Let’s be honest…scrubbing the toilet is low on the list of tasks that any of us really enjoy doing. But while there’s no way around the fact that it needs to be done, you do have some options for how you clean your toilet. Rather than grabbing the nearest bottle of chemical-packed toilet bowl cleaner, there are safer and more natural solutions to choose from.
Here’s how to take a more natural approach to toilet cleaning on a regular basis.
What’s in Commercial Toilet Bowl Cleaner?
Many commercially produced toilet bowl cleaners have toxic mixtures of chemicals that can be poisonous if ingested. The detergents, phenol, and isopropyl alcohol in toilet bowl cleaners can cause many different symptoms when contact is made with the eyes, nose, throat, stomach, skin, heart, and nervous system.
You can read about many of the potential dangers of toilet bowls right on the product’s label, but that doesn’t stop most people from ignoring the warnings and using them anyway out of habit. Many cleaners contain hydrochloric acid, which is a corrosive chemical that is harmful if inhaled. Meanwhile, chlorine bleach contained in toilet bowl cleaner can burn the skin, eyes, and nose, as well as cause asthma symptoms and destroy bodily tissue.
Then there is also the issue of having these harmful commercial chemicals going sown the sewers and ultimately into the ocean and harming sea life.
Why Keep Chemicals Out of Your Toilet?
As far as commercial cleaning products go, toilet bowl cleaner is one of the worst culprits for chemicals. Many people are grossed out by and intimidated by cleaning toilets, and rightfully so! This causes them to use whatever means necessary to get a toilet clean without paying too much attention to the ingredients, just as long as they seem to get the job done.
But there is a better way, especially if you have committed to living a natural lifestyle or if you have kids or pets in the house. Natural toilet bowl cleaners are simple and affordable to make, and they typically do just as good of a job or better than the commercial stuff.
Ingredients in Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner
If you have ever made any type of natural cleaning product at home, you’ll recognize many of these same ingredients in natural toilet bowl cleaner. This is great to know because it means that you likely already have some or all of these ingredients in your house, so making your own solution only requires a few minutes of your time and a container to put them into.
White vinegar, baking soda, borax, castile soap, and essential oils are some of the most common ingredients that you’ll find in DIY recipes for toilet cleaning. These are natural ingredients that are non-toxic and that won’t cause side effects or risks like commercial products do.
DIY Toilet Bowl Recipes
Here are a couple example recipes to try on your next bathroom cleaning day.
Orange and Lemon Toilet Cleaning Spray
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ¾ cup borax
- 5 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops orange essential oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine these ingredients in a spray bottle
- Pour the mixture into the toilet bowl and allow it to sit for a few hours
- Scrub the bowl with a toilet brush and flush to rinse with clean water
Tea Tree, Soap & Soda Toilet Cleaner
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup castile soap
- ½ cup baking soda
- 1 cup water
- 15 drop tea tree oil
- White vinegar (keep separate)
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine all ingredients except for vinegar in a spray bottle and shake
- Add some white vinegar to a separate, second spray bottle
- Spray the first mixture into the toilet
- Then spray white vinegar on top of this mixture for disinfecting purposes
- Allow it all to sit for about 20 minutes
- Scrub everything away with a toilet brush and flush to rinse