Sometimes life just feels too busy to spend a lot of time cleaning your loo. Yet, it’s not a chore to be neglected. So for time-pressed householders, we’ve put together a cheat-sheet to help you get your toilet up to standard with the minimum of fuss.
- Prevention: Don’t let your toilet get dirty in the first place
- Maintenance: Use Tablets and Blocks to prevent bad smells and keep your toilet constantly fresh and fragrant
- Focus: Where to clean first for maximum effect
- Efficiency: Choosing the right toilet cleaner
- Scheduling: Finding the right moment
Nobody wants a smelly toilet, but not all of us have the time or the inclination to devote serious man-hours to keeping our pan spick and span. Our top tip is a simple one: don’t let it get dirty in the first place. Here’s how:
Scrubbing with every flush. One simple way to avoid your toilet getting too smelly, to avoid limescale build-up and to keep your pan clean, is to make sure you leave it perfect after every visit. That means, not just scrubbing when you think you need to, but scrubbing every time. Take 20 seconds to go round your bowl with the scrubbing brush and a squirt of cleaner, scrub once under the water line, once above the water line, and once around the top, under the rim. It might take a while to get into this routine, but think of the time-saving benefits. If you can crack it, you might never have to really clean the toilet again!
Sponge at the ready! Keep a cleaning sponge or cloth right by your toilet and clean up any mess as and when it happens. Once round the seat of your pan with a cloth and bathroom spray cleaner and you’ll get rid of urine stains and smells before they even happen.
A smelly toilet is a bit like a body odour problem: by the time you’ve noticed there is a smell, it’s already too late. What you really want is to prevent that smell before it even happens. The best way to stay on top of the problem is also the most time efficient way. Simply use toilet blocks and tablets and you can limit the build-up of limescale, as well as the bacteria and smells that come with it. Limescale is a breeding ground of bacteria, so make sure that your toilet is fighting the build-up of these hard-water deposits with every flush.
Toilet in–tank cubes
A good toilet tablet sits in your cistern (water tank) and releases cleaning agents with every flush. This not only keeps your tank clean and free of smelly algae, it also ensures that the little holes at the top of your toilet pan are cleaned too. A lot of the germs can hide up there under the rim, where it is very difficult for us to clean.
Toilet rim blocks
The rim block hangs off the side of your toilet bowl and distributes cleaning agents directly, releasing pleasant odours as you flush and ensuring the water in your toilet is always clean and fresh.
These two products take seconds to install and go a long way to keeping your toilet clean and odour-free, without you having to lift a finger. They are essentials for the time-pressed householder.
When you think of cleaning the toilet, do you think of scrubbing away with the toilet brush, arm deep in the pan? This could be a mistake. Actually, the smells and germs you are trying to eliminate are often located higher up.
Focus 1: Clean under the rim first
If you’re worried about smells in your toilet, then cleaning under the rim is the first task to tackle. While many people assume that it is stains and marks in the pan that are causing their toilet to smell, it’s actually under the rim where the smelliest germs are often hiding away. So if you’re in a rush, start up top. Push your brush up into the rim of the pan and scrub all the way around. Do this a couple of times and then flush.
Focus 2: The top of the pan
Another harbour of stains and odours, especially urine smells, is the top of the pan. So again, resist the natural urge to plunge your brush into the depths and instead get out your cloth or sponge and give this area thorough wipe first. Make sure you go round all the seat fixtures and fittings and right out to the back.
Focus 3: The seat
Don’t neglect to clean your toilet seat. Again, it’s an area where foul smells, especially of urine, can be lurking. Get a standard bathroom spray cleaner and a cloth and wipe it down. Don’t forget the hinges and fixtures – they’re often the worst offenders for bad smells.
Focus 4: The water trap
Ok, now you can get stuck in and give the bottom of that bowl a real going over. Beware however, those brown stains are not easy to shift and might have to be left for a day when you can devote some serious time and elbow grease to the task.
There are a myriad of toilet bowl cleaners at your disposal, from self-made natural remedies to bleach. However, for those looking to scrub up quick, a good toilet cleaner is always the answer. Here’s why:
Natural remedies
You’re clearly too time-pressed to start concocting your own potions. Potions that may well fail to shift those hard on stains and smells – forget it.
Extra powerful toilet cleaners
Sometimes you need a bit more power in your toilet cleaner for occasional cleans: if your toilet has got especially dirty, or when you just want to give your toilet a really deep and thorough clean. The Bref x10 Effect range is perfect for these occasions, getting rid of limescale and dirt both above and below the water line, and restoring your toilet pan to sparkling whiteness.
Is there ever a good moment for cleaning the toilet?
Sure there is! – you just have to use your imagination. Think of a time slot that is regular and dull (dead time) and fill it with the joys of a dirty job, well done. Maybe it’s before you leave the house for work, maybe it’s before you go out on a Friday night or maybe while you wait for your dinner to cook.
Double up for greater time efficiencies: Cleaning the toilet doesn’t take a lot of brain power. So while your hands are busy, why not occupy your mind with something else. Maybe listen to a podcast? Maybe learn a language? Maybe make a phone call you’ve been putting off? Do it right and turn your toilet cleaning from a chore to an opportunity for self-improvement.
In a hurry? Cut down on the time you need to clean your toilet. Simple ideas to make cleaning quicker and more efficient.