How were you taught to clean a toilet?
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
United States
January 8, 2021 9:30am CST
This might seem a strange question. I was sweeping my bathroom just a few minutes ago in preparation for mopping it a little later when I happened to look at the bottom and sides of my toilet. They are in need of a good scrubbing. I tend to clean the toilet bowl, the lids and behind the lids but I do not clean every surface.
However, I was taught to clean everything. The bottom of the toilet, the sides and as far back as I could reach. It was my least favorite task to complete as evidenced by the fact that it is in need of a thorough cleaning. 
22 people like this
23 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
Yes, my mother used to stand and watch me clean. If I did not do it right she made me do it again.
2 people like this
@simsnair (52)
•
8 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Happens with me too. I think it is same everywhere around the world 
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
@simsnair I know that they did this so we would develop good cleaning skills, but I always got angry tha she would make me do it again.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (51193)
• Canada
8 Jan 21
I was not 'taught' to clean anything, my mother assumed I'd figure it out on my own.
I clean all surfaces on the fixtures in our bathroom.
Every time that you flush the force distrubutes germs everywhere, so it is necessary to clean every surface.
3 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
My mother and grandmother both taught me to clean, but they did leave me to learn / figure out a lot on my own as well.
You're right, it does. I need to give the bathroom a thorough scrubbing and reorganize the bottom of the bathroom closet too.
2 people like this
@much2say (55606)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jan 21
Hmmmm . . . I can't say that I actually "learned". If anything, I know my mom cleaned everything, and I guess I observed (not directly, but she was so routine and consistent about cleaning). She did tell me that a visitor would judge the cleanliness of a house based on the bathroom . . . that's always in my head.
2 people like this
@much2say (55606)
• Los Angeles, California
10 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum In that sense, I was kinda glad we did not have visitors inside the house all last year. Of course we cleaned the bathroom, but I didn't have to hussle to do any emergency perfect cleaning 
.
.1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
10 Jan 21
@much2say Oh I understand that entirely! A lot of times our guests are pop up / spur of the moment. "Hey Amber, the relatives from the moutains are on the way down." 
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
That makes a lot of sense to be honest with you. A visitor may not see the kitchen but they are more than likely going to see the bathroom.
2 people like this
@Tina30219 (81929)
• Onaway, Michigan
8 Jan 21
I always cleaned it all. Not sure what my mom told me me when it came to cleaning the toilet
2 people like this
@Tina30219 (81929)
• Onaway, Michigan
8 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Right I was the same but when you have men in the house that don’t know how to aim in the toilet and pee on the floor you have to clean around it
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
@Tina30219 If I'm being honest I don't clean the "men's bathroom" in the house. There are three and the only one I clean is my own. Why? because I've given their toilets a deep clean before only for it to be messed up again the same day. 
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I always tried to get away with cleaning as litlte of the toilet as I could.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I don't remember being taught every chore, but the toilet I can remember because I hated it.
I need to get in the habit of cleaning all the surfaces more regularly, instead of just the bowl and lid.
I need to get in the habit of cleaning all the surfaces more regularly, instead of just the bowl and lid. 2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
@paigea Ah. I love well water but have never lived anywhere with it.
2 people like this
@paigea (36317)
• Canada
8 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum a quick wipe does the trick when I do it often. We have well water and have to scrub the bowl to avoid stains.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (178568)
• United States
8 Jan 21
Very few people like to clean the toilet. That's our little housekeeper's job now.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
How is she doing? Have you had a chance to chat with her about future projects?
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
@LindaOHio I hope so too. Would you guys consider getting a professional cleaner in if she didn't want to do it anymore?
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (178568)
• United States
8 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum I left her a message a couple of days ago; but she hasn't answered. As far as I know, they are just waiting out the quarantine period. I hope she still wants to clean for us.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (68014)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I guess from watching my mom. I became a pro at it in boot camp, though. 
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I bet you could have a toilet shiny within minutes. It takes me atleast ten minutes and lots of grumbles to thoroughly clean the toilet.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50250)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I was taught to clean the whole thing too. 
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (82798)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I clean the whole thing but getting behind it can be a challenge
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
Very true! The toilet in our main bathroom is between the vanity and the wall.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I want to get that clorox wand brush.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (119619)
• United States
8 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum That's what I have
2 people like this
@porwest (90876)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I guess I was taught to clean the whole thing as well, but I was in the Navy...so there's that. These days I keep it real simple. I just use a mixture of bleach and water in a spray bottle, give everything a little spritz, and wipe it down. Works like a charm.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I wish I could use bleach but the smell of it burns my eyes. I suppose I could plug my nose and wear safety goggles though.
2 people like this
@porwest (90876)
• United States
9 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum lol. That might be a solution. I actually marvel at all the fancy, expensive cleaners out there...
And none of them works like simple water and bleach. And costs practically nothing at all. lol
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I make sure the bowl and lids are clean but I rarely go behind the toilet or on the bottom and sides. I need to get into the habit of doing this.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
I guess you could say I taught myself, my mom really just told me to "put some elbow grease into it!"
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
8 Jan 21
Yes, a clean toilet is a nice toilet. I clean the bowl and the seat, but I am lazy with every other part of the toilet.
1 person likes this
@May2k8 (18359)
• Indonesia
9 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum It's not the time yet, I ever cleaned the toilet pipes and the soil has to be dug out.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
9 Jan 21
@May2k8 Oh I see. It is very different from what I am used to here.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
9 Jan 21
Oh, you were never responsible for the toilet cleaning?
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
9 Jan 21
I admit to being lazy with the thorough cleaning. The bowl and the seats / lids is what I focus on the most. I clean them twice weekly but the rest of the toilet does not get this treatment very often.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum I clean the bathroom we use more every day.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
12 Jan 21
Least favorite part of toilet cleaning for me is the sides.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
10 Jan 21
I have heard of using coco cola to wash a toilet but I have yet to try it for myself. It works well?
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
11 Jan 21
@thelme55 Thank You so much. I will be picking up a bottle so that I can use it in several of the toilets of the house.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (77061)
• Germany
11 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum Yes, it works well especially if you let it overnight in the toilet bowl.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (35608)
•
9 Jan 21
I usually do it the same as you and when the sides and outside of the bowl starts looking pretty dirty I clean that too. Since were on the topic of toilet cleaning I use comet for the bowl itself and a spray cleaner for the rest. Well, this certainly was a different kind of post
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
9 Jan 21
I have comet under the sink. Do you use the powder or the squirt bottle? I usually just spray it with scrubbing bubbles, but I also have the scrubbing bubbles version of 2000 flushes in the tank.
Yeah, strange topic.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (35608)
•
10 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum I use the powder and a scrubbing brush but the squirt bottle might be a better way to go. I've also used the Lysol clip on kind.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
9 Jan 21
Ah I see. I think it's good that she let you learn your own way. My mother was like that, but my grandmother would show me and if I wasn't doing it the way she wanted then I wasn't doing it correctly.
1 person likes this
@Cheyee (8344)
• Pakanbaru, Indonesia
10 Jan 21
@ScribbledAdNauseum your grandma didnt know the phrase : all the roads lead to rome
1 person likes this
