How to Clean a Toilet and Remove Stubborn Stains

Toilet ring stains in the toilet bowl don’t have to be a problem to remove when you clean and brighten with the power of Clorox® Bleach in specially formulated toilet bowl cleaners that kill 99.9% of germs.

More from Clorox experts

Make toilet cleaning a breeze with our all-in-one system.

Use as directed.

When you need to clean away tough stains in your toilet bowl, the right formula makes all the difference. Clorox® Toilet Bowl Cleaner-with Bleach is strong enough to handle tough stains in seconds. Clorox® Toilet Bowl Cleaner-Clinging Bleach Gel is a powerful clinging gel that dissolves tough stains. The formulas are bleach-based with cleaning agents that power through mold, mildew, and bio stains without scrubbing. 

These products also help prevent rust, hard water and toilet ring build up. If you already have hard water or rust stains that are already a problem, remove them with bleach-free Clorox® Toilet Bowl Cleaner-Lime & Rust Destroyer.

What you need

Steps to manually clean a toilet

  1. Open the cap

    Squeeze sides of the child-proof cap where symbols indicate and twist counterclockwise ¼ turn. Cap does not come off.

  2. Flush toilet

    Flush the toilet so that only water remains in the bowl before cleaning.

  3. Apply cleaner

    Squirt 6 oz. of the product under and around the rim to coat the inside of the bowl; close the cap.

    Tip

    Surfaces must be pre-cleaned before sanitizing or disinfecting.

  4. Brush bowl surfaces

    Brush the cleaner around the bowl with a stiff brush, including under the rim, and then wait 5 minutes for sanitizing or 10 minutes for disinfecting before flushing the toilet.

    Tip

    Do not let children or pets access the toilet during this time.

  5. Flush the toilet

    When the sanitizing or disinfecting time is complete, flush the toilet.

    Tip

    When you flush the toilet, rinse the toilet brush in the toilet bowl at the same time before storing it.

Want to help keep your toilet clean and fresh in between scrubbings? Our automatic toilet bowl cleaners  Clorox® Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner and Clorox® Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner-Bleach & Blue help extend the time between deep cleans.

Related Articles