The Unexpected Way You Can Add Baby Oil Into Your Toilet Cleaning Routine

Regardless of the size of your home, you can typically count on toilet cleaning to top the list as the most hated household chore. No one flushes with fervor when it's time to clean a commode. Though that may change once you learn the unexpected way you can add baby oil to your toilet cleaning routine. Just a few drops of the popular skin softener and a little elbow grease can restore a grimy toilet to its original gleam.

As odd as it may sound, moving that bottle of baby oil from your child's diaper-changing table to your toilet cleaning toolkit may prove to be a real game changer when it comes to ensuring your bathroom looks its best. The magic is in the emollient's main ingredient — mineral oil — which is naturally derived from petroleum. Consequently, applying greasy baby oil to your toilet's porcelain exterior or chrome fixtures is not at all counterintuitive, as the lubricant is designed to protect surfaces from moisture and oxidation. Ultimately, thanks to baby oil, cleaning the toilet doesn't have to be a dirty job.

Who knew the same product that promises to keep skin soft and supple is also capable of bringing the shine back to toilets covered with smudges and smears? What's more, the process is remarkably simple. Start by adding a few drops of regular baby oil to a clean, soft cloth. Once the material is moderately saturated, begin buffing the outside of the toilet bowl and tank until the porcelain sparkles like glass. Pay special attention to the sides of the bowl and the top of the tank, which are most susceptible to harboring dirty fingerprints.

If you are feeling extra heroic, use baby oil to scrub the back of the toilet. While it doesn't contain sanitizing properties, baby oil will remove dried urine and grime that may have collected on the sides and back of the potty. More importantly, baby oil's petroleum roots will coat surfaces with a light protective film that helps prevent dust and dirt from building up in the future. 

After polishing the body of the toilet, use baby oil to wipe down the handle and trim. Baby oil is especially effective on chrome fixtures that have dulled over time. Simply squirt a little baby oil on a soft, damp cloth and thoroughly wipe the toilet's handle and trim until they shine. Next, go back with a dry cloth and gently buff the areas making sure to erase any residual streaks.

A little baby oil has the potential to turn the most-hated domestic task into a tolerable one — with little being the operative word. Moderation is key when using oil to eliminate nasty marks from your toilet. Dousing any part of a toilet will hinder the cleaning process rather than help, as you will be forced to exercise more energy to buff off the excess emollient. Keep in mind porcelain is notoriously non-porous and non-absorbent, which means baby oil overkill won't result in a deep clean; rather, it will simply require you to spend more time removing leftovers. What's more, because commercial baby oil is petroleum-based, it has the ability to clog waterways and, consequently, is not considered eco-friendly.

Finally, since baby oil is not designed to kill germs, if you are looking to seriously sanitize your toilet, simply save the oil for later. When battling especially dirty toilet messes, which may be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, first scrub with a multi-purpose cleaning product and thoroughly air dry. Then, go back with a clean cloth lightly saturated with baby oil and wipe off any lingering marks or smears.