Have you ever stopped by a friends house to drop off a book she let you borrow (was it this one?
And you are good friends, so she didn’t even bother to pick up the Legos on the living room floor, and you smiled as you walked by and decided that you love her just a little bit more for letting you see that.
And when you get to the bathroom you notice that the toilet is clean. And you are happy it’s clean because you are going to use it, but secretly you hate her a little bit because you know your toilet wouldn’t look that clean if someone was just popping in. And you know she didn’t just clean it for you because she was kind enough to leave the kids’ bath towels in a pile on the floor and besides, it doesn’t smell like bathroom cleaner in here.
I’m going to tell you how to cheat so you can always be that friend with the clean toilet. Because who doesn’t want to be that friend?
Use toothpaste.
It totally works. It’s weird, but it is awesome.
I read this tip a few years ago on a list of something like “101 unusual uses for household objects.” I tried it and I was hooked. It takes less than 30 seconds.
I don’t clean the toilet like this every time, obviously, but I do it a lot if I have short notice that company is coming over. I don’t want the house to smell like chemicals. I’d rather give the “Of course I keep it this clean all the time.” ::wink. wink.:: impression.
So I wipe the outside and the seat of the toilet with a baby wipe and I squirt toothpaste in the bowl.
True story.
Hold it up high so it doesn’t actually get near the toilet, especially if you still plan on using the same toothpaste to brush your teeth, and squirt a dollop down in the bowl.
(Please don’t try to clean the outside of your toilet with toothpaste, that will just make a big mess! Baby wipes, people. they’re amazing.)
Photographic evidence:
Toothpaste is made for cleaning the enamel on your teeth, so it also works really well to clean the enamel on your porcelain throne.
I don’t make up the rules. It’s called science.
Let me know if you try it!
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Want another crazy, money saving cleaning tip? Check out how I use regular dish soap (like Dawn) and one more secret ingredient to make homemade dishwasher detergent that works better than anything you can but at the store.
My husband recently busted out our cast iron tub and when he did, a shard flew and put hairline fractures all over our toilet. Now, when we flush it, it weeps tears of toilet water. Once we get the new one in I’ll make sure to try this!
For now, as long as your toilet doesn’t spew like a fountain all over your bathroom when your guests flush it, you’re doing better than I am!
Oh, geez., that sounds like a nightmare.
Wow, I have never thought of this! I might actually try it! Pinning!
It so weird, but I promise it does work.
Love this! I will try it out today.
This went into my downsize your life category on pinterest.
Awesome! Thanks!
I’m so happy that you recommended keeping toilet splash off the toothpaste tube!
Ha! Yes, definitely avoid toilet splash-back at all costs. In the words of Martha, “It’s a good thing.”
Who knew?! Besides you I mean. What a great tip!! Thanks.
It’s pretty weird, right? But I swear it works.
This is an awesome way for me to unload the kid toothpaste my kids have previously rejected.
Your kids do that too? “This one’s too spicy.” “This one tastes too blue” grrr…
Can you use any toothpaste?
I would think so, although I have never tried the extra gentle baby toothpaste. That might not work quite as well, I imagine, since it is made to be less abrasive. I usually just use whatever we have on hand.
Okay seriosuly so Im a couponer and I always have extra toothpaste. Im gonna try this today (moms coming down tommorrow) Wow!
How long do you have to let the toothpaste sit in there before scrubbing the toilet clean?
I don’t wait at all, I do it right away. You want to use the toilet brush to rub the toothpaste all over the bowl, the same way you would brush your teeth.
what’s the point in this when you do everything the same as if you were using actual toilet bowl cleaner? Unless, like another said, use up the stuff your kids didn’t like.
Hi Lyndsey. Yes, you can do it to use up extra toothpaste that kids didn’t like or couponers often get for free. Personally, I use it often before company comes over so that the bathroom is clean, but doesn’t smell like chemicals. I also used it a lot when our previous home was on the market and I was having to clean the bathrooms before every showing, sometimes multiple times a day. With three very young kids at home it was just faster than dragging out all of my cleaning supplies. (Our house sold in 6 weeks, so I don’t think it hurt us any.) 🙂
How much toothpaste do you use?
I use about a teaspoon.
Just found this and I haven’t tried it yet (I am an “empty-nester”). But you were too nice to Lyndsey. The reason to use this is rather obvious to me: NO CHEMICALS and SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. Just needed to say something I guess. Thanks for this tip and I will certainly be trying it. “Think ENVIRONMENT”!!
That’s a great point too. Much more environmentally friendly than harsher chemicals. At least toothpaste is safe to put in your mouth.
And safe for septic systems
Does it work on the rust stains?
I have been fortunate to not have many issues with rust, so I haven’t tried it. I imagine you might need something more abrasive for rust, though.
I also like this because my cats persist in drinking from the toilet! With toothpaste, I don’t have to worry about chemical residue if someone forgets to close the lid.
I didn’t even think of that, but what a great point!
Great idea, we purchased a ton of tooth paste on clearance with coupons, so it cost me next to nothing for all of them but you can only brush your teeth so much. This will help use up some of those and use the ones I purchased that no one liked along with the expired ones. I’m sure the toilet won’t mind if it’s expired.Ha Ha.
Great idea!
Love that comment about the toilet not minding r lured toothpaste!!! Had me laughing hysterical!!!
I hate typos. The sentence was supposed to say ” Love the comment on the toilet not minding expired toothpaste.”
So glad toilet paper doesnt expire either. 🙂
Hi. Just reading comments here. Funny!
I have been using toothpaste on my bathroom sink for years…it smells so much bettter than household cleaner and has just enuf abrasive properties to clean nicely! Thanks for the tip on using it for the toilet bowl
I am going to try this. Thanks.
Plus, if your dog drinks out of the toilet, it may freshen their breath
I just put the lid down after each use. (probably because someone once told me snakes can come up through the pipes and I’m deathly afraid of snakes! lol )
But it DOES do wonders for keeping the dogs from drinking out of the porcelain goddess, too. 😉
I tried it and had no more success than when I use a wet rag.
Ha! Just tried this and it really cleaned the bowl. I sent my kiddo upstairs to get the toothpaste they didn’t like. (I even asked, “Why this one?” Reply was “It’s too spicy.” LOL) Now my 1/2 bath smells minty! It doesn’t get the rust stains off but NOTHING does….except a pumice stone. Awesome. Thanks!
Really far off topic, Tiffany, do pumice stones work on rust stains? Our teenager’s toilet had them and it drives me nuts! Going to try the toothpaste trick tomorrow, thanks.
I wonder if it would work on your bathtub too – as you say it is designed for cleaning enamel….hmmm
Thanks, Steph. I’m using the d.w. alternative right now. Hope I don’t wake up to bubbles. I only used the two drops recommended. lol. I’m also going to try the toothpaste idea in the toilet. We have extra we bought cheap and sounds like a good way to use it up and have a conversation piece too! I love saving money making my own supplies. Been using homemade laundry soap for years and have saved a bundle and been very satisfied with it too. Mary B.
There is a general problem with using abrasive products for the cleaning of surfaces, which is that they scarify them with microscopic scratches. This happens even with glazed porcelain (let alone vessels made from acrylic or other plastics). Not only do these scratches greatly increase the effective surface area that will now be available for dirt to settle on, but their roughness considerably increases the rate at which the damaged surface will trap and accumulate new dirt.
(Of course, if you have an old toilet that has already been scoured and scarified by the use of abrasive cleaners or scouring pads, the damage has already been done. In such a case, using toothpaste as an abrasive cleaner will probably not damage it any more than it already has been.)
However, a much better cleaning product to use with new toilets is hydrochloric acid (which you can often find under the name ‘muriatic acid’ in a hardware store, where it is sold for the purpose of etching concrete prior to painting, or for dissolving cement splashes from brickwork). If you pour no more than a cupful or so into the (flushed) bowl and allow it to sit for about an hour at the outside, it should completely dissolve any limescale that may have accumulated without needing any scrubbing from you while it does so; you will see the bubbles of carbon dioxide starting to be liberated the moment the acid makes contact with the chalk.
After an hour, brush over the surfaces with a nylon-bristled toilet brush, then flush. The toilet bowl should now look as pristine as the day it was installed. (However, exceptionally heavy limescale deposits may need a second round of treatment with the acid.)
NB – Avoid breathing in the fumes as you pour the acid into the water, or getting splashes on your eyes or skin. Also, do not close the lid afterwards, as the vapours from the acid are liable to cause surface damage to the plastics commonly used to make toilet seats and lids. Instead, close the bathroom door to keep out pets and children, and explain to any other members of the household that they are not to go into the bathroom until you have finished cleaning the toilet.
just vinegar and baking soda with a drop of dishwashing soap like JOY will clean anything and everything. .Toothpaste is expensive comparatively
Other idea-Lemon juice or citric acid will remove rust stains. powdered citric acid is a food preservative, also used in water systems.
Baking soda with the citric acid will also give you the “scrubbing” bubbles effect! It got a lot of rust out of my sink in the bathroom I never use, but not quite all of it. I need to treat it again.
As for the toilet…well, those water stains are meant to be permanent I guess. I’ve tried everything in it.
guess i need to gather those kids paste left-overs .. now have something to use them for (lol) but should not let the kids see it, you know kids might feel yucky about toothpaste
My toilet bowl has a blue ring from using a blue cleaner in the tank. Any suggestions on removing the blue circle?
just tried it didn’t take water stain offf. just made a fresh smell. how do you take water build up our
Hi Margaret! Do you have hard water? When we lived in Florida we had VERY hard water and those kinds of stains were always an issue. I hated it because no matter how often I cleaned the bathrooms, they always looked dirty. The only thing that ever worked well on it for me was CLR. (Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover)
I use toothpaste to clean hands after chopping onions, garlic etc. or getting them dirty in the garden.
Love this idea! I’m sharing this with my niece at college. She lives in a residence hall on campus & shares a 3- bed, 1-bath suite with two other girls. Sometimes busy, working students don’t think about or have time to keep their “digs” as clean as they should. Unless their parents are coming for the weekend! Thanks for this tip….
I tried the toothpaste in the toilet bowl. I’m hooked! It left a fresh minty smell.
I have never thought it will work, and what do you think?
I have tried it, and it worked perfectly. Now my toilet is clean and shiny, thank you for great idea!
This is a very informative article. Reading this has really motivated me to get on with toilet cleaning. The all-natural cleaning solution seems really effective at cleaning as is also quite easy to make. Thanks for sharing this article. Suggest me some professional cleaners too.
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Here’s a link to toothpaste abrasiveness rankings. Dunno if more abrasive and/or more whitening is better for out toilets, but it’s good to know for our teeth! https://www.williamsonperio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Toothpaste-Abrasiveness-Ranked-by-RDA.pdf