You have likely seen many people suggest a toilet bowl cleaner made with baking soda and vinegar. While these are two great cleaners this is the wrong way to use them. Learning why they react will help explain why they shouldn’t be used together.
They react because baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid dissolved in water. When you mix an acid and a base in a solvent, which in this case is the water, usually the acid transfers hydrogen to the base to form a new compound. In this case, the new compound is called carbonic acid, which then decomposes to water and carbon dioxide gas. – source
So when you clean with baking soda and vinegar, you are basically cleaning with nothing. This reaction does work well for clearing clogged drains though!
Simple Towel Bowl Cleaner
A better way to use these two ingredients is one at a time. Here is a simple toilet bowl cleaner, it’s so simple it’s only one ingredient.
- Spray the inside and outside of the toilet with white vinegar.
- Let sit for about 10-15 minutes. This is a good time to clean other parts of the bathroom.
- Wipe down the outside of the toilet with a clean rag, start with the cleanest parts and work to the dirtiest.
- Scrub the inside of the bowl with a toilet brush.
For an even deeper clean, flush the toilet and sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl. And then scrub again. Baking soda will help scrub off tough stains.
The easiest way to keep the toilet clean is a quick wipe down everyday. This should prevent the need for deep cleaning.
Did you know you shouldn’t clean with vinegar and baking soda at the same time? I’d also love to know, how do you clean your toilet?
Be sure to check back each week for more tips for your spring cleaning. And don’t forget to print the free spring cleaning planner printable.
green Bean
March 5, 2015 at 12:13 pmWow! This is such an easy and inexpensive idea for cleaning toilets!
Farrah
March 5, 2015 at 1:12 pmLove this idea (hooray for not breakin’ the bank!)! I knew about the no-vinegar-plus-baking-soda thing only because we used that combination to make ‘volcanoes” back in elementary school! 😛
Lisa Sharp
March 5, 2015 at 1:42 pmYeah, that volcano reaction is great for science class and clearing clogged drains but not so much for cleaning. 🙂
Sara
March 5, 2015 at 2:05 pmThis is such an easy way to clean toilets with items I already have. Thanks for posting!
Lisa Sharp
March 6, 2015 at 8:25 pmCheap and easy is so often the best. 🙂
Carissa Bonham
March 5, 2015 at 3:14 pmI personally tend to use baking soda OR vinegar for any given cleaning task – but you’re right. I think a lot of people think you are supposed to mix them!
I’m still looking for a green toilet cleaner that I love so I’ll have to try your baking soda trick.
Lisa Sharp
March 6, 2015 at 8:24 pmHope this one works for you! 🙂
Sommer
March 5, 2015 at 6:48 pmGreat recipe! I have used this for years and you’re right, it works!!
Lisa Sharp
March 6, 2015 at 8:24 pmIsn’t it great to have something so easy that works?!
Joanna
April 17, 2017 at 4:04 amI use bleach in the toilet. I pour some in before I leave the house and put down the lid so the fumes stay inside.
Then I let it soak while I am away, and scrub and flush when I get home.
I like this because it works really well and I am not exposed to too much bleach.