Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner Recipes & Home Remedies

use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest
Below I've gathered up lots of homemade toilet bowl cleaner recipes and home remedies.


As you can see, there are lots of different ways to clean this often-used item in your bathroom, and many will work.

Of course, no matter what method you choose from those below, it is easiest to keep your toilet clean and just maintain it, then let it get extremely gross over time and then use one of these homemade cleaners.

A word of caution though. I've listed quite a few recipes below, but they are not all designed to be used at once. Just because these are homemade recipes doesn't mean chemicals aren't involved, such as suggestions in one place to use vinegar while in another chlorine bleach.

You need to use only one recipe and completely flush it away before trying a different one so you don't mix ingredients that can cause problems. For example, mixing vinegar and chlorine bleach can cause toxic fumes, in a similar way that you also never mix ammonia and bleach.

Although I've got lots of recipes and ideas below I know there are almost always more homemade recipes, so if you don't see your favorite list you can share it with me here.

In addition, if you do decide you want to use a commercial product instead of making something yourself, check out these toilet cleaner reviews here, to find a good one.

Several homemade toilet bowl cleaner recipes and home remedies to get your toilet clean frugally, and without commercial products {on Stain Removal 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to how to clean a toilet.

Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner Recipes

There are many different ways you can clean your toilet using homemade cleaning supplies.

Below are three recipes for making your own toilet bowl cleaner that you can use.

Recipe No. 1: Vinegar Toilet Cleaner

Pour in 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar into the toilet bowl and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes (or even longer) and then swish with a toilet brush, and flush.

Recipe No. 2: Clean Your Toilet Bowl With Chlorine Bleach

This recipe is the only one on the page which will actually thoroughly disinfect your toilet bowl.

(No, vinegar cannot be used as a disinfectant, although as any mild acid it does kill some germs.)

Pour in 1/4 cup chlorine bleach into the toilet bowl and let it sit for at least 15 minutes (or longer) to allow for total disinfection. Then, use your toilet brush to swish the toilet bowl and then flush.

Caution: Chlorine bleach can cause rust stains to set, so do not use this recipe for cleaning toilets that have rust stains, until you first remove the rust.

Recipe No. 3: Borax To Clean Toilets

Sprinkle 1/4 cup borax into the toilet bowl and use your toilet brush to scrub it around. Next, let the borax sit for at least half an hour (or even longer) and then flush.

Borax Cleaning Powder {Referral Links}





You can see even more recipes below, from both me and from other readers. The beauty of homemade cleaning products is that there are generally many recipes that will work.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to how to clean a toilet.

More Homemade Toilet Cleaner Recipes

by Taylor

Here are some more homemade toilet cleaner recipes you can use.

Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner Paste

Ingredients:Directions:

Combine these ingredients to make a paste, and then apply the paste to the toilet bowl with either a sponge or cleaning rag.

Let the paste sit on the toilet bowl for at least two hours, then scrub off with a toilet brush and then rinse out the toilet by flushing.

Strong Cleaner To Remove Toilet Bowl Hard Water Scale

Ingredients:Directions: Shake the flakes or powder of oxalic acid into the toilet and let it react (this means it will foam) to the hard water scale, and the dirt embedded within it.

The hard water scale is alkaline in nature, so a relatively mild acid, like oxalic acid, will remove it well.

Another Natural Toilet Cleaner

Ingredients:Directions:

Wet the sides of the toilet bowl by flushing it, and then sprinkle the borax all around the toilet bowl. Next, spray or gently pour the vinegar on top of the borax onto the toilet bowl.

Let it sit for at least 4 hours, then scrub with a toilet brush and flush the toilet again to rinse it out.

You can submit your own homemade cleaners recipes here, or read many others that have already been submitted.

***Update: An SR101 Reader shared her quick suggestion for cleaning your toilet bowl naturally. She said to use "diluted tea tree oil in a spray bottle."

I'd love to hear some more recipes for using essential oils as at least an ingredient in these homemade cleaners. If you're using such a recipe, make sure to share your uses for essential oils around your home with me here (or click on the link and see what other ideas other readers have already shared). ***End Update

Photo by (nutmeg)

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to how to clean a toilet.

How To Clean Toilet With Coke

The video below shows you how to clean toilet with Coke, as in Coca-Cola.

Believe it or not you can use Coke to clean your toilet, among other items in your home, mainly because of the phosphoric acid within the drink.

This acid, like all mild acids, can be used to cut hard water stains, and just generally clean.

The process is quite simple, and similar to using any other toilet bowl cleaner. Just pour the Coke in, making sure to coat the sides of the bowl, let it sit for an hour or so, then scrub with a toilet brush and flush.

Here is the video for full details.



Have you ever used this method for cleaning your toilet? If so, share your results with me in the comments.

In addition, you can share your own tips for how to clean a toilet here, or read other tips already submitted.

Further, you can share your uses for Coca-Cola around your home, or read other tips already submitted here.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to how to clean a toilet.

Clean Your Toilet With Hydrogen Peroxide

by SR101 Reader

An SR101 reader shared how she makes her own toilet cleaner.

SR101 Reader says:

Pour about half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the toilet and let it sit for a while.

Occasionally swish with a toilet brush and then flush.

It has always kept my toilet bright white, sanitary and is cheaper than any thing besides baking soda.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to how to clean a toilet.

Green Toilet Cleaner Recipe: Baking Soda & Vinegar

by A J Young
(Scoresby Australia)

AJ has shared this green toilet cleaner recipe.

AJ says:

Simply sprinkle the toilet pan with baking soda and then add a squeeze of white vinegar. When it begins to fizz give it a scrubbing.

Now you have saved the planet from all those toxic so called cleaners.

Taylor says:

Thanks AJ for sharing your homemade toilet bowl cleaner recipe.

You can use baking soda and vinegar, together, to clean lots of different things in your home. Does anyone else have some good suggestions for how to use these two cheap natural products together? If so, you can share your baking soda vinegar uses here, or read other tips and recipes already submitted.

Several homemade toilet bowl cleaner recipes and home remedies to get your toilet clean frugally, and without commercial products {on Stain Removal 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

Left top photo by rowdykittens, from Flickr CC

Related Pages You May Enjoy

100's Of Homemade Cleaners Recipes

Bleach Uses For Cleaning, Laundry & Stains

Toilet Cleaner Reviews

Go From Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner Recipes To Home Page

There are affiliate links on this page, and if you purchase a product through them I receive a small commission. Purchasing through my links costs you nothing extra, but helps support the free information provided on this site and my family. To learn more please see my product review disclosure statement.

Comments for Green Toilet Cleaner Recipe: Baking Soda & Vinegar

Click here to add your own comments

homemade cleaners
by: Anonymous

Just be very careful if you decide to mix things. This can be a problem with fumes!

So you should always check if you're going to mix things to make sure it is safe. But I do like some of these ideas :)

mixing recipes
by: Taylor

Agreed! I give this warning at the very beginning of the article about the dangers of mixing the recipes for this very reason, but you can never be reminded too many times about safety, so thanks for reminding everyone again!

ammonia and bleach BAD NEWS
by: Anonymous

Uric acid is mainly ammonia, and bleach is mainly chlorine. The mixture becomes ammonium chloride and it is TOXIC! Poisonous. Don't pour bleach into an unflushed toilet.

Taylor's note: Agreed that you should always flush your toilet before using any of these recipes. Same with commercial cleaners!

denture tablets and soda
by: Anonymous

The store products are o-k but give me denture tablets and soda - yes, generic lemon-lime soda or drink mix (like lemonade Koolaid). -- Flush and while the water's filling, quickly add the lemon-flavored drink as is. Swish and let it sit above the water line. Add another soda when the waterline goes below the stain. DO NOT FLUSH,YET. LET SIT AS LONG AS YOU CAN. Repeat as needed. This also works on stainless steel sinks.

bleach may void your toilet's warranty, if you have a Toto brand toilet
by: Anonymous

Be careful with bleach! I bought a Toto brand toilet, and they say the finish will be destroyed by bleach!

Vinegar & bleach
by: Kerri Mackey

Mixing vinegar & bleach can cause toxic fumes. Use extreme caution when doing this. Bleach should NEVER be mixed with anything!

response to Kerri re warning about mixing bleach and vinegar
by: Taylor

Yes, as I mentioned in another comment as well, at the very beginning of the article I noted that all of these recipes were separate and should not be mixed together. But thanks for the warning again!

Cleaners of any kind
by: Anonymous

My concern is that I have a septic tank and I understand that a lot of things are not good for it. How does that work with the homemade cleaners?

Denture tablets?
by: Anonymous

I have heard that denture-cleaning tablets were good for cleaning the toilet bowl, but I've never tried them. One of your readers mentioned them, below so I intend to give it a try and see if it works. I live in an area with very hard water. We shall see.

vinegar and baking soda
by: Anonymous

Clean with vinegar and baking soda paste on rag. Flush. Add 1 cup vinegar and sprinkle with baking soda till it bubbles. Leave seat open so it can bubble.

Denture tablets
by: Anonymous

Denture tablets are the best - I've used them for years. Dentures are porcelain - toilet bowls are porcelain - ta da - put two in at night and let em sit - you'll love the result.

disposable toilet brush
by: L

I love the throw away toilet brushes but hate the toxic cleaners added into them. I don't like having a nasty used toilet brush in my bathroom with all the germs on them. Anyone know a good disposable one without the toxic cleaner included???

Thickened vinegar
by: Anonymous

It may seem strange but for the stubborn mineral deposit ring in the toilet use thickened vinegar. After draining enough water so it is not touching the mineral deposit ring make a thin paste mixture of distilled vinegar and flour and paint it onto the ring in the toilet and let it sit 10 minutes and scrub.

Also this same mixture works better than you will ever believe on bringing back the shine to dull copper pans.

Warning: Even though vinegar alone does not seem to bother hands after mixing the flour with the vinegar it is best you try to avoid skin contact with the mixture as the thickened mixture will eat through your skin at an alarmingly fast rate.

Bleach and internal toilet parts
by: Anonymous

Using bleach to clean a toilet will cause the rubber flapper to disintegrate.

Dawn dish soap. The blue one
by: Laura

I squirt 1 squirt of Dawn into the water. With the toilet brush I start cleaning the far bottom of the bowl. When you have plenty of suds on your toilet brush then clean under the rim. Works great every time and the bowl sparkles.

vacation
by: Anonymous

I would love to have ideas on what I can put in my toilet bowls when we are gone for a couple of weeks to prevent rings and to keep it fresh. I'm not looking for a 'disinfectant' as it will be clean when we leave. Will vinegar etch into the ceramic if left for a couple of weeks? Any other suggestions?

Cleaning with Coca Cola
by: Jean Gray

Generic coke works as well as brand name. Just pour it in a flushed bowl, pouring directly down the sides all around. Brush and add a few Alka Seltzer or denture tablets. Add white vinegar slowly to raise water level above the water line, but not flush the toilet. Let sit until the water is clear. If needed, flush and repeat.

Rubbing alcohol as disinfectant
by: D.A. Brown

On toilet seat to clean and sterilize.

use denture tablets
by: Anonymous

Drop a few denture tablets in your toilet bowl. AFTER the tablets finish effervescing, then
minimal scrubbing should make your toilet bowl sparkle.

brown stain in toilet
by: Anonymous

I have three toilets, two upstairs seem to get a brown coating on inside of toilet. I can clean often enough, but returns in less than one week. This has never happened to the toilet downstairs. Possibly coming from inside tank or pipes supplying water. I would like to have clean toilets without the coating.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to how to clean a toilet.


Thanks For Visiting My Website: Grab Your Free Gift!

Taylor

Hi, I'm Taylor, a busy mom with 3 kids, so I have lots of hands on experience with house cleaning, laundry and my fair share of spots, spills and other messy catastrophes. Thanks for visiting my site.

I update the website all the time with tips, tutorials, cleaning recipes, reviews of products from readers like you, and tests I've done on various cleaners, removers and laundry supplies.

I'd love to give you a gift! When you subscribe to my free weekly newsletter you will receive a free printable laundry stain removal chart that you can reference as needed.

I hope you enjoy this gift, and stop by again soon!

Subscribe To The Out Darn Spot Newsletter

* indicates required


CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.