When cleaning a toilet, most of us forget to remove the seat and clean the toilet seat joints as well. But grime, dirt and fecal matter could be stuck under the joints. This leaves behind bad smells and makes your bathroom a breeding ground for bacteria such as streptococcus and E. coli.

To prevent this situation, we’ve put together a five-step method to perfectly clean your toilets:

Step One: Making Toilet Cleaner

Ideally, you should your toilet every one or two weeks. Using harsh toilet cleaners frequently could damage your toilet by removing the enamel from the bowl and staining chrome fittings. A mild toilet cleaner is more effective in the long run. Here’s a simple recipe to make one at home:

• Warm water – 3L
• Lemon juice – 5-10ml
• Baking soda – 1 tbsp
• White vinegar – 120 ml

Mix these items into a bucket and use for cleaning.

Step Two: Cleaning your Fittings

Put on some gloves, get a clean sponge and dip it into your cleaner. Start scrubbing your chrome fittings. If the sponge doesn’t remove stains, switch to a non-abrasive scrubber like a Scotch Brite dobie. Once done, rinse the fittings with water and pat dry.

If you still see adamant stains, try this:

• Cut a small piece of clean wash cloth and soak it in the cleaner.
• Squeeze the cloth to drain excess liquid.
• Wrap the cloth around the stained fittings. Tie tightly.
• Remove cloth after 8-10 minutes.
• Clean the stains again with sponge, then rinse with water.
• Pat dry.

Step Three: Removing Calcium Deposits

Due to hard water, calcium deposits form on fittings quickly. You can remove them with lemons or a thick paste of baking soda and water.

When using lemons, cut them into half, then do the following:

• Squeeze the juice into a glass.
• Use the rinds to scrub the fittings.
• Dilute the lemon juice by making a 1:1 ratio of water to lemon juice.
• Dip a sponge into the juice and clean the fittings.
• After the juice dries, rinse off.

You can use the same procedure with baking soda paste. Just don’t leave the paste on for more than 10 minutes.

Step Four: Drying the Fittings

Always use clean, dry microfiber towels to dry the fittings after cleaning. You want to remove as much moisture as possible, so the fittings don’t rust easily.

Step Five: Cleaning Siphon Jets

You only need to do this once a year. It is very effective in removing grime from underneath the toilet rim. All you need is toilet cleaner, vinegar and duct tape.

What you need to do is:

• Turn the water to your toilet off, then flush your toilet. You want as little water in your toilet bowl as possible.
• Pour 2-2.5 liters of clean water into the bowl in one go. This gets rid of bad smells, making cleaning easier.
• Take a toilet scrubber. Using the home-made cleanser (or something stronger, since you do this once a year) scrub the siphons and under the rim thoroughly. Afterwards, rinse and dry the toilet.
• Using pieces of duct tape, cover the siphons around the rim.
• Pour 200-300 ml of vinegar into the toilet tank and flush the toilet. This will cover your clean siphons and the toilet rim with a coating of vinegar.
• Allow the vinegar to stay overnight. The day after, remove the tape. Turn on the water to the toilet and flush out all the vinegar.

With this guide, you can always have a sparkling, germ-free toilet with little effort!