Cleaning toilets is no one’s favorite chore. After all, who wants to deal with the inconvenience of dirty, clogged, or smelly toilets? Plus, many of the cleaners for cleaning toilets contain toxic chemicals. But what if there was a safe and effective way to clean toilets, like using baking soda? Today, we answer the question – Does Baking Soda Clean Toilets?
Yes, baking soda does clean toilets. It is a powerful cleaner that will make your toilet shiny and sparkling clean. It’s also non-toxic, making it very safe to store at home. It is an ingredient used in baked goods and is usually found in your kitchen.
Let’s start with the first question below:
How Does Baking Soda Clean?
It’s essential to know how baking soda cleans. The power of baking soda as a cleaning tool is primarily physical. It gently cleanses away dirt, rust, and stubborn stains. You can even use it to clean the grout in your home!
There’s also a lot of chemistry involved when you use baking soda. It reacts well with grease in stains, forming glycerol. Glycerol is an ingredient in detergent and soap.
Moreover, baking soda releases carbon dioxide, the same gas that makes soft drinks produce bubbles. As a result, baking soda has an excellent scrubbing effect.
Why is Baking Soda Good for Cleaning Toilets?
Now, let’s try to answer how baking soda cleans toilets. As you may know, baking soda, also known as bicarbonate, is a mild alkaline substance. Thus, it is a perfect toilet cleaning tool compared to bleach and other acidic cleaners. It is the safest cleanser to clean mildew, mold, and bacteria.
Experts do not recommend strong chemicals to clean the toilet or bathroom. They may be corrosive, meaning they harm the skin or can eat away human tissue and metal surfaces. If you use strong chemicals and cleaners, you should use gloves and safety goggles.
However, you won’t need any protective gear if you clean the toilet with baking soda, as it doesn’t contain harsh chemicals that can affect your skin or eyes. Baking soda is also great for using to clean other areas of the bathroom, such as the bathtub.
To learn how to clean the bathtub with baking soda read our article – Does Baking Soda Clean Bathtubs?
How to Clean a Toilet with Baking Soda
Cleaning with baking soda isn’t only effective but quick and easy. To do this, follow these steps:
Materials you need:
- Baking soda
- Long toilet brush
- Gloves (optional)
- Water
Instructions:
- Flush the toilet so dirt or any mess will rinse down.
- Sprinkle baking soda all over the inside of the toilet. Make sure that even the side of the bowl is covered with baking soda.
- Clean the toilet with a toilet brush. Make sure to scrub the stained areas thoroughly.
- Flush the toilet again to remove the dirty water and remaining baking soda.
Can Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide Clean Toilets?
Use hydrogen peroxide if you want your toilet free from bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeasts, and other germs. Then mix it with baking soda to deep clean the toilet. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cleaning the toilet with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
Materials you need:
- 1 cup baking soda
- ½ cup hydrogen peroxide
- Long toilet brush
- Water
Instructions:
- Pour hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes.
- Add baking soda and allow the mixture to sit for about 15 minutes.
- Afterward, scrub the toilet bowl, rinse, and flush to finish.
Does Vinegar and Baking Soda Clean Toilets?
If your toilet has hard-to-remove stains, try mixing baking soda and vinegar to clean the toilet. The mixture is not only practical but also friendly to the skin, the nostrils, and the environment.
Also, carbonic acid will form when you use baking soda with vinegar. It is a weak acid that activates the corrosive power of vinegar.
Materials you need:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 2 cups of white vinegar
- Long toilet brush
- Gloves (optional)
- Water
Instructions
- Flush the toilet to rinse away floating dirt.
- Pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes. It is better to leave the toilet for at least an hour.
- Pour the baking soda into the bowl. Sprinkle some of it on the sides of the bowl. Let it sit. Afterward, you will see the vinegar react to baking soda.
- Scrub the toilet, especially the stained areas.
- To finish, rinse the toilet with water and flush it to remove the remaining dirt.
Can you Clear a Clogged Toilet with Baking Soda and Vinegar?
Most people only know that baking soda cleans toilets. But did you know baking soda and vinegar mixture is a hack to unclog the toilet?
However, to avoid an eruption from overflowing onto the bathroom floor, measure the amount of baking soda and vinegar to put into the toilet.
You will need equal parts of these ingredients. If the clog issue is minor, you can use the ingredients simultaneously. But if it’s a stubborn clog, use a smaller amount of these ingredients and sprinkle or pour it in increments. It’s essential to put the ingredients in increments to prevent a big mess or eruption.
Read our article – How to Use Baking Soda and Vinegar to Clean a Drain to learn how to clean the drains in your house.
How to Unclog the Toilet with Baking Soda and Vinegar
This household tip is helpful if you don’t have a plunger handy. To execute this tip well, follow these steps.
Materials you need:
- ½ cup of baking soda
- ½ cup of vinegar
- A kettle or pot of hot water
- Pour the baking soda, then pour the same amount of vinegar into the bowl. Once these ingredients combine, you will see a fizzing action. The fizzing will subside little by little. Leave the mixture for a couple of minutes as it does its job.
- Pour the hot water into the toilet bowl. Check out if the clog is successfully released. Once it is released, you will hear a suction sound, and the toilet will drain normally.
- You’re done! Flush the toilet at least twice to make sure it’s working properly.
How to Prevent Dirt or Stubborn Stains in Your Toilet
While some toilets have a stain-resistant finish, they still might not be exempt from staining. Standing water has minerals that can discolor or stain the porcelain.
If you allow stains from standing water to build, they will be hard to remove. Then, you will need strong chemicals or acidic cleansers to remove the stubborn stain.
Thus, it’s worthwhile to not only be aware of how baking soda cleans toilets. It’s also crucial to practice preventive maintenance.
To do this, make “flush the toilet after use” a family rule. Also, make a weekly cleaning habit of cleaning the toilet with baking soda.
Conclusion
Indeed, baking soda cleans toilets. You can also use it to clean the bathtub, sink, faucet, shower doors, and stone tiles. However, note that when the toilet issue is severe, you can make baking soda even more powerful. How do you do this? Mix it with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide!
Now that you have the answer to – “Does baking soda clean toilets?”, you can follow this guide and clean your toilet quickly, safely, and effectively.
If you’re interested in learning what else baking soda can clean in your home, check out our post – Can Baking Soda Clean Drains?: Safely Unclog Your Home’s Drains
