Clean the Toilet Syphons Easily and Naturally

We all clean the toilets. It is just a fact of life. If we don't then life becomes dangerously disgusting. However, we almost never clean the tank and syphons. Some of you may be asking, "what are the syphons?" They are the holes that the water from the tank that empty into the bowl. The only part we ever scrub on them regularly is what we see in the bowl.

Then if that was not enough, when was the last time the tank got a good cleaning? Most of us just put a blue drop cleaner and that is it. No real scrubbing.

The recipe I have today is similar to the toilet bowl cleaner I posted last week.

Please note that this will be an EIGHT HOUR soak, so please do this when it is most convenient for you. I do this before going to work when no one is home.

Materials

• Duct tape
• Hand Towel

Ingredients

• Four cups Baking Soda
• 2 gallons Vinegar 

Directions

1. Clean the toilet bowl thoroughly
2. Look for the knob behind the toilet (usually close to the floor) and turn it to the right to shut the water off to the toilet. 
3. Flush the toilet to empty the bowl. (Do not turn the water back on yet)
4. Take off the tank lid and pour four cups of baking soda all over the tank. Make sure to get the sides.
5. Use the toilet brush to scrub the tank
6. Dry the syphon holes with the towels
7. Cover the syphon holes with small strips of duct tape so liquid cannot go through.
8. Pour two gallons of vinegar into the tank.
9. Use the brush to wet any baking soda 
10. Allow the mixture to soak for eight hours
11. After eight hours remove the tape to allow the baking soda and vinegar to drain out of the tank.
12. Turn the water back on and flush.

Shower Head Cleaner with a Sandwich Bag

Many people have a hard time cleaning the shower head. It is up high, has a lot of crevices, and sometimes has mineral clogs. You could use lime-a-way or other shower cleaner that builds up fumes and (at least for me) causes a nice head ache. On the other hand, you could use a chemical free clean. I have two ways of doing this, a regular and a deep clean, and I have both in this post. Both are very simple and easy to do with little to no effort.

Regular Clean for Weekly Cleaning

Materials

• 1 Rubber band (large enough to fit around the end of the shower head)
• 1 Sandwich bag
• Cloth

Ingredient

• Vinegar

Directions

(If you have a shower head attached to a hose, take it off the hook and let it hang. If water comes out, let it drain before going to step 1.)

1. Fill the sandwich bag 3/4 full with vinegar.
2. Put the bag around the shower head so the holes are completely covered in the vinegar.
3. Use the rubber band to seal and hold the bag on to the shower head.
4. Let it sit for one hour.
5. Remove the bag and let the shower head drain.
6. Use the cloth to wipe the head, hose and wall attachment clean.

Deep Clean for Seasonal  or Spring Cleaning

Materials

• 1 Sandwich bag
• 1 Rubber band
• 1 cloth
• 1 toothbrush

Ingredients

• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Water

Directions

(If you have a shower head attached to a hose, take it off the hook and let it hang. If water comes out, let it drain before going to step 1.)

1. Wet the toothbrush with water 
2. Dip the wet toothbrush in baking soda
3. Use the toothbrush to scrub the baking soda into the crevices, making sure to pay special attention to any clogs in the holes
4. Make a paste with one part water and three parts baking soda and spread it over the holes on the end of the shower head.
5. Fill the sandwich bag 3/4 full with vinegar.
6. Put the bag around the shower head so the holes are completely covered in the vinegar.
7. Use the rubber band to seal and hold the sandwich
8. Let it sit for eight hours.
9. Remove the bag and let the shower head drain.
10. Use the cloth to wipe the head, hose and wall attachment clean.

Spotless Faucets

Here where I live we have extremely hard water, and therefore we have spots all over the faucets and fixtures. Unless you have a water softener, you are stuck with more scrubbing more than you want. I have found a way to clean those fixtures, including in the corners, much easier and with less effort. All you need is two (or three) things for a streak free shine.

Material:
1 wash cloth or paper towel (depending on the size of your faucet, you may need more)

Ingredient (s)
Vinegar
Essential oils (optional)

1. Dampen the wash cloth or paper towel with vinegar
2. Set the wash cloth or paper towel around the faucet and between the knobs.
3. Let the cloth sit on the faucet for a half hour to an hour. (If it is extreme, let it sit over night)
4. Use the cloth to wipe down the faucet.
5. Let thetfaucet air dry

This will give you a spotless shine every time with no chemicals.

Weekly Shower cleaner

We all know scrubbing the tub and shower can be a real pain in the rear. Especially on the lower back. I find this is doubled when you have hard water. My state in particular has a ton of calcium and lime in the water. So how do you scrub that off without breaking your back for too long or putting a few chemicals on the tile and porcelain? Baking soda and salt. Both have great scrubbing qualities that do not require a lot of muscle at all. The baking soda can also easily scrub the grout which I find is the hardest spots. This recipe I find works for me but if you do not have a shower head with a hose, I highly recommend having a regular cup ready to rinse at the end instead.

Materials

Sponge

Shower head with hose (or Cup if you do not have a hose attached to the shower head)

Bowl

Measuring cup

Tablespoon

Cloth

Ingredients

1 cup Baking soda

1 tbsp. Salt

Water as needed

First measure and mix the ingredients together in the bowl until salt is evenly distributed. Wet your sponge or cloth and dip it in the bowl on the side you intend to use for scrubbing. Rub it onto the tile and tub in circular motions. Do this until the bathing area looks and feels clean. The tub and tile should feel smooth but not slimy with the exception of the mixture being on it. Use the shower head hose to rinse off the baking soda and salt when finished. To polish wipe dry with a clean dry cloth.

Bathroom cleaner that is Fun to Watch

This is one of the easiest recipes to use for cleaning the bathroom and frankly fun to watch it work. My niece (age 3) and nephew (age 5) love watching this This helps with the Iron rings I get in my toilet from my hard water. It makes the bowl look disgusting. This can also be used to clean the sink, shower, and tub using the same steps.

materials

• Spray bottle
• brush or cloth for scrubbing

ingredients

• Vinegar
• baking soda
• essential oils (optional)

First, fill the spray bottle with vinegar and essential oils (enough for your liking). Then spray the surface you want to clean with the mixture. Let it sit for about two minutes then (this is the fun part, seriously get your kids) lightly sprinkle baking soda on the area. Let it sit till it stops bubbling or fizzing. If you put it in the toilet bowl, use the brush to scrub the bowl then flush. If you put it on other surfaces use a cloth to wipe it off. Spray one last time to make sure you got all the baking soda dissolved.  Wipe again, and then you're done.