As necessary as they are to our daily lives, toilets are kind of a pain. They get dirty too easily, clog at the most inopportune moments and are generally just kind of gross. It's time to step up your toilet game and ensure that your toilet is cleaner and fresher than ever before.
A few tips help you learn how to unclog a toilet -- even if you don't have a plunger available. Also, figure out the best way to keep your toilet clean no matter how many people use it on a regular basis. As an added bonus, discover how to make your very own travel-friendly toilet!
1. Unclog without a plunger No plunger? Grab a roll of plastic wrap from the kitchen, cover the top of your toilet bowl with plastic wrap and flush. When a small air bubble forms in the wrap, push down on it. The trapped air forces the clog loose and frees up your pipes.
2. Unclog with a plunger Even if you do have a plunger on hand, you might still need extra help to unclog your toilet. In these cases, pour half a cup of dish soap into the toilet and let it sit for 15 minutes. Add a gallon of hot water to that, then start plunging. You should be rid of your clog in no time.
3. Remove stains with vinegar The first step to getting rid of toilet bowl stains is to get as much water as possible out of the bowl. Then place vinegar-soaked paper towels on the stains and leave them there for at least two hours (longer if the stains have been there for a while). After you remove the paper towels, flush the toilet to rinse the remaining vinegar out of the bowl. Your stains should be gone.
4. Clean with WD-40 When it's time for your regularly scheduled toilet cleaning, instead of messing with whatever cleaning product you usually squirt in there, grab a can of WD-40. The solvents in WD-40 are great at breaking down the gunk and lime deposits that collect inside your toilet bowl. Just spray some into the bowl and give it a quick scrub with your toilet bowl brush.
5. Deep clean around the seatOne place you probably don't clean often is between your toilet tank and the seat. It's hard to get to and easy to forget. But if you unscrew and remove your toilet seat, you can then wrap a Clorox wipe around a screwdriver and slide it through there for a quick clean. Reattach the seat with the screwdriver.
6. Camping toilet If you spend a lot of time in the great outdoors or enjoy going camping, then you're likely well-versed in the difficult act of finding places to go to the bathroom in the wilderness. For those of you who aren't big on the idea of digging a hole behind a tree for your bathroom needs, make your own camping toilet.
