How do I clean a toilet properly?

A toilet that's been cleaned and still smells is almost always clean in the bowl and dirty around the base, where splashes land and dry. Cleaning in order from cleanest to dirtiest, and remembering the outside of the pan, is what fixes it.

Safety

What you'll need

• Toilet cleaner
• Toilet brush
• Cloths (dedicated to the toilet)
• Rubber gloves
• Old toothbrush (optional)

Step by step

1. Apply cleaner under the rim and leave it for at least 10 minutes.The under-rim channel is where most of the staining and bacteria live. Contact time does the work.
2. While it sits, clean the cistern, handle and the outside of the tank.Cleanest surfaces first, so you're not moving contamination upward.
3. Clean the seat, both sides, and the hinges.The underside of the seat and the hinge recesses are routinely missed.
4. Clean the lid and the outside of the bowl.Working downwards, so anything that drips lands on something not yet cleaned.
5. Brush the bowl thoroughly, working the brush up under the rim.The visible bowl is usually the cleanest part. The rim channel is the part that matters.
6. Clean the base of the pan and the floor around and behind it.This is the step that fixes persistent smell. Splashes land here and dry, and nothing else reaches it.
7. Clean the cistern's flush button or handle last, then the brush holder.The brush holder collects the water that drips off the brush and is frequently the dirtiest item in the room.
8. Rinse the brush in clean flush water and let it drain before putting it back.Wedge it under the seat to drip-dry for a few minutes.

Tips

• For limescale below the water line, turn off the supply, flush to lower the water, and apply descaler directly to the exposed scale.
• Keep a dedicated set of cloths for the toilet, in a distinct colour. Cross-contamination from cloths is a genuine hygiene issue.
• A weekly clean plus a daily wipe of the seat and handle keeps a toilet in good order with very little effort.
• Replace the toilet brush periodically. They're inexpensive and they don't stay clean indefinitely.

Common mistakes

• Mixing toilet cleaner with bleach — Acidic cleaners plus bleach release chlorine gas. Never combine products.
• Cleaning the bowl but not the base — The base and surrounding floor are the usual source of a persistent smell.
• Spraying and immediately brushing — Cleaner needs contact time under the rim to work.
• Using the same cloth elsewhere in the bathroom — Cross-contamination. Keep toilet cloths separate and distinctly coloured.

Questions people ask