Toilet cleaning fun

Well, maybe making toilet scrubbing fun is a bit of a stretch, but there are certainly ways to make it more pleasant, starting with your cleaning products. No one likes the smell of most bathroom cleaners; the chemicals in them are toxic.

But there are a lot of all-natural cleaning solutions that are super effective and healthy. When your mirror gets dirty, for instance, instead of grabbing the Windex, why not brew a pot of black tea? The tannic acid in black tea acts as a cleaning agent to dissolve dirt and grease. Just steep three bags of English Breakfast tea in eight ounces of water, then transfer the solution to a spray bottle. You’ll be able to scrub and buff while enjoying a delicious smell.

Another breakfast item that can double as a bathroom cleaner is grapefruit. The citric acid, when mixed with salt, actually becomes a great scrubbing agent, allowing you to easily cut through soap scum. Just split the grapefruit in half, sprinkle the top liberally with kosher salt and use just like you would any old sponge.

Vinegar may not smell as pleasant as a grapefruit or tea, but its easier on your sinuses than bleach and just as effective. Try mixing vinegar with baking soda, then spreading the mixture over the inside of your toilet. In 15 minutes, the bowl will be looking just as clean as if you had dumped a whole bucket of Clorox down there. The same ingredients can also work as a powerful drain cleaner; just send them down the drain and let the natural fizzing action disintegrate that nasty hair and soap scum buildup.

Cleaning your bathroom may never be your favourite part of the week, but there’s no reason you have to end up dreading it. By taking just a few of the tips we’ve given you here, you can cut down on the germs and on how annoyed you get every time you break out the scrubbing bubbles! (eHow)