I was about to buy some toilet bowl cleaner yesterday when it hit me that, for this job, too, there's probably an easy mix (probably containing baking soda?) that would be just as good, less smelly and cheaper.

Do you have one?

20 Mule Team Borax will clean/deodorize the toilet bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 c. into the bowl, then swish with your toilet brush. Let it stand for 30 minutes or overnight (per instructions from the back of the box).

To sanitize it after it's clean, spritz it with a mixture of 50/50 water and alcohol, or water and Grapefruit Seed Extract (see link below).

A chemical-free method is to steam-clean.

-Grainlady

There's just something wrong with having the words "home-brewed" next to the word toilet in a sentence.

"Home-made" sent images of cookies and brownies through my mind, and I knew that def. shouldn't be in the title!

I will try harder next time!

No need to try harder - always good to see something funny, like the old newspaper headline, "Baby Swallows Fly." Is it about birds or an infant's meal?

I like the bleach tablets for the tank. Keeps the tank and the bowl cleaner. And occasional swish with the brush and occasionally a shake of cleanser, but it's not too often needed. I have so many freebie/low-cost cleaners on the shelf, it'll be a while before I have to make anything.

You can also use a dusting of Comet which is very cheap.

What does 'drinking' have to do with anything?

I also use bleach in the washing machine, and I don't drink from there either....

Does anyone periodically shut off the water, drain the tank and then clean it? Seems the rim around the tank at the water level gets the yukkiest from minerals, etc.