These Common Kitchen Ingredients Are All You Need For A Sparkling Clean Toilet

Nobody likes cleaning their toilet, but it's a task that should be done on a weekly basis. If you don't keep up with your bathroom cleaning routine, you could find yourself facing numerous issues, such as stubborn stains that refuse to budge, unpleasant lingering odors, and potentially even a blocked drain. Annoyingly, these issues can happen even if you do have a regular cleaning routine. That's where the following methods come in. Whatever the situation, the below toilet cleaning hacks will leave your toilet in minty fresh condition — and they all use common ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

While there are products you can buy that will help get rid of the above issues, sometimes you just want to use what you have on hand. Using products you already own will not only save money, but it also means you can get started right away. Ingredients like lemon juice, garlic, and even Coca-Cola are all surprisingly effective cleaning agents. Plus, quite a few of these star ingredients, such as vinegar and baking soda, are all-natural. The next time you go to clean your toilet, reach for any of the below items to do the job.

As well as being used as a seasoning ingredient in the kitchen, vinegar is a fantastic all-natural cleaner for many areas of your home due to its acidic pH. The next time you notice a build-up of stains in your toilet bowl, putting vinegar in your toilet will help to dispel them. The easiest way to use vinegar to clean your toilet is to pour 1 cup into your toilet bowl, making sure you cover the entire area. Leave for at least a few hours or, ideally, overnight.

When time is up, scrub your toilet with a brush and carry out your usual cleaning routine. Any stains should have loosened up and become easier to remove. Another method that uses vinegar is to put it inside your toilet tank. Fill the tank up with vinegar, leaving an inch or so at the top. Leave the vinegar to work its magic for around 12 hours (or overnight). Then, flush your toilet to ensure none of the vinegar remains. Take a scrubbing brush and get rid of any dirt or build-up in the tank before turning the water back on and flushing once more. Both the bowl and tank should be left sparkling clean.

Garlic will make even the blandest of dishes into a delicious meal, but it also has its uses in your bathroom. Don't just throw a garlic clove into your toilet, though. For best results, you should chop, peel, or crush a handful of garlic cloves and then add them to a bowl of hot water. Leave the garlic cloves in the water for around 15 minutes before removing the cloves completely from the water. Pour the garlic-infused water into your toilet bowl, paying extra attention to any stained areas.

After a few minutes, flush to get rid of any scent — garlic may taste nice, but you don't particularly want your toilet to smell like last night's dinner. This hack may seem a little strange, but the reason garlic is effective at getting rid of stains is because it contains sulfur compounds, which many cleaning products also contain and which will kick any lingering stains to the curb. As a bonus, the sulfur released from garlic is antibacterial, so your toilet will be both clean and germ-free.

It's not just a refreshing beverage; this surprising way to use Coca-Cola will ensure your toilet stays sparkling clean years after you have bought it. The best part about this hack is how simple it is to carry out. Lift up the lid and seat of your toilet, and pour Coca-Cola all around the rim and at the edge of the bowl. Now, all that's left to do is leave the drink in the toilet overnight. When you return in the morning, take the toilet brush and work on any stains the Coca-Cola has loosened. Flush once or twice to get rid of any remaining Coca-Cola and revel in how clean everything looks.

As this method will not disinfect your toilet, we recommend following up with your usual cleaning routine to get rid of germs. Moreover, while this hack mentions Coca-Cola, any brand of cola should work, as it's the carbonation that loosens stains. It could also be the acidity found in Coca-Cola that helps dissolve stains, just like how vinegar is a great stain remover due to its acidic pH.

Salt is a table staple, but in a pinch, it will also help unclog your toilet without a plunger. For this method, you'll also need baking soda. Combine ½ cup of salt and ½ cup of baking soda and add to your toilet bowl. Next, boil 6 cups of water and pour directly into your toilet. Use the toilet brush or an old toothbrush to disperse everything in the bowl evenly. You may notice bubbling, but this is normal. Leave the salt and baking soda solution overnight or for at least 8-9 hours. After several hours have passed, flush the toilet as normal. The clog should have gone, but if not, you can carry out the above steps several times.

An additional way salt can be used in the toilet is if your drains have been invaded by tree roots. Pouring a little rock salt down your toilet and flushing will kill the roots and effectively stop them from clogging up the drain pipes. However, this is not a permanent solution. If your toilet still has signs of being clogged, like not flushing properly, strange sounds, or a bad smell, call a plumber sooner rather than later to get to the bottom of the issue.

As you may have guessed, baking soda is most often used in the baking realm, but putting baking soda in your toilet is an effective way to get rid of any gunky build-up and banish lingering odors. You'll also need fellow toilet-cleaning ingredient vinegar for this hack. Sprinkle 1 cup of baking soda into your toilet and follow it up with 1 cup of vinegar. Put the lid down (to stop the vinegar smell from spreading) and let the ingredients sit for around half an hour. When half an hour is up, use the toilet brush to get rid of any residue and then flush as per usual. 

The reason baking soda is such a great stain removal agent is due to its mildly abrasive texture combined with its alkaline pH, both of which are tough on marks. Another way of using baking soda in your bathroom is as a deodorizer for your toilet tank. Turn off the water supply and empty the tank by flushing. Open your tank and pour 1 cup of baking soda into the tank before leaving it for 20 minutes or so. Then, use a clean brush or sponge to get rid of any stains. When you can no longer see any stains, turn the water supply back on and flush any baking soda residue away.

Lemon juice can add a delicious tartness to any dish or make a great addition to a smoothie, but it also makes for an excellent toilet cleaner. Using lemon juice in your toilet has a whole host of benefits, including getting rid of that pesky dirt ring once and for all and infusing antibacterial properties into your toilet. You'll also need some salt for this trick.

Squeeze half a lemon directly into the bowl and follow it up with a few pinches of salt. Scrub away at the ring stain with a clean toilet brush until it's no longer visible. If you don't want to waste the lemon, you can additionally use it to clean the bowl itself along with some more salt — just make sure to wear gloves while doing so! The reason lemon juice works is due to its natural antibacterial properties and the fact it acts as a mild bleaching agent. Both of these qualities will help to lift stains and disinfect your toilet.