How Long Does Toilet Bowl Cleaner Need To Sit Before Scrubbing?

Cleaning the toilet isn't a task anyone likes to do, but it is a necessary one. There are tons of products out there claiming to make your toilet sparkling clean, but one that is undoubtedly a must-have is toilet bowl cleaner itself. You may know you need it, but do you know how long you should leave it so it can do its job properly? The simple answer is that you should leave your toilet bowl cleaner to sit for approximately 10 minutes.

This is a good amount of time to keep in mind, but you don't have to be too strict with it; the overall length will vary depending on how dirty the toilet is and how much product you use. If you're looking for the most precise way to clean a toilet that will have it gleaming brighter than ever, look no further — we've laid out all the steps so you can rest easy in the knowledge that you're using your toilet bowl cleaner of choice correctly. 

Some toilet bowl cleaners will have an angled tip for easier cleaning — if yours doesn't, simply place the bottle at the top of the bowl and coat it with a downward motion until it's completely covered. After about 10 minutes, grab your toilet brush and scrub vigorously, ensuring you're not lifting the brush too near to the top of the bowl to prevent any liquid from going over the edge. The exception is if you are dealing with toilet bowl stains that have been there a while, in which case you might want to let the liquid sit for slightly longer based on your judgment.

A good tip to keep in mind is that if you find the cleaner has to sit for longer, you can always apply it first, clean the rest of your toilet or even the entire bathroom, and then return to scrub the bowl. Once your toilet is thoroughly cleaned, flush to rinse. You will need to clean the rest of the toilet too, of course, but for the bowl, a cleaner and a brush are all you need. Once the inside is done, you can move on to cleaning the other parts of the toilet accordingly.