Cleaning & Organizing Cleaning Bathroom Cleaning

8 Weird Toilet Cleaning Hacks That Work

person pouring vinegar onto a paper towel

The Spruce / Michelle Becker 

Although keeping your toilet bowl clean is necessary, it's not always fun. However, there are common household items that can help you clean it well, including Coca-Cola, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide. These 8 weird and wacky-yet-effective fixes for cleaning toilet bowls really work. Give them a try and see how you don't have to use harsh, expensive chemicals to keep your toilet clean.

  • 01 of 08

    Coca-Cola Cleanser

    pouring coca cola into the toilet

    ​The Spruce / Michelle Becker

    It may sound like an urban legend, but plenty of folks swear that Coke dissolves toilet rust rings. Here's how: Pour a full can around the rim so that it fully coats the bowl, then let it sit for at least an hour to allow the soda to break down the stains. Scrub with a toilet brush, then flush. If this isn't effective, it may be time for Tip #2. 

  • 02 of 08

    Scrub With a Pumice Stone

    pumice stone

    ​The Spruce / Michelle Becker 

    A pumice stone is another unexpected but effective way to get rid of that persistent ring inside the bowl. Always start by soaking the pumice in warm water—the stone and the toilet surface should always be wet to avoid scratches. Gently scrub the stain until it's gone, and then flush the toilet to rinse.

  • 03 of 08

    White Vinegar Toilet Bowl Bath

    placing a paper towel on a stained spot in the toilet

    The Spruce / Michelle Becker 

    Most people reach for bleach to obliterate toilet germs and stains. However, Green living expert Mark Lallanilla says that plain old white vinegar is an effective cleaner. To eliminate hard water stains, soak toilet paper in vinegar and place directly on top of the stain. Let the vinegar-soaked paper sit overnight. The next morning, flush to rinse and the stains should be gone.

  • 04 of 08

    Sanitize With Hydrogen Peroxide

    pouring peroxide into the toilet

    ​The Spruce / Michelle Becker 

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hydrogen peroxide is a safe and effective germ fighter. To disinfect your toilet, pour ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide into the bowl, let stand for 30 minutes, and then flush to rinse. 

    Continue to 5 of 8 below
  • 05 of 08

    DIY Fizzy Toilet Bomb

    bath bombs

    The Spruce / Michelle Becker

    You can buy fancy “fizzies” or “bombs” that clean and deodorize your toilet, but it's easy and inexpensive to make your own. You can even make your own all-natural fizzy toilet bombs using only common household products such as baking soda and citric acid combined with your favorite scented oil.  

  • 06 of 08

    Baby Oil Polish for Chrome

    bottle of baby oil

    ​The Spruce / Michelle Becker 

    You'll be amazed when you see the shining results of baby oil applied to chrome fixtures. You can polish up your toilet handle—not to mention your faucets and showerhead—with just a few drops on a clean, soft cloth. Then, apply a few more drops to the toilet tank and toilet bowl and buff until the porcelain gleams. 

  • 07 of 08

    Shaving Cream to Neutralize

    Shaving Cream
    Shaving Cream

    If you have shaving cream in your bathroom, consider using it to clean your toilet if it's not smelling or looking fresh. Shaving cream has foaming properties that can eliminate uric acid crystals and their associated odor. Spray a generous amount of shaving cream into the toilet bowl and let it sit for around 10 minutes. After that, scrub the bowl and then flush it

  • 08 of 08

    Lemon Juice Scrub

    lemons and bowl of lemon juice
    Lemon juice can help lighten skin. Just be careful not to get it in your eyes. Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock

    To freshen up your toilet and get rid of germs and stains, pour half a cup of lemon juice into the bowl and scrub. Lemon juice has antibacterial and bleaching properties that help to eliminate bacteria and stains. If the stains are stubborn, you can sprinkle some borax into the bowl before adding the lemon juice.

FAQ
  • How often should you clean a toilet?

    A toilet should be cleaned on a weekly basis or potentially less if it is one that is not often used. If you have children or several people in the home, then consider cleaning it more, maybe even two to three times a week.

  • Should you put the toilet lid down before flushing a toilet?

    Absolutely! Leaving a toilet lid open after flushing allows contaminated droplets to disperse throughout the bathroom and land on everything from countertops to toothbrushes and hairbrushes, and more. These plume aerosols can last for hours, and some can last for days.

  • How often should you clean a toilet bowl brush?

    The toilet bowl brush should be rinsed and cleaned after every use, and disinfected once a month. Let the brush dry before placing it in the holder, otherwise you need to rinse and clean the holder, too.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Chemical Disinfectants. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  2. Johnson DL, Mead KR, Lynch RA, Hirst DVL. Lifting the lid on toilet plume aerosol: A literature review with suggestions for future researchAm J Infect Control, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 254-258, 2013. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2012.04.330