Toilet’s do a certain amount of self-cleaning just by flushing. If you have a toilet that is not being used, it can be a concern regarding how to make sure it stays clean. So how do you keep an unused toilet clean?
Toilets should be flushed regularly. Warmer climates may require more frequent flushing. Thorough cleaning of the toilet using a toilet cleaner keeps an unused toilet clean.
I’ll take you through how toilets get dirty and how to clean the different types of buildup. We’ll also look at some good products to use to keep an unused toilet clean, as well as some natural remedies that don’t require chemicals.
How Often Should You Flush An Unused Toilet?
Unpleasant odors can travel up the waste pipe of the toilet and make your bathroom smell. An invention used in plumbing called the p-trap or sink trap stops this from happening. It keeps a small amount of water in a p-shaped pipe.
Traps act as a block in the pipe that prevents smells from coming out of the toilet, shower, or sink.
The issue is that over time, particularly in warmer climates, a trap can evaporate letting sewer gas into your bathroom. This means that you need to ensure water is always in the trap.
Traps can also develop leaks or cracks, causing the water to slowly drain out. If you notice that your trap seems to empty out frequently this is the most likely cause.
One way is just to flush a toilet when you start to notice an odor of sewage. Otherwise, a flush every other week or month is likely more than enough to keep the trap full.
Staining will occur when leaving waste on the toilet bowl. This means that you should always flush after using the toilet. In certain areas, water restrictions may impact how many times you feel comfortable
How Do You Clean Unused Toilets?
It is the usage of the toilets by humans which causes the vast majority of the necessity of cleaning. Without someone to dirty the toilet, the toilet should stay in a clean state if properly prepared.
An initial scrub should be done to remove easily displaced grime and expose other target areas.
To truly clean a toilet, you need to purchase a specialty toilet cleaner. Clorox’s Toilet Bowl Cleaner has bleach as an ingredient, a handy nozzle applicator, and can be easily purchased from Amazon.
Pour the toilet bowl cleaner around under the rim and into the toilet bowl. Toilet bowl cleaner tends to be quite viscous so that it sticks to the curved sides of the bowl. Make sure that you get in all the crevices particularly near the lip.
You should also open up the tank and check it is clean. If it has buildup, turn off the water supply to the toilet and flush until the tank is empty.
Scrub the toilet with a brush and mild soapy water. If you see a discoloration on the toilet tank this is something that will require deeper cleaning. Make sure you get a separate scrubbing brush that is a separate one from the one you use on the bowl.
These stains come from mineral deposits and residue that build up on the bottom of the tank. This will generally require white vinegar and dish soap treatment.
As the deposits build up along the bottom, you can leave the white vinegar and dish soap in the tank. It will help work free any stubborn calcified deposits over a period of 12 hours or more. It should then be flushed out and the tank refilled with water.
Other components can be washed by using a spray bottle with soapy water. Use warm water to rinse the vinegar mixture off afterward as it can leave quite a smell.
If the toilet is in a house but the person will be away for some time, you should take time to visit every few weeks to check things including the toilet. This can be as simple as pouring in some bleach on your way into the place, and flushing the toilet on your way out.
It is important not to leave bleach in the pipes for long periods as this can cause damage to them over time.
How Do I Keep Mold Out Of An Unused Toilet?
There are certain conditions under which mold will thrive.
Dark, damp places that have warmth and bacteria are great conditions for mold to prosper in.
Another surprising source of mold is black mold. This can grow out of the toilet tank and can spread into the bowl. It’s important to check the toilet tank, particularly directly behind the toilet bowl.
By following the usual toilet cleaning tips explained above and checking thoroughly for hidden mold spores, you can keep an unused toilet in clean, hygienic condition.
How To Keep Toilet Bowl Clean Naturally
Flushing the toilet regularly and particularly on hot and muggy days will take care of a lot of the cleaning. This is particularly true for unused toilets.
Keeping the bowl clean is about scrubbing and flushing the toilet to make sure waste does not sit in the bowl.
Otherwise a deep clean of the toilet using home remedies will be very clean and natural. A mixture of white vinegar, water, and dish soap can be used to remove stains and smells.
In colder climates, the water in the trap can freeze. Most toilets that are built by an experienced plumber installing per regulations should prevent this from happening. However, if you suspect water is frozen in the trap, you can use a hairdryer to unthaw it.
