Home Made Toilet Cleaner.
Natural cleaners for toilets:
There are several
natural ingredients you can use to formulate your own toilet bowl cleaners.
Making your own allows you the freedom to use whichever ingredients you feel
are safest for your family, are readily available, and will perform the best.
White vinegar: You’re probably bored of hearing all the
hype on green-living websites about
for natural cleaning. But I can’t stop singing its praises. Vinegar is a mild
acid. It disinfects, eliminates odors, and is extremely safe.
Borax: Contrary
to inaccurate information on some websites, borax is NOT the same thing as
boric acid (which is toxic). It is actually sodium tetra borate, or
baking soda, in very LARGE amounts. Borax is a great multi-purpose cleaner that
whitens, deodorizes, and removes stains.
Lemon
juice or citric acid: Citric acid, also found in lemon juice,
binds to minerals in the toilet bowl making them easier to eliminate. It may
help diminish tough toilet stains left by hard water
There are the things you do
with a toilet, the germs you associate with it, the images you have from public
restrooms, the fact that you have to clean it-all of these details leave the
toilet somewhat... tainted.
What's the worst taint of
all for the toilet? It's the taint of smell; after years upon years of use to
rid you of your own refuse, something is bound to give. Perhaps it's the toilet
bowl itself? Or is it the tiles, the walls, the sink, the drain or the bathtub?
Pray that it isn't the septic tank though, because that will really stink.
So your toilet and bathroom
doesn't exactly smell of flowers, or it does smell of flowers... the carrion
flower variety, that is. What should you do?
Try to identify the toilet
smell, of course. Does it smell damp? Musty? Does the odor smell like urine?
Feces? Or sewage? Or does it smell like something died somewhere in your
bathroom? You'll need to try to locate the smell too. Do you smell it
everywhere in the room or only in certain places like near the toilet or near
the sink? Do you have a smelly clothes hamper in your bathroom that's stinking
the whole room up? Identify the origin of the smell, and then go from there.
Basic Toilet Odor Removal
* If you smell an unpleasant
odor in your bathroom, and you need to cover it up fast, simply light a wooden
match in the middle of that room. Lighting a match produces sulfur dioxide.
This chemical is so strong that it hides most other odors from your noses for a
short time.
* Obviously the easiest way
to make your bathroom smell better is to just open the windows and let the
fresh air in! Unless the temperature is below zero, that is, or it's raining.
If you can't let fresh air in, there are many other methods available.
* You will probably need
something stronger than soapy water to get rid of toilet smells. Specifically,
white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide counteracts the natural oil in bathroom
scum. Just get 1 liter (or quart) white vinegar or 3% hydrogen peroxide (peroxide
may cause bleaching), ¼ c. baking soda, 1 tsp. dish detergent (also removes
grease) and mix them together. This solution of vinegar/peroxide will dissolve
and remove the odor-causing crud instead of just spreading them around.
* Lighting a candle... even
an unscented one... in your bathroom can eliminate odors. Or, if you don't want
to create a possible fire hazard because you have kids or pets, set a candle
that has a strong fragrance in your bathroom. It will just cover up odors
instead of getting rid of them, but at least that room in your house will smell
better for awhile.
* Ammonia is also a very
useful cleaning agent in killing that salty toilet smell. Clean your toilet
with ammonia once, especially on the outside. Do not let ammonia get near the
bleach, though.
* Baking soda is a good odor
absorbent. Put a generous amount of baking soda in an uncovered container (the
size of the container depends on the size of the bathroom) and leave it for
several days. Remove the baking soda and replace it with a new batch and leave
it for a couple of days. Continue replacing the baking soda until it has
cleared the toilet smell.
* Hydro chloric Acid is also
advisable. Only for very stubborn stenches, this caustic chemical is very
powerful and can tackle smelly stains as old as forty years. But be very
careful in its usage and do not leave for it for any longer than the directions
say, as it can eat away at the porcelain itself, thereby causing surface
roughness that will make the toilet stain even quicker and smell even worse in
future.
* Get a sack of charcoal to
absorb the bad smell; charcoal is used not only to filter water and other
things, but is also utilized to soak up odors, just like baking soda. If you
see charcoal in an odor-removing product, it's likely to succeed at removing odors.
* Disinfect the walls,
ceiling, flooring and all fixtures; a lot of people forget to clean them, but
these areas have probably collected quite a bit of toilet stink from all those
years of use. Do yourself a favor and put the shower curtains and the carpet in
the washer, scrub the tiles, and wipe down porcelain tub and sink with a good
dose of ammonia, just to make sure that the toilet smell is gone.
Maybe the toilet smell is in
the floor tiles grout. If that's the case, then a strong chlorine bleach soak
will work. Also some bleach in the bowl overnight may help. Turn the fan on to
remove the bleach smell.
* Clean your toilet.
Speaking of the toilet bowl, perhaps a more detailed method in cleaning it is
in order. Use liberal amounts of cleaning agent or disinfectant and a bowl
brush to really scrub at the porcelain. Afterwards, let the solution sit for a
minute before the inevitable flush. Whatever chemicals you use, remember to
respect the directions given and follow them exactly; in particular; never mix
chemicals as this can be extremely hazardous. Make sure there is sufficient
ventilation while you are working and ideally, wear eye and skin protection.
Advanced Toilet Odor Removal
Assuming that your bathroom
is clean, i.e., the toilet is scrubbed and has been disinfected, there is no
mold or mildew present, the shower curtain/door is free from soap scum, the
shower/bathtub have been scrubbed, the tile floor has been swept and mopped, or
the carpet is dry and free from spills, and you still smell something
unpleasant in the air, then it's time to investigate the problem.
* Septic Ulcer. Do you have
a septic tank? The odor is a warning that there is a problem with the septic
system. Sometimes, the sewer might be clogged and needs to be checked, which is
the reason why the smell still remains. This bathroom odor can spell big
trouble if it's not remedied as soon as possible.
If your house is connected
to a city sewer system, you'll need to contact a plumber or the city to check
out and identify the exact cause. If you live in a rural setting and your
sewage is handled by a septic tank, then you'll just need to call a plumber.
Sewage odors in your bathroom drains can mean there's a problem in the system.
That is, the sewage may be backing up and not running out as it should.
Another thing to check is
the exhaust pipe which may be clogged too. This is one big problem to solve. If
you're renting, let your landlord know before the septic starts to back up. Now
there's a smell!
* Wax on, wax off. This is
another common problem that can make your bathroom smell as though it's never
been flushed even after flushing. If the wax ring that seals the base of the
toilet to the sewer pipe has gone deficient, it can allow gases and odors to
come into the room from the pipe.
It could also be that the
toilet is not seated well when installed; as such, it may require a new wax
gasket underneath. Call a plumber and see if they can find the problem. Or do
it yourself by replacing the ring then resetting your toilet; the problem
should stop by then.
* Check the Gasket. There is
a gasket in the connection with the bowl and the pipe leading to the outside.
In Wales, for example, there is also the gasket which sits between the floor
and the bowl. Either could be damaged.
Check the level of water
which is entering the water tank; maybe the water flush is set to light and the
lack of water is emptying the trap at the S bend. Try filling the bowl half
full with clean water and put some food dye in the water tank, then flush.
Check the level of the dye
in the bowl; you should see the color plainly. If not, your toilet is emptying
too much. If that's the case, then get someone who can service your type of
toilet. There should be water left in the bowl after a flush to act as a seal
against sewer gas even with the low-flush type.
Toilet Odor Removing
Products
* Lime-A-Way Toilet Bowl Cleaner has been specifically formulated with
extremely strong lime fighting ingredients to remove those stubborn,
unattractive calcium deposits that form in your bowl. These ingredients are
biodegradable and organic, are safe for the environment and on your septic
system. Lime-A-Way also contains highly potent hydrochloric acid, which is its
main cleaning ingredient and is extremely tough on odor-causing germs, grimes
and toilet residue.
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