This is how often you should be cleaning your toilet, and it's more than you think

A dirty toilet is gross and smelly. But how often should you really clean it?

Find out if once-a-week is enough or if you should do this not-always-pleasant chore a lot more.

A weekly makeover is essential

It comes as no surprise that a toilet is a breeding paradise for germs and bacteria, it is therefore essential to keep it clean and safe.

A toilet bowl is a home to around 3.2 million germs per square inch on average. The toilet seat is covered in approximately 295 bacteria per square inch, and the flush handle has roughly 83 bacteria per square inch.

And although you may never be able to remove 100% of the bacteria from your loo, you can minimise the number of germs by regularly cleaning and disinfecting it.

A toilet should be cleaned thoroughly at least once a week.

This type of weekly maintenance includes wiping the toilet seat, cleaning the toilet bowl and removing dirt from the rim of the toilet bowl.

You should also clean the outside of the cistern (inside the cistern can be cleaned yearly) and the toilet’s lid.

Removing and disinfecting the flush handle, wiping down the exterior of the toilet and cleaning the floor around it are also essential steps.

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A weekly clean is not enough

Weekly cleaning is too far apart to keep your toilet 100% safe, so cleaning experts advise you to aim for minimum daily maintenance too.

Giving the toilet seat a wipe and disinfecting the flush handle daily are good ways to remove the germs that bred past 24 hours. Wiping the areas around the rim of the toilet bowl and washing away any marks in the toilet bowl will also do the job.

Keep a multipurpose cleaner or some disinfectant near the toilet, so that users can spray and wipe the handle and seat clean pre and post-use.

If a member of the household is sick, you should clean the toilet after every single use to limit cross-contamination between members of the house.

Make sure you keep a bottle of disinfectant near the toilet, so you can quickly wipe the seat and the handle down.

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Sources used:

- In The Wash: 'How Often Should You Clean Your Toilet?'