Toilet cleaning is a chore that we can’t escape from if we want a sanitary and fragrant bathroom. Doing so typically involves scrubbing and elbow grease—which can be very exhausting that you’d start asking if cleaning the toilet without a brush is possible.
The answer? Yes, it is.
This article will teach you ways on how to keep a toilet bowl clean without scrubbing. We’ll use products found in the market as well as natural and automatic cleaners that can also prevent a very stained toilet bowl (which may result in elbow grease scrubbing!).
Table of Contents
5 Best Ways to Clean the Toilet Without Scrubbing
Method 1: Install an Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaning System
Probably the easiest way to keep our commodes pristine without even giving a single scrub is by using an automatic cleaner.
Fluidmaster’s Flush N Sparkle is what to put in the toilet tank to keep the bowl clean and it takes less than 5 minutes to install.
What to Prepare:
- Anautomatic toilet bowl cleaner (Fluidmaster 8300 Flush N Sparkle)
- Flush N Sparkle bleach refills
How to Use:
- There is no need to turn off the shut-off valve or drain the tank. Take the Flush N Sparkle holder from the box and you will see that the holder has the following:
- large clip at the body’s back
- shorter tube
- tube with clip fastener at the end
- Remove the existing refill tube attached to the fill valve and overflow tube.
- Clip the holder at the back of the tank (right side).
- Attach the holder’s shorter tube to the fill valve (where the refill tube was previously connected)
- Attach the tube with the clip fastener on top of the overflow tube.
- Take a piece of the bleach refill and put it in the holder’s cartridge by inserting it and then turning it clockwise.
Benefits:
- Automatic bowl cleaners can clean the bowl without touching it.
- It won’t damage the tank’s parts because the cleaning formula is released directly into the bowl, unlike toilet tablets when they stay with the tank’s water for a long period.
Method 2: Disinfect With Clorox Toilet Wand
A hygienic alternative to a toilet brush, the Clorox Toilet Wand is a cleaning tool with disposable scrub heads (brush). The scrub heads already contain a cleaning solution including glycolic acid and sodium lauryl sulfate.
What to Prepare:
- Clorox Toilet Wand kit
- cleaning gloves
How to Use:
- To prepare, open a pack of scrubs and put them inside the caddy with their tips pointing outwards.
- Take the handle and gently press it to one of the scrubs to attach it.
- Dip the brush for 5 seconds to activate the cleaner, then proceed to gently brush the bowl’s area with no water to spread the product.
- Go under the rim and spread the product there as well; cleaning the rim jets will help in keeping the toilet bowl clean.
- Lastly, go under the bowl where the water lies and lightly brush that area.
- If there is an excess product from the scrub head, you may use this to wipe the toilet seat.
- Just make sure to rinse it thoroughly with water or a wet paper towel.
- Leave the cleaner in the toilet bowl for 5 to 10 minutes to disinfect and get the grime off, if any.
- Flush multiple times to rinse.
Benefits:
- The Clorox Toilet Wand is good for sanitation, disinfection, and removal of light dirt or stains.
- You won’t have to use and store dirty brushes anymore.
Method 3: Remove Stains With Coke
Coke has citric and phosphoric acids which result in the pH level going lower. A low pH level will turn the product acidic, which makes it effective in cleaning common toilet problems like hard water and rust.
This may just be the best product to maintain a pristine toilet when you are in a hurry.
What to Prepare:
- 2 bottles of 1.25 liter Coke (2.5 liters)
- cleaning gloves
- cup or wet and dry vacuum (to remove the bowl’s water)
How to Use:
- Turn off the shut-off valve and flush the toilet to drain the tank. Take out the excess water manually with a cup or by using a wet and dry vacuum cleaner.
- This is to let the Coke sit below to get rid of toilet stains in that area.
- Pour Coke into the bowl. Make sure to get the sides if we also want to get rid of skid marks.
- We’re supposed to only let it sit overnight, but you can also scrub it with a toilet brush before leaving it.
- The next morning, turn on the shut-off valve to fill the tank with water. You can brush the bowl if you wish. Afterward, flush to rinse the toilet.
Benefits:
- Using Coke is an easy way to remove light stains and it can also remove some stubborn ones, including skid marks.
- Coke is an accessible cleaning method, although it’s not a disinfectant
Method 4: Combine White Vinegar and Baking Soda
If we want to naturally keep our toilets clean, using a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda will always be one of the best hacks. This is also a great substitute for bleach since we want to avoid using that unless highly necessary.
What to Prepare:
- at least 3 cups of white vinegar
- at least 1 cup of baking soda
- toilet brush
How to Use:
- Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the bowl and use a toilet brush to spread it around.
- Wait for 1 to 2 minutes, then put 1 cup of baking soda into the bowl. Afterward, pour 2 cups of white vinegar; doing so will create a fizz.
- Leave the mixture for 30 minutes. Within this timeframe, you can use the brush to spread the solution around the bowl twice or thrice.
- Since this is a no-scrub toilet bowl cleaner, you may flush it already after 30 minutes to see the results.
But if you see stains after the said time frame, you may also choose to scrub them a little before flushing. After all, this mixture is also a staple to remove toilet rings.
Benefits:
- It’s a highly effective cleaning mixture that can get through limescale to whiten toilet bowls or restore their original color.
- Both baking soda and white vinegar are accessible, eco-friendly, and easy to use.
Method 5: Toss Some DIY Cleaning Bombs in the Bowl
One hack for cleaning the commode while having fun is to create DIY toilet bombs out of strong ingredients like citric acid, baking soda, and dish soap. This is also a good preparation for your more rigorous method to clean the inside of the toilet bowl.
What to Prepare:
- at least 1 cup of baking soda
- at least ¼ cup of citric acid powder
- dishwashing liquid
- silicone molder for bath bomb mold (size should not be too big)
Steps to follow:
- Pour 1 cup of baking soda and ¼ cup of citric acid powder into a bowl (not the toilet bowl yet!) and squeeze about a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Then, mix them with your hands until they feel clumpy.
- Put the mixture in the mold (fill all of the spaces!).
- Wait for 24 hours for the toilet bombs to harden.
- Throw 1 bomb each on the dirty toilet bowls and let them sit for 30 minutes to dissolve dirt and grime.
- Flush the toilet and repeat the process if necessary.
Benefits:
- Toilet bombs give fragrance to the bathroom, especially if we add essential oil to the mixture.
- They are easy to make and use since a single bomb can already help clean the toilet.
Tips to Prevent Toilet From Getting Dirty Fast
This may be a no-brainer, but the best way to prevent our toilets from getting infested with stains is to clean them regularly at least once a week.
We also recommend installing a water softener system to remove hard water-causing minerals, like calcium or magnesium, that later result in stains. A water filter will help remove other contaminants and avoid dirty water overall.
While on vacation, it’s best to turn off the water filter to protect it from incidents like a sudden increase in water pressure. The softener can be left open while the water supply is turned off, but you can also shut the system off if you’d prefer.
Conclusion
Cleaning the bathroom doesn’t always have to involve a painstaking ritual of elbow grease. There are many ways on how to keep a toilet bowl clean without scrubbing, and most of them are simple.
Some of what we can use in this process are an automatic toilet bowl cleaner, the Clorox toilet cleaning wand, bottles of Coke, white vinegar and baking soda mixture, and DIY toilet bombs made of citric acid, baking soda, and dishwashing soap.
I’m Paulk Webb, and I work as a writer for Saveourwaterrebates. I’m happy to put in the time and effort to conduct market research to identify the most pressing issues faced by households concerning their plumbing. Feel free to check out our guides to get the most informed recommendations for how to solve your problems.