Cleaning a stinky toilet without bleach?

[mamamoon89]

So, my toilet is not a low-flow type: it probably uses 5 gallons of water every time it is flushed. So we flush selectively at our house, which is great. It also means that our toilet has a gross, stale urine type smell, even after being flushed. The only way I know how to get rid of this is to pour a ton of liquid bleach into the bowl, scrub it with the little brush thing, and let the bleach sit for a while. Is there a more earth-friendly (and hopefully cheap) way that I can get my toilet to be nice smelling without using bleach or other harsh chemicals?

[cristeen]

BS and vinegar. Followed by some EOs. But the improvement in smell will only last maybe a half a day if you're in the habit of letting it mellow.

[Katie T]

We let ours mellow as well and once a day I wipe it down (the lid and outside) with vinegar and water (and sometimes tea tree oil depending on my mood and what is in my bottle at the time) This really seems to help. I also scrub the inside as soon as I notice it is getting tinted yellow. We only flush a couple times a day (unless it is # 2) but I have found if it gets flushed after everyone has gone potty in the am it is much better as well.

Hope that helps.

[hibana]

What about adding some water bottles in the tank to make it a "less-flow" toilet, and flushing several times a day & before bed? That should prevent the smell from developing.

[laurabfig]

I use diluted Simple Green in ours frequently and love how it smells.

[Barefoot~Baker]

Borax works

[lakeruby]

We have the same problem!
These are all great ideas. I don't think I will be able to stick to wiping it down once a day, but I'll try...

[Ola_]

I normally scrub/swish with the brush (no cleaner) at least once a week and that seems to keep it pretty clean. But when I've been slacking and it starts to look dirty, I do the same thing as you do with bleach, but I use vinegar. Pour it in, scrub it around, let it sit, scrub some more and flush.

I think the PPs idea to flush after the morning pees are all done is a good one too - that's usually the most potent urine.

[Fuamami]

Sprinkled Borax and watered down peppermint Dr. Bronner's, 1 part DB to 3 parts H20. Scrub it really well.

[MaryMarg]

BS and vinegar. Also scrubbing with half a lemon.

[essnce629]

I also use Borax. I think the box says to use about a 1/4c in the bowl and let it sit for a while (even overnight if it's really bad) before scrubbing.