You want you home to be clean and fresh in every way possible. Of all the places in your home where a thorough cleaning really counts, the toilet is the one you really have to perfect, especially if you are preparing your home for sale.

After all, the toilet is the most visited place in your home, and you can pretty much guarantee your guests will want to dash to the lavatory at least once during their time with you.

Getting the toilet clean can be one of your family’s biggest challenges, while, “Who wants to feed the dog this week?” might get hands up all round, “Who wants to clean the toilet this week?” will have a severe shortage of takers.

There are consequences to toilet cleaning squeamishness. For starters, your loo won’t get the amount of cleaning attention it needs and deserves, and then, when it does get a clean, it’s probably a rushed job, devoid of technique.

Set the record straight by learning how to clean a toilet correctly and make sure it’s a clean that stays on a regular rotation (at least once weekly) so that each clean is simple, quick and effective.

How to make your toilet sparkle.‍

1. Be organised.

There’s a lot of talk about how your toilet seat is cleaner than your kitchen floor, let’s not put this to the test. Organise your toilet cleaning tools into a separate tub or small bucket so that the items are on hand when you need them and there’s no confusion between any gloves, spongers or cloths you might be using room to room.

For example

• Toilet specific Rubber gloves.

Use a specific coloured glove for the job or mark the bottom of the gloves so that they can’t be mistaken for kitchen, carpet, or car washing rubber gloves.

• Toilet specific Microfiber cloth.

Have a designated coloured cloth or label so you only use this particular cloth to clean the toilet.

If you don’t want to use your toilet cleaning materials over and over you can use paper towel for one-time-use to wipe over the toilet bowl, however, it’s important to note that paper towel, tissue and flushable wipes will create blockages that cause nasty toilet issues and cost a lot in repairs. The only thing you can safely flush (other than natural waste) is toilet paper.

2. Choose your cleaning agent.

You can purchase toilet specific products from the supermarket. For the inner toilet bowel it’s good to have a specific cleaner that you squirt directly under the bowel rim, letting the liquid slide down the toilet to the bowl. One downside to this is you may not get an even clean, instead getting a waterfall effect where the cleaning liquid has failed to get a good grip on the inside of the bowl.

While you can also use the same product on the outside of the toilet a multi purpose cleaner in a spray bottle is also a good idea for the rest of your toilet. A good homemade multi purpose cleaning solution is diluted vinegar with a touch of lemon juice. It smells great, kills, germs and is cheap and natural.

3. Move in the right direction.

You want to start from the top of your toilet bowl and move down to the floor.

The first place you spray your multipurpose cleaner is under the bowl, where the water comes out. Apply a generous spray right around the bowl and a little on the water surface as well.

Next spray the underside of the toilet lid and the ceramic lip. Finally the outside of the bowl, including the area where the floor and toilet meet, and the floor around the toilet.

4. Wait.

Allow time for your cleaner to set. If you are using a store purchased toilet-cleaning agent they will recommend you wait up to 15 minutes, this gives the germ-killing agent plenty of time to go to work.

5. Scrub and wipe.

Wait as long as you can before slipping on your gloves and using a toilet scrubbing brush on the bowl insides and a damp microfiber cloth or damp paper towel on the rim, seat (both sides), outer bowl and floor surrounding your toilet.

If you find there are difficult angles where stains or grime are building up, like the seat hinges, have an old toothbrush on hand and give the area a good long soak (of around 10-15 minutes) with multi purpose cleaner before giving it a bit of elbow grease.

Going away

If you are going on holiday then a great way to keep your toilet clean is with baking soda. Simple sprinkle the powder on the top of the water. It cuts through bacteria and keeps your loo smelling fresh. Or for a powerful clean, drop a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowel, wait five minutes and scrub well with a toilet brush.

Now that that little job is out of the way it’s time to put your feet up an relax, knowing that your home is at it’s best and freshest.