Keeping your toilet bowl clean is a vital way to avoid the need for plumbing repairs. Toronto households typically use chemicals to clean and sanitize the bowl, and a toilet brush is a must for every home. Not all chemicals are created equal, however, and some chemical cleaning agents do more harm than good. Here are the top 5 ways for keeping your toilet clean, healthy and in good shape.
White Vinegar
A product made from grapes, white vinegar is a natural way for a quick and easy clean. Simply pour it into the bowl and let it rest for five minutes. Flush the toilet and repeat if necessary. If you do this every few days the toilet will remain clean without damage caused by harsh chemicals to the interior of the bowl. It also leaves the bathroom with a clean, fresh smell after flushing.
Baking Soda
Another natural product that works well to remove old stains from a toilet bowl is baking soda. Make a paste and pack it around the interior of the toilet. Leave it there for some two hours and then scrub with a stiff toilet brush to remove limescale and stains. For particularly bad stains, add some pure lemon juice to the baking soda when you mix it – the natural bleaching properties will help restore the whiteness of the bowl.
Safe Chemicals
Specially-formulated domestic toilet bowl cleaners are usually safe for household toilets and shouldn’t cause damage that requires plumbing repairs. Toronto homeowners are typically environmentally aware and use products such as Greenworks or Simply Green. Domestic bleach in products such as Toilet Duck and Lysol is usually also tolerated well by the toilet bowl, as long as you don’t have an outdated metal bowl. Bleach causes the metal to rust, but very few Toronto homes still have those types of toilets.
Products to Avoid
Avoid using any chemicals that have a corrosive action or ingredients, such as hydrochloric acid, paint stripper or turpentine. Believe it or not, this has been known to happen—perhaps not for cleaning the toilet bowl but more likely as a method of disposing of the chemicals. Not only can these substances damage the bowl but the toilet infrastructure as well, leading to the need for Toronto drain repairs.
If you’re uncertain at any time about which cleaning chemicals to use in the toilet or any advice regarding plumbing repairs, Toronto plumbers will be happy to chat with you and give you their input.
*The use of brand names in this post is intended to be an indication only and does not constitute an endorsement or otherwise of any product.
