Although keeping your toilet bowl clean is necessary, it’s not always fun. However, there are common household items that can help you clean it well, including Coca-Cola, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide. These 8 weird and wacky-yet-effective fixes for cleaning toilet bowls really work. Give them a try and see how you don’t have to use harsh, expensive chemicals to keep your toilet clean.
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Coca-Cola Cleanser
The Spruce / Michelle Becker It may sound like an urban legend, but plenty of folks swear that Coke dissolves toilet rust rings. Here’s how: Pour a full can around the rim so that it fully coats the bowl, then let it sit for at least an hour to allow the soda to break down the stains. Scrub with a toilet brush, then flush. If this isn’t effective, it may be time for Tip #2.
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Scrub With a Pumice Stone
The Spruce / Michelle Becker A pumice stone is another unexpected but effective way to get rid of that persistent ring inside the bowl. Always start by soaking the pumice in warm water—the stone and the toilet surface should always be wet to avoid scratches. Gently scrub the stain until it’s gone, and then flush the toilet to rinse.
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White Vinegar Toilet Bowl Bath
The Spruce / Michelle Becker Most people reach for bleach to obliterate toilet germs and stains. However, Green living expert Mark Lallanilla says that plain old white vinegar is an effective cleaner. To eliminate hard water stains, soak toilet paper in vinegar and place directly on top of the stain. Let the vinegar-soaked paper sit overnight. The next morning, flush to rinse and the stains should be gone.
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Sanitize With Hydrogen Peroxide
The Spruce / Michelle Becker According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hydrogen peroxide is a safe and effective germ fighter.1 To disinfect your toilet, pour ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide into the bowl, let stand for 30 minutes, and then flush to rinse.
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DIY Fizzy Toilet Bomb
The Spruce / Michelle Becker
You can buy fancy “fizzies” or “bombs” that clean and deodorize your toilet, but it’s easy and inexpensive to make your own. You can even make your own all-natural fizzy toilet bombs using only common household products such as baking soda and citric acid combined with your favorite scented oil.
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Baby Oil Polish for Chrome
The Spruce / Michelle Becker You’ll be amazed when you see the shining results of baby oil applied to chrome fixtures. You can polish up your toilet handle—not to mention your faucets and showerhead—with just a few drops on a clean, soft cloth. Then, apply a few more drops to the toilet tank and toilet bowl and buff until the porcelain gleams.
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Shaving Cream to Neutralize
Shaving Cream If you have shaving cream in your bathroom, consider using it to clean your toilet if it’s not smelling or looking fresh. Shaving cream has foaming properties that can eliminate uric acid crystals and their associated odor. Spray a generous amount of shaving cream into the toilet bowl and let it sit for around 10 minutes. After that, scrub the bowl and then flush it
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Lemon Juice Scrub
Lemon juice can help lighten skin. Just be careful not to get it in your eyes. Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock To freshen up your toilet and get rid of germs and stains, pour half a cup of lemon juice into the bowl and scrub. Lemon juice has antibacterial and bleaching properties that help to eliminate bacteria and stains. If the stains are stubborn, you can sprinkle some borax into the bowl before adding the lemon juice.