In the next installation of product care tips, we share on how to effectively clean your toilet bowl to keep its shine while you go about your business.
Ideally, we should be cleaning our toilet bowl at least once a week. Considering the number of bacteria that might be festering around your toilet bowl, this is best to prevent any virus from thriving. This also helps to prevent hard stains from accumulating and ensures that the cleaning process is a smooth one.
Preparing the toilet bowl
To begin, we first remove the seat cover from the toilet bowl. With most OttO toilet bowls, there is a release button on the seat cover itself to easily remove the seat for cleaning.
If this is not the case, not to worry as we can still clean effectively with the seat on but we will have to take special note to the edges and corners surrounding the hinges of the toilet bowl.
Soaking it in
Next, get some store-bought toilet bowl cleaners and line the bowl with the solution. Be sure to reach deep into the inner rim corners of the toilet bowl to ensure a thorough clean. Allow the solution to flow downwards to cover the whole bowl and let seat for at least 5 minutes.
If you are unable to remove your seat cover, do note to not soak the seat cover with the toilet bowl cleaner! The bowl and the seat cover are made of different materials and soaking the seat cover will cause damage to the cover. Rinse off immediately if any cleaning solution gets on the seat cover.
The exterior
While we wait for the solution to settle in, we move to the exterior of the bowl. Wet a sponge with water and some toilet cleaning solution and do a thorough scrub down of the exterior with the soft side of the sponge.
It is recommended to go from top to bottom so that it is easy to keep track of the areas covered. If you have a two piece water closet, make sure to pay extra attention to the nooks and crannies!
At this point, we must take special care to the seat cover hinges, making sure to avoid cleaning solution getting on it. This helps to extend the lifetime of the hinges and prevent stain marks. Do a quick rinse off if cleaning solution gets on it.
Scrubbing the bowl
Now that the bowl is prepped with the cleaning solution, get a brush and start scrubbing the bowl. Make sure to cover the whole surface, including beyond the water level to get a good cleaning in. We then flush the toilet so that the cleaning solution can be cleared away.
Washing it down
To end, hose down the exterior of the toilet thoroughly to make sure that no cleaning residue are left behind. We then wipe down the toilet bowl with a dry cloth.
The Seat Cover
Crucially, the seat cover is the one we interact with most when we use the toilet bowl. Be it sitting on it or our hands coming into contact with it when we lift it. As such, we should never ever skip cleaning the seat cover!
To clean the seat cover, use the soft side of a sponge and clean with mild soap, later rinsing it with water. Take note to avoid the use of chemicals as it can be damaging to its surface. Once clean, we also do a wipe down with a dry cloth and fix it back onto the toilet bowl.
An effective clean is one that is thorough, here we’d also like to send a cautionary note to not take the easy way out with cleaning tablets that you can place in your tank. These blue/white tablets are a definite no-no if you want your toilet bowl to be functioning for a long time.
While it’s never too late to start, regular cleaning is key to avoid having to deal with difficult and pesky stains. It also helps to create a pleasant environment for your bathroom, a place where you should be comfortable and at ease!
