered an extra punch. Especially for our toilet. Our toilet had one major problem that needed serious help. This problem was the hard water stain (hard water stain is what I am choosing to call it) in our toilet bowl. Nothing worked! I made all kinds of concoctions in search of the best toilet cleaning solution, but the stain remained. I had been determined not to grab the bleach but I was about ready to admit defeat.
But then, I found it!!!
A solution that actually worked! My toilet bowl is spotless!! I still can’t believe it!
Not only did it clean the seemingly permanent stain in my toilet bowl, but this is even an edible product. Something that would not poison my children if they tried to eat it. In fact, most of us eat this product daily.
What is this miracle product?!
Citric Acid.
Do you know what citric acid is?
Citric acid is most commonly used to preserve food. Read your food labels and you will see it is used in EVERYTHING…I’m fairly certain we shouldn’t be consuming as much citric acid as we do but point is, we eat it.
Citric acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits. It is the component that gives lemon and limes their sour taste. It has a similar pH to vinegar, both are acids but citric acid can do some things that vinegar can’t. Like vinegar, there are some guidelines for what to clean and what not to clean with it. These guidelines are not because it is a hazard to your health but that it’s acidic pH could damage certain surfaces. A word of caution for septic systems: Citric acid is great for killing bacteria but because of this, if you have a septic system it is suggested to use sparingly (diluted) as it could kill the good bacteria needed to help break down contaminants in the environment.
Citric Acid is especially good at cleaning mineral deposits, soap scum, and rust but it can also be used for routine cleaning like windows and mirrors, sanitizing cutting boards and cooking utensils, descaling coffee pots and tea kettles, a dishwasher rinse aid, stain remover from dishes and plastic containers, and it even can be used as a fabric softener. Like vinegar, it is not recommended for stone surfaces, routine grout cleaning (though every so often is ok), and hardwood floors. If you don’t like cleaning with vinegar because of the smell, this is a great option because it is odorless.
Here is the bonus about citric acid as a cleaner…it has a small bleaching effect and is antibacterial! This makes it a great disinfectant and it gives those toilets their extra boost!
Hooray for clean toilets!!
How to Clean the Toilet:
I have a glass container of powdered citric acid in my bathroom vanity along with my homemade citric acid cleaning spray (recipe below). For routine cleaning, I use my citric acid spray for the exterior, interior, and seat of the toilet and on other bathroom surfaces as well. For routine cleaning the bowl of the toilet, I suggest using a scoop of borax or baking soda. When I have a particularly dirty toilet with staining, I use a scoop of citric acid powder in the bowl of the toilet.
To clean the bowl of the toilet, I scoop two tablespoons of baking soda or borax into the water of the bowl, let it sit for 15 minutes and then scrub it with a brush. For more challenging stains, follow this method:
How to Clean a Toilet with Serious Stains:
Turn off the water and drain the toilet. I had never done this myself before. Look for a knob near the back of the toilet to turn the water off. Then flush the water out. There will be some remaining water in the toilet. I used a disposable cup to empty this water out so I was left with a mostly empty toilet bowl.
Pour around two tablespoons of powdered citric acid into the toilet bowl.
Rub it around with a toilet brush to make sure it has contact with the entirety of the stain.
Take a kettle of hot water and pour it over top of the citric acid.
Let it sit for at least 15 minutes but more time doesn’t hurt!
Scrub in all directions with a toilet brush.
If staining remains, repeat the process.
Turn the water back on and the toilet should refill. Flush once! The stain should be gone!
Cleaning Spray
In addition to having the powder on hand for the toilet bowl, it’s pretty easy to make a citric cleaning spray. I prefer this spray for cleaning my toilet and other surfaces in my bathroom because of its effectiveness on stains, bacteria, and bleaching.
Citric Acid Cleaning Spray Recipe:
2 Tablespoons of Citric Acid
2 cups of warm water.
Add two tablespoons of citric acid to a 16 oz glass bottle. Add 2 cups of warm water and give a gentle shake to dissolve the powder. Once dissolved, spray away!
I am eager for you to try this recipe out and let me know what you think!
Have you ever heard of citric acid as a cleaner?? Leave a comment and let me know!