How often Should you Clean your Toilet?

Cleaning the toilet and the bathroom in general varies depending on some aspects such as the number of users, the type of users among other aspects. If you have kids you’re training to use the toilet, for example, you’ll need to wash the toilet more frequently. At times, you may even need to wash it several times a day.

The most used part of the toilet is the bowl. For this reason, the frequency of cleaning the toilet is often dependent on how dirty or clean the bowl is. If kept clean by the users, the toilet bowl can go for even a week without needing a wash.

These aspects all play a role in the frequency with which you wash your toilet. Other than that, you also need to look at other parts of the toilet such as the toilet tank, the floor around the toilet and others. In essence, a toilet is the whole unit and not just the bowl and the seat.

Factors that will Determine how often to Clean  Toilet

Following are the factors that will influence how often you should clean you toilet

Number of users

Basically, the higher the number of users in the home, the higher the rate of using the toilet. This is because more germs will be in the toilet, more people will be touching the toilet handle and using the toilet seat and more people will be walking on the toilet floor.

If you’re not the only one using the toilet, you should ideally wash it every day.

Frequency of use

The more you use the toilet, the faster it gets dirty and the higher the frequency of cleaning it. This means that, if you have a higher number of people using the same toilet, you need to clean it more. On the other hand, fewer people using the toilet more frequently results in more cleaning as well.

In cold weather, for example, we use the toilet more than in dry weather. You should naturally clean the toilet more in cold weather when people are using it more frequently.

Kids

Kids learning to use the toilet will require that you clean it more. Boys especially can be quite naughty when using the toilet. At times, they might try standing far from the bowl then pee their way to it. The results aren’t that pleasant and you’ll need to clean almost every moment they use the toilet.

Also, they won’t generally keep good bathroom routines such as flushing after they use the toilet. This can be a good moment to teach them such healthy routines as flushing the toilet and washing hands after using the toilet and bathroom in general.

Amount of dust in the area

Dust will settle on all parts of the toilet including inside the bowl, the toilet seat cover, the toilet seat, the outside of the toilet tank and the floor around the house. If the area is dusty and the dust can access the toilet, you’ll need to clean it much more frequently to keep it looking good and to avoid contamination from the dust particles.

You can keep the dust away from the toilet but using a fan to remove odors from the toilet rather than having an open window to let it air naturally is a better way to keep the toilet free of dust.

Whether it’s a standalone toilet or part of a larger bathroom

For a standalone toilet, the frequency and of washing will be much less given that you won’t have to deal with water on the floor, steam, soap and other aspects in the bathroom. On the other hand, a toilet with a shower, sauna and other fixtures needs to be washed much more frequently.

For example, having a shower close by that generates steam means that the steam will settle on the parts of the toilet. The same goes for soap, shampoos and other chemicals used in the bathroom. If left to build up on the toilet, these items will make it sticky and dirty.

These aspects should guide you to the best way to take care of your toilet. Keeping it clean also helps keep it in shape as you will notice any damaged or worn out parts in need of fixing.

How often to Wash Various Toilet Parts

Different parts of the toilet need to be washed at different rates since they get dirty at different levels. The different parts of the toilet and how often to clean them are as follows:

Toilet Bowl

The toilet bowl, though the most used part of the whole toilet, often needs to be cleaned about once or twice every week. This is because most of the dirt that the bowl comes into contact with will be washed down the drain under pressurized water from the toilet tank. This washes the dirt down eliminating the need for frequent washing.

Toilet bowl inside cleaning
Bowl Cleaning

The frequency of washing increases with the number of users. Also, when the bowl starts developing lines caused either by hard water or dirt, you should give it a proper scrubbing to eliminate them before they become permanent.

How to clean the toilet bowl

The toilet bowl can be cleaned in the following steps:

  • Pour the toilet cleaner on the inside of the toilet bowl. Give it about 15 to 20 minutes to tackle the dirt.
  • Scrub the inside of the toilet bowl with the toilet brush until clean.
  • Flush the toilet then check how it looks.

If there is still some dirt, you may need to wash the toilet again. Otherwise, that’s enough. The toilet cleaner you use will have instructions on how to use it.

Seat and seat cover

As for the toilet seat and toilet seat cover, you need to wash them as often as you wash the toilet bowl which is once or twice a week. However, given that the toilet seat comes into contact with the skin of the user, it needs to be cleaned much more frequently.

For a start, you can use wet wipes to sanitize the toilet seat after each use. Given that this can be hard to adhere to for every person that uses the toilet, you should clean the toilet seat on a daily basis. If the toilet doesn’t have a seat and users instead just sit on the bowl, the bowl needs to be cleaned daily as well.

How to clean the toilet seat and seat cover

These two parts of the toilet can be cleaned as follows:

  • First, pour the toilet cleaner on the underside of the toilet seat then on the top making sure you cover as much of it as possible.
  • Do the same for the toilet seat cover then give it 15 to 20 minutes or as instructed on the cleaning agent.
  • Brush the toilet seat and seat cover making sure you cover as much of their surfaces as possible. Make sure you also clean the point at which the cover is connected to the toilet bowl at the back. This hinge is often neglected and will likely lead to urine smells and other unpleasant odors.
  • Pour water to rinse the seat and seat cover then wipe the floor to remove any water that might have spilt on it.

The seat cover and many other parts of the toilet don’t need to be dried as they’ll dry up on their own. You can, however, dry them by wiping the surface with a dry piece of cloth.

Under the bowl

The sides of the toilet bowl on the outside should be cleaned each time you clean the bowl. While you can clean it less frequently, dirty water will go there each time you clean the rim of the toilet bowl. This requires that you clean it to totally eliminate any germs that may build up.

As such, the outside of the toilet bowl needs to be cleaned at least once each week.

How to clean under the toilet bowl

Cleaning toilet bowl can be done as follows:

  • Make a soapy mix of a cleaning agent and water.
  • Dip in the toilet brush then scrub the sides of the toilet bowl making sure to cover all areas.
  • Rinse the washed parts with water and let it dry.
  • Clean the floor and wipe it dry.

When cleaning the outside of the toilet bowl, always clean the toilet all the way back to the end of the P-trap for the best results.

Toilet tank

The toilet tank is to be cleaned much less frequently given that it only stores water for the flushing process. In most cases, the toilet tank can be cleaned just about once a month or even less. If you use clean and soft water without any sediments or minerals, you can wash it even once every few months.

Dirt in Toilet Tank; Rust, mold and mud
Toilet Tank Dirt

The best time to clean the inside and outside of the toilet tank is when you’re carrying out routine checks on the integrity of the parts of the tank. The outside can be washed simply by wiping it with a wet piece of cloth since it’ll only have gathered dust. The inside needs to be washed with a cleaner or detergent and scrubbed accordingly.

The easiest to way to a clean tank is to turn-off the water supply, scrub the inside with a brush the rinse. For the exterior, use soapy water and a piece of cloth to clean and rinse it off.

Check the article below for complete instructions

How to clean a toilet tank

Toilet handle

The toilet handle should be cleaned with the toilet tank. That’s about once or twice a month. However, given that the toilet handle is touched every time the toilet is used, you can clean it much more frequently. For example, each time you clean the toilet seat and bowl, you can give the handle a wiping with a wet piece of cloth.

The type of handle doesn’t determine the frequency of use. For example, you have buttons, knobs, handles, levers and even hanging handles. Each of them is used by the one using the toilet and thus needs to be washed as frequently as possible.

The procedure for washing the toilet handle is similar to that of washing the outside of the toilet tank.

The floor around the toilet

The area around the base of the toilet also needs to be washed frequently enough to prevent the buildup of germs. If not cleaned, you will be carrying a lot of germs each time you visit the toilet. This can lead to infections and such other problems.

These areas should be cleaned with the methods described above for the best results. Keep the recommended routine for as long as you use the toilet.

How to clean around the toilet

The area around the toilet can be cleaned as follows:

  • Mix a floor cleaner with water as recommended by the manufacturer.
  • Pour the mixture around the toilet on the floor.
  • Scrub the floor with a long-handled brush making sure you brush thoroughly around the area the toilet seat meets with the floor.
  • Mop the floor and rinse it with a mop.

This method is for cement, tiled or concrete floors. Wooden floors and floors made of other types of materials will different cleaning procedures

More on Toilet Cleaning

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