Toilets can get gross. This isn't too surprising considering what goes into them. Hard water stains (which are caused by a buildup of minerals in water) can also contribute to the mess. How do you get your toilet looking clean and sparkling again?
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00:00Newsflash! Toilets can get gross. This isn't too surprising, considering what goes into
00:06them. And it's not just alligators and cartoon mice. Hard water stains, which are caused
00:10by a buildup of minerals in water, can also contribute to the mess. If your toilet is
00:14looking particularly grimy and no amount of scrubbing is getting rid of stains, you're
00:19probably wondering what you should do. How do you get your toilet looking clean and sparkling
00:23again? Should you buy expensive cleaning products? Do you need to call a plumber? Or maybe your
00:28toilet is simply stained beyond redemption and it's time to just call it quits and chuck
00:32your toilet out the window?
00:37Well, set down the Google and hold onto your britches, because there's actually a pretty
00:43easy solution that many people don't know about. Vinegar. You likely already have a
00:48bottle of vinegar in your kitchen, and this acidic substance is just what you need to
00:52keep your toilet clean. Still skeptical? Well, stand back, while we drop some sick science
00:57on you. Vinegar is made from a fermentation process. You probably know that wine also
01:02needs to go through this process, which causes sugar to turn into alcohol. After a bottle
01:06is uncorked, though, the wine continues to ferment, gradually converting alcohol into
01:10vinegar's main compound, acetic acid. This compound is what makes vinegar so acidic.
01:16Distilled white vinegar has a pH of 2.4. This pH level means that vinegar can break down
01:21not just hard water stains, but also soap scum and stickier residue, among other stains.
01:26Combined with baking soda, vinegar can actually even dissolve red wine stains after they have
01:30already set. Talk about a magic substance. There are some who will take things one step
01:35further and use vinegar as a disinfectant, although the Center for Disease Control and
01:39Prevention notes that it is ineffective against some pathogens. You also need to be careful,
01:44as vinegar's high acidity means that it can create stains of its own if you use it on
01:48delicate fabrics.
01:49Suffice it to say, vinegar is powerful. While there are products on the market that claim
01:54to effectively clean your toilet, vinegar is much simpler, not to mention cheaper. Vinegar
01:59is also a good choice for people who like to avoid using unnecessary chemicals and want
02:03to keep things green. So how do you do it? Well, formulas vary, but according to our
02:07friends from the Bright Side YouTube channel, you'll basically want to use a solution made
02:11up of one tablespoon of baking soda and seven ounces or so of heated 9 percent white vinegar.
02:17Make sure it's white vinegar, as apple vinegar may leave stains. It really is that simple.
02:22Once you've got your solution made and you're ready to start cleaning, all you need to do
02:25is pour it into your toilet's tank. From there, just let the vinegar solution break down all
02:29the nasty stuff lurking in there for several hours. It's best to do this overnight or when
02:34no one will be home for a few hours. Flush away the solution after it works its magic
02:38and voila! You have a clean toilet.
02:40If your toilet still isn't quite as clean as you'd like, you can repeat the process.
02:45What if you're looking to clean your toilet bowl and not your toilet tank? According to
02:49Get Green, Be Well, vinegar can come to the rescue there as well. To clean your toilet
02:53bowl, put some vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it around the bowl. Let it sit for at
02:57least 10 minutes. You should then find it pretty easy to scrub away stains with a toilet
03:01brush. You can also pour vinegar directly into the bowl if it's really nasty.
03:05Vinegar can be particularly helpful if you have a toilet ring circling your bowl. Once
03:09your toilet is nice and shiny, you just might find yourself on a cleaning kick. Well, good
03:14news! As shown on Dr. Oz, vinegar can be used in pretty much any way imaginable, from
03:19getting odors out of your trash can to unclogging your drain. Who knew that a simple liquid
03:24that is already found in many households would prove to be such an effective cleaning product?