Since increasing my efforts to reduce waste, I have been able to find safe, effective, plastic-free options for most household cleaners. Toilet bowl cleaner was the last big challenge. After a lot of research, I finally arrived at a DIY toilet cleaner option that I feel comfortable with.
In Zero-waste swaps that could harm your health, I revealed my skepticism with a lot of home-made cleaning and disinfecting options. Although the combination of baking soda and vinegar makes a cool fizzing sound, I am not convinced it really cleans effectively. With the recent focus on the importance of disinfecting surfaces, it has become even more important to feel confident about our cleaning routines.
Jump to Easy 4-ingredient DIY toilet cleaner
The most dreaded household chore
Let’s face it, cleaning the bathroom, and especially the toilet, is probably the yuckiest of all household cleaning chores. I think we all want to feel confident that what we’re using really does the job.
A few months ago, I started making my own toilet bowl cleaner with 4 simple ingredients: water, castile soap, Borax or baking soda, and tea tree oil.
The ingredients
First let’s take a look at each of the ingredients.
Liquid castile soap
If you’re not familiar with castile soap, it’s a multi-purpose and highly-concentrated soap. It’s vegetable-based so it doesn’t have the harsh chemicals found in a lot of other soap products. The amazing thing about it is the huge list of things it can be used for—everything from household cleaning to skin and hair care.
There are various brands of castile soap on the market. I use my own containers to buy mine in bulk at a local bulk soap supply store.
Borax
Borax is a natural mineral—sodium tetraborate—that has been used for cleaning for many years. Like castile soap, it has a lot of household uses.
Caution: Although it is a natural mineral product, borax is an eye irritant and can be harmful if ingested. Take care to avoid inhaling it. It’s also a good idea to wear gloves when handling to avoid contact with skin. It can also be toxic so keep it out of the reach of children.
I use borax to add a little grittiness and scrubbing power to the cleaner. Because of the health risks, I don’t plan to buy any more once I use up my current box.
If you’re nervous about using borax, baking soda is a safer option that is just as effective.
Tea tree oil
This essential oil comes from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a small tree native to Australia. Known as the tea tree, it has been used by the aboriginal people of Australia for its germ fighting and anti-bacterial properties.
I also like that it adds a little scent to the cleaner.
Caution: Tea tree oil can be toxic to pets. If you have pets, you may want to skip the essential oil or use peppermint or lemon oil instead.
Now that we have all the ingredients, let’s get to work.
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Easy DIY Toilet Cleaner
- 1 and 3/4 cups water (440 ml)
- 1/4 cup liquid castile soap (60 ml)
- 1/3 cup borax or baking soda (80 ml)
- 10 drops tea tree oil
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a squeeze bottle.
The ingredients may separate, so shake the bottle well before each use. Squeeze a generous amount into the toilet bowl. Use a toilet brush to scrub. Leave it to sit for a while before flushing.
Time-saving tip: It can be difficult to fully dissolve the borax or baking soda in the liquid. An alternative I’ve adopted is to mix the liquid ingredients and add them to the squeeze bottle. Then, when cleaning, squirt the liquid mixture first. Then, sprinkle a small scoop of borax or baking soda around the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush as usual.
The bottom line
Unlike other DIY cleaners, the combination of castile soap and tea tree oil gives me confidence in the cleaning ability of this easy-to-make cleaner. I find it leaves the toilet bowl sparkling and fresh-smelling.
Have you tried making your own toilet bowl cleaner? Tell me about it below.
This is so useful; I will be giving this a try as I pretty much have all these ingredients already!
Thanks Molly. Please let me know what you think!
Very useful toilet cleaner tips. Nice ingredients. I experiment it’s tips.
Thank you! This is one of my most popular posts. It’s so simple and saves a lot of money…and plastic.
Thank you so much!
These are amazing Michelle! I am always on the lookout for cleaners that are more sustainable but never ventured yet in making them myself, so this come at the right time! I have always been scared to make a disaster out of it! thanks for sharing x
Thank you Cristina. I don’t make a lot of my own cleaners but I wasn’t able to find toilet cleaner in sustainable packaging so I thought I’d give it a try. This one is easy enough with simple ingredients.
Hello Michelle, this is nice & am going to try it.
But what can I use to replace the liquid castile soap if it is not readily available.
Thanks
Hi Drenda, Castile soap is usually easy to find in most grocery stores. If the store has a natural product section, that’s probably where it will be. If you can’t find it, I found this article about substitutes. https://www.leaf.tv/5146785/substitutes-for-castile-soap/
Is there another oil that will work? Tea Tree oil is deadly for cats unfortunately, and they should not even be exposed to the scent.
Thanks. I didn’t know that. I did some quick research and it seems lemon, lavender, peppermint, lemongrass or eucalyptus are other options. Here are some links to check out.
https://www.healthline.com/health/antibacterial-essential-oils
https://www.thespruce.com/essential-oils-to-use-green-cleaning-1707137
I have always wondered about Castille soap! I’m trying this a.s.a.p.! Thank you, Michelle!
There are so many things you can use Castile soap for. Do a quick search. It can replace a lot of common household products.
I’ll do that, Michelle; thank you! It’s just like Witch Hazel. It has always been one of those ‘mysterious’ (LOL) products that you see on a shelf, but might not be certain what the heck it is! Now I’m using it as a toner! LOL Cher xo
This is a really good tip, I actually enjoy cleaning the toilet! haha.
Ha ha. You must be one in a million.
I am actually out of toilet cleaner at the moment, so I am so glad to be reading this! Got plenty of borax on hand too.
Well, that’s a lucky coincidence! Let me know what you think.
I prefer my choice of toilet bowl cleaner- perhaps you’ve heard of it. It’s called “YouDoIt !” Okay, seriously, but do you buy Tea-tree Oil in Bulk? I have thought of using the Power Washer on it though, I use a spray bottle with vinegar, blue Joy dish liquid and water. I sprinkle Baking Soda before I scrub & rinse. I will definitely try your recipe to experiment. Thanks for sharing Michelle!
Haha. That’s a good one. I haven’t found tea tree oil in bulk but I buy a large bottle at Costco. It lasts a long time. I do buy my Castile soap in bulk at Molloys.
Have you tried coke? Apparently it works wonders for a clean toilet!
I have not tried Coke. But I have seen what it does to old coins so I would believe it. That’s why I don’t drink it. LOL
Same actually~ I refuse to let that thing get into my belly 😅