Susannah Herrada
THE WASHINGTON POST – If there’s one place in the home most of us can probably agree requires a regular scrubbing, it’s the toilet.
But even if yours looks sparkling, truly getting it clean can be tricky since the toilet provides optimal conditions for all kinds of bacteria, mold and viruses.
Aerosol scientist at the University of Oklahoma’s Hudson College of Public Health Changjie Cai heads a lab that studies what lurks in the bowl and what each flush may send into the air.
One takeaway from his research: “We sometimes don’t pay attention to cleaning the underside of the rim. It can become very nasty,” he said.
“Salmonella can persist there for a long time – months even – because it has the perfect environment.”
For more expert insight into your toilet – and advice on how to properly disinfect it – read on.
ASSEMBLE YOUR TOOLS
Selecting the right toilet brush is critical. Go for an angled one with stiff bristles, which will do a better job accessing the underside of the rim and inside the trap (the hole in the bottom of the bowl).
An old toothbrush also works well for getting under the rim.
Good Housekeeping recommends cleaning your toilet brush after each use by filling its holder with hot, soapy water; rinsing the brush; then repeating with cold water and a little bit of bleach.
If you follow that process and your brush still doesn’t look clean, it’s time to replace it.
When it comes to protecting yourself, rubber dish gloves (designated for use in the bathroom only) are a great choice because they extend nearly to your elbow.
The pros at Molly Maids also recommend wearing a mask, particularly if your ventilation is subpar and you’re using products that require good airflow to be safe, such as bleach.
CHOOSE CLEANING PRODUCTS THAT DISINFECT
The American Cleaning Institute merely advises using a “disinfectant” on your toilet – but there are so many on the market that picking one can be confusing.
One crucial tip: if the label promises that the product “kills 99.9 per cent of viruses and bacteria,” that means the Environmental Protection Agency has verified it’ll get the job done. Toilet-bowl cleaners by Lysol and Clorox are both verified, for instance, as are bathroom disinfectant sprays by those same brands (which can be used on the outside of
the toilet).
If harsh chemicals are a concern, look out for the EPA’s “Safer Choice” label, which a product receives only after the agency has determined that its ingredients meet certain criteria for human and environmental health, while remaining effective. Toilet cleaners by Seventh Generation, for example, carry the label.
For a simpler approach, good old-fashioned household bleach remains arguably the best germ-killing bang for your buck.
The EPA recommends a ratio of one-third of a cup liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.
One product to skip? Those
bleach-based tablets for your tank that promise to continuously clean.They can damage a toilet’s rubber gaskets and seals. Plus, the ASPCA warns they’re unhealthy for pets who slurp toilet water.
PROPERLY VENTILATE
Before you start cleaning, flip on the bathroom fan or open a window – or, if you can, do both.
Between the fumes from your cleaning products and whatever’s kicked into the air while scrubbing, proper ventilation is essential.
START WITH A WIPE-DOWN
To properly sanitise a toilet, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, its surfaces must first be free of visible grime that could obstruct your disinfectant.
So, if you can see gunk such as hair, mold and you-can-imagine-what-else, it’s important to give exterior parts like the seat an initial wipe down, and the bowl a preliminary brushing.
DECREASE THE WATER LEVEL IN THE BOWL
Lowering the water level doesn’t require a plumber’s license. In some toilets, you can just turn off the tank’s water supply and flush.
If that doesn’t work, empty the bowl by plunging or by pouring in around one-and-a-half gallons of water – either method will simulate a flush while preventing the bowl from refilling.
While this step might sound like overkill, we tried it ourselves and can attest that it’s a game changer. Less water makes cleaning the bowl marginally better because you’re not as likely to splash yourself.
Reducing the water minimises reflections, giving you a clearer view of what’s going on in the bowl, and allows cleaning products to work better since they’re not as diluted and spend more time in direct contact with the toilet.
SCRUB THE BOWL
Now you can really get down to business. Add your bowl cleaner and grab your angled brush. Be meticulous about scrubbing the underside of the rim, as well as the trap. Cai said both are often-neglected, hard-to-see areas that tend to become hot zones for biofilms – essentially, slimy colonies of microorganisms that attach to surfaces.
BE PATIENT
A common mistake is to immediately flush away the cleaning product inside the bowl, minimising its effectiveness. “If you want to disinfect, you have to allow sufficient contact time” with the disinfectant, Cai said. Follow the directions on the label, or if you’re unsure, the CDC recommends waiting at least a minute.
DISINFECT THE TOILET’S EXTERIOR
The final step is to disinfect the exterior parts of the toilet. Using your EPA-verified disinfectant, spray and wipe down the top and underside of the seat, the bowl base, the top and underside of the lid, the tank, the handle, and the hinges that connect the lid to the bowl.
If you use a generous wad of toilet paper for the job, you’ll be able to flush it when you’re done. If you use paper towels, toss them in the trash immediately so they don’t contaminate other areas.
