By LISA KAHN
Coca-Cola, vinegar, and baby oil. It’s an ingredient list that sounds like something bored kids might concoct on a rainy day. But these are just a few of the surprising products you can use to keep your toilet clean and in tip-top shape. What’s more, repurposing common household items like these saves money.
Don’t be weirded out by the strange ingredients. These cleaning tips really work! Give them a try and discover how you don’t have to use harsh, expensive chemicals to keep your toilet clean. These 10 weird, wacky-yet-effective toilet fixes are worth a try.
Boiling Water Unclogs Stubborn Pipes
To fix a clogged toilet with minimal ingredients, fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Carefully pour the boiling water directly into the toilet bowl to dissolve the clog.
White Vinegar Toilet Bowl Bath
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.
Lallanilla says that full-strength vinegar also works great on grout and caulk. Use a spray bottle to saturate the area and let it soak in for at least an hour before rinsing.
Scrub With a Pumice Stone
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.
Coca-Cola Cleanser
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.
Sanitize With Hydrogen Peroxide
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.
DIY Fizzy Toilet Bomb
You can buy fancy “fizzes” 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 combined with your favorite scented oil.
Baby Oil Polish for Chrome
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.
Nail Polish Prevents Rust
Keep your toilet seat hardware rust-free by coating the bolts and screws with clear nail polish. This will also prevent the seat from shifting around since the screws will be less likely to loosen.
A Plastic Soda Bottle Saves on Water
If your toilet isn’t a newer model with water-saving features, there’s an easy way to save money and cut back on wasted water. Fill an empty one-liter plastic bottle with an inch or two of sand and then add water to the top. Screw on the lid and place the bottle inside your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms. The bottle will help reduce water usage with every flush.
Prevent Toilet Sweat Using Bubble Wraps
It is mostly used for packing fragile items. But can also be used to prevent sweating toilet tank by reducing condensation.
Here’s how it is used.
First, turn off the water supply to the toilet and remove the tank lid. Flush the toilet and wait until the tank is all drained out. When it’s empty, line the tank with a layer of bubble wrap. The layer acts as a form of insulation that helps to keep the outside of the tank warm.
