Raise your hand if you love toilet cleaning!

My hand certainly didn’t shoot up in the air.  I can’t think of a more dreaded household task than scrubbing toilets—especially in a houseful of boys.

The twins just turned 6 and I don’t understand why in the world their aim is still so unfocused.  Actually, one of the twins, Beckem, does get a partial pass.

Beckem has an extremely rare disorder called KAT6A which causes delayed development and poor motor planning (among other things).  It’s still a bit tricky for him to hold his aim for the entire duration. 

Needless to say, I clean the toilet MANY times per day.  Definitely my most frequent housekeeping chore.  

CLICK TO READ:  7 Home Cleaning Hacks to Make Cleaning Faster and Easier

 

SHORT ON TIME? SAVE TO PINTEREST NOW & READ ABOUT TOILET CLEANING LATER! 

Toilet Cleaning Safely

As if cleaning the toilet isn’t icky enough, we also have the dilemma of doing so safely.  A clean, germ free bathroom is not optional, but exposure to toxic chemicals isn’t acceptable either.

Many of the cleaning products we use to keep our homes looking clean are leaving behind extremely dangerous pollutants.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization committed to protecting our health and the environment.  Their team of scientists go to great lengths to determine what ingredients are in our cleaning products and then give hazard ratings for a wide range of cleaners and ingredients.

The EWG database is a helpful place to search for the safety rating of cleaning products.  This helps you have information you need to choose cleaners that are safe.

According to a study by the EWG, more than half of cleaning products contain lung harming ingredients and several cleaners contained the cancer causing chemicals formaldehyde and chloroform.

But here’s the kicker—U.S. Law does NOT require that manufacturers of cleaning products disclose the ingredients to the public.  They could even list only the benign ingredients on the label and leave off the dangerous ones, or give vague ingredient descriptions leaving consumers in the dark.

Is that not insane?

We are also cautioned to not be fooled by labels on cleaning products labeled “green” or “natural“.  Many contain ingredients (that aren’t disclosed on the label) that are quite harmful to our health.

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This post may contain affiliate links meaning that I may earn a small percentage (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase through a link that I share. See full disclosure.

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CLICK TO READ:  7 THINGS YOU ARE FORGETTING TO CLEAN

Are Cleaning Products Safe?

So these cleaning products we are using to clean all of the surfaces in our homes, where our kids live, sleep, eat, and breath, are most likely finding their way into our bodies.

We are breathing them into our lungs, absorbing the chemicals through our skin, or transferring toxins from hands to mouth—especially young children who are crawling or still sticking everything in their mouth.

Many people experience the health effects from cleaning products soon after exposure but many may not be affected until years later.

RELATED:  GMO FOODS & KIDS: THE DANGERS & HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY

 

How Do Busy Moms Clean Toilets Safely?

If your days are as hectic as mine (and I bet they are), then you need the most efficient way to clean without damaging the health of your children and family.  You can’t spend all of your time and energy researching and shopping for cleaners.

My preferred method of thorough cleaning and sanitizing everything in my home without chemicals is to use my steam cleaner.

But that isn’t at all practical for a toilet that needs cleaned numerous times each day.

CLICK TO READ:  The Best All Purpose Cleaner (Safe for Kids) AND 10 Reasons your House STILL doesn’t  look clean

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Full disclosure:  I purchased Force of Nature before I started my blog so I was not an affiliate then, but I am an affiliate now, so if you purchase through my links, I receive a commission (which helps to keep this blog afloat:-) Full Affiliate Disclosure found here.

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Best Toilet Cleaner (and everything cleaner)

Over a year ago, I began using this All Purpose Cleaner that is non toxic and extremely effective.  It has replaced almost all other cleaners in our home and is so much more convenient than mixing up ingredients to create safe cleaners.

The best part is that I can clean with kids right beside me and even let them help with cleaning—without the worry of endangering their health.   

RELATED:  Chores for Kids:  How to Teach Important Life Skills

You can get $30 Off Force of Nature Natural Cleaner now, but if you aren’t ready to purchase the starter kit just yet, then there are certainly other ways to clean safely.  

Go here to read about some of the best non toxic cleaning products that you can make yourself!

 

Toilet Cleaning 101

The first thing you MUST have to keep a clean, germ free toilet is an easy to remove toilet seat.

If you have little boys and have a lingering urine smell even after you clean, it could be trapped under the hinges that keep the toilet seat/lid attached to the bowl.

With the easy-to-remove toilet seat, you will be able to simply take the seat off of the bowl and quickly clean any urine that has seeped underneath.

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Storage of Toilet Cleaning Products

You will save tons of time and effort by keeping all of your toilet cleaning products and tools right in the bathroom.  I store mine in a cabinet underneath the sink so I never have to run around the house gathering supplies to clean with.

As I mentioned before, Force of Nature has replaced almost all of my cleaning products.  I use it to clean the commode, floors, counters, sinks, and even the mirrors.

It saves so much room to only use one bottle of cleaner.  The only other cleaning things I keep under the bathroom sink are microfiber cleaning cloths, paper towels, baking soda, and the toilet brush.

Be sure to read here for practical bathroom organization ideas to take a messy  bathroom to sparkling clean, tidy, and clutter free.  

Safe Toilet Cleaning Products:

• All purpose cleaner that disinfects and sanitizes such as Force of Nature or PureGreen 24
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Microfiber cleaning cloths
• Toilet brush
• Magic Erasers
• Paper towels
• Baking soda
• Babyganics All Purpose Surface Wipes
• Vinegar
• Hydrogen Peroxide

RELATED:  HOW TO QUICKLY CLEAR THE CLUTTER FROM YOUR ENTIRE HOME

How To Clean a Toilet

When you use safe, non toxic cleaning products, you are able to clean while the kids are in the room and can even let them help with the cleaning chores.

Throughout the day, I give the toilet a quick wipe down as needed by spraying Force of Nature and wiping clean with a microfiber cloth.

Then, when the twins take a bath, I do a more deep cleaning of the toilet. 

 

While I start the bath water, I sprinkle a bit of baking soda into the toilet bowl then spray Force of Nature cleaner all over the toilet:

• under the lid
• down the sides of the bowl
• the floor all around the toilet
• the seat
• inside the bowl.

Next, I scrub the inside of the bowl with the toilet brush and close the lid onto the handle of the brush to let it dry.

While that is sitting, I help Beckem with his bath.

Then, while he plays with bath toys, I put the toilet brush back into it’s little holder and I start wiping down the toilet, removing the easy to clean toilet seat if needed.

I use the microfiber cloths (unless there has been an illness and then I would use paper towels).

I begin wiping the toilet at the top of the tank and all around the tank and the handle, then I use the same cloth to wipe the floor around the toilet.

Next I get a new cloth and wipe the top and bottom of the seat, around the hinges of the seat, and then clean the top part of the bowl (the part the seat rests on when down).

I get another new cloth and clean the outside of the toilet bowl all the way around to the back and wipe the floor around the toilet again.

The used microfiber cloths can go into a bag like this that can hang on the bathroom door.  Then you can easily toss them into the washer on a sanitize cycle.

RELATED:  LAUNDRY TIPS TO CONQUER FAMILY LAUNDRY IN ONE DAY A WEEK

BONUS TIP:  I pour a small amount of Force of Nature cleaner into the toilet brush holder when placing the brush back.

RELATED:  HOW TO CLEAN HOUSE FAST FOR LAST MINUTE GUESTS

Keeping the Toilet Clean When You are  Mom of Little Boys

In the past, I would scrub the toilet, the walls, the floor—and it would still smell like pee!

One day, I had had enough and I started basically taking the toilet apart.  I wanted to replace the toilet seat anyway with the easy to remove/clean seat, so it seemed a good opportunity to investigate where the stink was coming from. Many times, it is urine trapped under the hinges.

But, you know the tiny little space between the toilet tank and the toilet base/bowl?

I’ll spare you the details, but if you have little boys learning to pee standing up, you may very well know what I speak of!

After scrubbing the mess and getting everything put back together, I decided to place a barrier so urine could never again find it’s way under the tank!

The simple solution:

I simply folded several paper towels and slid them into the space. 

Now, if one of the boys ‘misses’ (usually Beckem), I can discard the paper towels, easily spray and clean and replace the paper towel barrier.

I’m in a much better mood now that I don’t have to smell urine every time I walk into the bathroom (which is at least 82 times a day!)

It’s the little things, right?

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CLICK TO READ:  Why does My Home Look Cluttered? 5 Things You’re doing Wrong

Toilet Cleaning Without Harming Kids

Now you have a shiny clean and germ free toilet that you were able to handle with kids in the room! 

No fear of them inhaling toxic chemicals while you cleaned.

What are your best toilet cleaning tips? 

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All content here should be considered as opinion only.  Always seek the advice of your own health professional for any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health or the health of others  See full disclaimer.