The Easiest Way To Clean Your Toilet Brush Is Actually In The Toilet

While cleaning the bathroom is most likely on your weekly list of chores, you may be neglecting to clean your toilet brush. Once you're done scrubbing the rest of the space, this cleaning tool is often an afterthought, but it tends to harbor tons of germs, bacteria, mold, and mildew, especially if returned to the holder while still wet Luckily, there's an easy way to clean your toilet brush without spreading bacteria to the rest of the bathroom.

TikTok user @acleanbee revealed a simple method for cleaning brushes in the toilet with the use of bleach. While bleach is an effective cleaner that kills 99.9% of germs, it's not always the best idea to put it in your toilet, especially if you use this method often. Bleach can damage the inside of your toilet and cause it to leak, but natural cleaners, such as vinegar, are sometimes a safer bet to get the job done. 

After cleaning your toilet, this TikTok user suggests pouring bleach into the bowl, setting the brush inside, and letting it soak for one or two hours. Then, wedge the handle of the brush under the toilet seat and let it hang over the bowl to dry. If you don't want to use bleach, they suggest heavily spraying the brush with an alcoholic cleaner, letting it dry over the bowl, rinsing it with hot water, and leaving it to dry.

Another method is to wash the brush with the water in your freshly cleaned toilet. Simply place your brush in the toilet bowl and flush, allowing the pressure to scrub away all the debris. If you're concerned that the cleaner you used on your toilet won't be effective enough, spray it with a disinfectant spray, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide while holding it over the bowl. Make sure to spin the brush so all sides are coated in the cleaner, and then rest the handle of the brush under the seat to air dry.

If you want to use bleach but are worried about damaging your toilet, use a bucket instead. Rather than pouring the bleach directly into your toilet, mix 1 cup of bleach with 3 quarts of hot water in a bucket. To make sure the bleach doesn't splash out and ruin your floor or bathmats, set it inside the shower. You can then submerge the toilet brush and the holder, if you wish, into the solution, allowing it to soak for an hour, then air dry.

While the toilet brush holder won't need to be cleaned as often as the brush, it's still important to make sure it's not getting grimy. You can wipe the holder down with a disinfectant or soak it in a cleaning solution like the method above. The holder should be completely dry before you store the brush in it again.