skip to main content

Money Saving Tips

a 'home-brewed' toilet cleaner?

15 years ago

I never buy Windex anymore since finding a "make it yourself recipe" for window cleaner.

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?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

western_pa_luann
15 years ago
yeah... a half a cup of bleach... works great!
jannie
15 years ago
I use bleach also.
Related Discussions
Favorite toilet bowl cleaner? How to get rid of that ring?
Q
Comments (75)
The most common stains are removed with acid cleaners. In the 1940's it was Sani-Flush. That was sodium acid sulphate. More recently the products all were hydrochloric acid based and those are my favorites. I usually use Lysol toilet bowl cleaner I get at Costco. Products like Clorox toilet bowl cleaner are caustic and rely on oxidation of chlorine bleach to discolor stains and the detergent action of caustic to wash the surface. I would suggest that those of you using pumice, Zud, sandpaper, or other abrasive cleaners try rubbing it on the outide of a window or drinking glass and try looking through it. You will see that there is fine haze there. I tried a magic eraser and ruined the glass on a sliding back door that way.
...See More
Best cleaner for toilet bowl rings?
Q
Comments (7)
I have water so hard it stands up on its own and I don't have a water softener nor do I want one. With our water Lysol Cling works the best. kaedee, The trick is squirt your cleaner in there and walk away to let it do its work. I do that in my house because I use to clean other peoples homes for a living and it worked. When I entered a home the first thing I would do is squirt the toilet then I would go on to the rest of work. When the rest of the home was done I would clean the bathrooms, toilets were last and sparkled because the cleaner was left to work. Then I would fold the toilet paper. lol This was 20+ years ago and I don't clean homes anymore but the old tricks still work.
...See More
Not Happy with House Cleaner
Q
Comments (39)
souhterngal, you've uncovered the moral of this thread: expectations widely differ. Comes down to what you're willing to put up with and how you differentiate yourself. Value is such a personal thing. I can share a recent experience. I hired a service to do a "move-in" deep clean of our weekend home. The owner of the service came by, we walked through each room (she totally white-gloved every surface), inventoried the cleaning supplies and discussed timing. I LOVED IT! She asked a ton of questions, answered all of mine and explained how they work. In execution, of course, the cleaning folks did what all cleaning people do. There was no magic, but she made it a collaborative experience. There are a ton of cleaning people in the city where I spend most of my week, and all the responsibility was mine. The first cleaning person who offered some type of proactive behavior or knowledge -- like you offered in your post -- would have got me as a client in a second.
...See More
mint robotic cleaner raves raves & more raves!
Q
Comments (6)
kitchendetective, I have pets that shed, two Labs, but they are outdoor dogs :) No indoor pets here, but, there are a lot of reviews on Amazon from people who DO have indoor pets and give it rave reviews for picking up dog and cat hair :) You should have seen what it PUSHED out from under my sideboard in the dining room :o Along with a couple of years worth of dust bunnies, it brought out a large dead spider and a dried up baby LIZARD :o I just have one question...WHERE'S THE MOMMA LIZARD?? Rachel, I'm "in-between" rugs in my office (where my wood floor is) so the best I can do is tell you that it doesn't run over my bathroom rug that is on porcelain tile. There is tile and carpet in my den. The (wall to wall) carpet is a low profile print that is basically the same height as my tile. When Mint hits the carpet and the bathroom rug, it backs up and turns around and yes, it does the edges of the rug and carpet. Likewise with the Pro Chef Gel Mat in the kitchen. You can use any cleaner you like with the wet mop mode. No, it doesn't heat the water. I have a Bissell steam mop. Mint won't take the place of it but I won't have to use it as often. You can use the pre-treated Swiffer wet cloths or use any floor cleaning product on the included wet mop pad. Course when I use steam, clean I'm just using hot water. When I spot clean something on the kitchen floor, I use my "home-brew" of 50/50 alcohol/water. That's my "go to" cleaner in the kitchen. I spray the water/alcohol mixture on the pad and I spritz it on the floor to keep the pad wet. I dust mopped again today and since the two included dust pads were dirty, I used a Swiffer cloth. After using one cloth in the bathroom, I decided to double the cloths so it would be more pad-like and thicker. I use both sides of the Swiffer cloths. I was skeptical when I first read about The Mint robot. I thought 'how good could this be? All the dirt and crumbs will gather at the leading edge of the pad and start to lose effectiveness'. But all those 115 reviews on Amazon must know something I don't (g) so I gave it a try. I would like to see the charge lasted longer but the product performs so well in every other aspect, I'm not going to complain :)
...See More
grainlady_ks
15 years ago
Less toxic than bleach...

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

Here is a link that might be useful: Grapefruit Seed Extract
ky114
15 years ago
I just use Ajax or Comet cleanser.

There's just something wrong with having the words "home-brewed" next to the word toilet in a sentence.
pammyfay
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh, Ky! I DID think that was a weird phrase for me to use (but after i proofread and hit the 'send' key!)

"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!
ky114
15 years ago
I get this vision of soup or stew being made in a toilet. If you had said, "homemade toilet cleaner," I'd have visualized a toilet made out of wood or something -- a homemade toilet.

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?
cynic
15 years ago
Well then again... beer can be home-brewed. And where does it usually end up?

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.
jannie
15 years ago
I once had company coming over and needed to remove the ring from my toilet bowl. Had no bleach or toilet cleaner in the house, so I dumped in about two tablespoons of dishwasher detergent, swished it around with a brush, and the ring was gone. I only did this once, but it did work. Not sure if long-term use might be a bad idea. . .
budster
15 years ago
I've heard denture tablets work well. You let them sit in the bowl and they dissolve away any stains.
stir_fryi SE Mich
15 years ago
I ran out the other day and used a squirt of dish soap. Worked just fine. I think bleach is over-kill -- you don't drink from the toilet bowl.

You can also use a dusting of Comet which is very cheap.
glad2garden
15 years ago
Ditto the comet cleanser. That's what my mom and grandmother used, and it's cheap because it only takes a sprinkle, or maybe a tinkle.
western_pa_luann
15 years ago
"I think bleach is over-kill -- you don't drink from the toilet bowl. "

What does 'drinking' have to do with anything?

I also use bleach in the washing machine, and I don't drink from there either....
crnaskater
15 years ago
Cleaning the bowl is one part, but what about the tank itself? I would not want to put bleach in there as it can effect the rubber portions of the 'workings'..gasket, etc.

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.

Related Stories

HEALTHY HOME Get Cleaner Indoor Air Without Opening a Window

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Mechanical ventilation can actually be better for your home than the natural kind. Find out the whys and hows here

LIFE The Absolute Right Way to Hang Toilet Paper. Maybe

By Mitchell Parker

Find out whether over or under is ahead in our poll and see some unusual roll hangers, shelves and nooks

BATHROOM DESIGN How to Choose the Right Toilet

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Style, seat height, flushing options, color choice and more will help you shop for the right toilet for you

BASEMENTS Room of the Day: Cheers to a Home Basement Brewery for Craft Beers

By Erin Carlyle

An engineer in Ottawa, Canada, turns his decades-long love of home-brewed beer into a basement project, then a side business

HOME TECH Home Tech: Where Is My Robot Housekeeper?

We haven't mastered the all-purpose humanoid house cleaner, but these gadgets make quick work of chores

HOUSEKEEPING Vinegar and Voilà: Clean Your House the Natural Way

Ditch the commercial cleaners for nontoxic, inexpensive and versatile white vinegar

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD Household Habits and Customs to Borrow From Other Countries

By Елена Амбросимова

Discover why salt may be the perfect house-warming gift, how to clean rugs in snow and why you should invest in a pair of ‘toilet slippers’

HOUSEKEEPING When You Need Real Housekeeping Help

By Becky Harris

Which is scarier, Lifetime's 'Devious Maids' show or that area behind the toilet? If the toilet wins, you'll need these tips

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: The Ultimate Cleaning Tools

Make a clean sweep with the best brushes, cleaners, vacuums, steamers and wipes for rooms that sparkle

KITCHEN DESIGN Simple Pleasures: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

By Laura Gaskill

Slugging down any old sludge while pulling on socks is no way to start the day. Learn to brew amazing java and savor the experience here

Sponsored

More Discussions

Moss: Ferrous Sulfide fertilizer - can I use on asphalt shingle roof?

0