Properly cleaning your toilet plunger is an important thing to do, especially if you’ve just used it to unclog a blockage. The amount of waste and grime build-up can become very unhygienic and lead to sickness, mold build-up, and unwanted odors.
Here at Kiwi Clean Home, we like to soak our home plungers in bleach or a hospital-grade disinfectant.
Because plungers are used for the worst jobs in the bathroom you need to be vigilant when cleaning the plunger. The handle can also store a lot of unwanted bacteria so it is important to clean the entire thing.
We advise to spray bleach or disinfectant over the entire plunger and wipe clean with a wet wipe or a cloth. We also advise that you soak the head as well as unclogging a toilet is a very dirty job.
How to store a toilet plunger?
Our cleaning clients store plungers and brushes right next to the toilet so it is important to have these relatively clean so that there isn’t any risk of health issues arising.
We advise our clients to store their plungers out of sight and in secure storage so that your guests or family members don’t see a gross brush or plunger in sight.
How to clean a toilet brush?
A toilet brush can become just as dirty, if not worse than a plunger because of the scrubbing that is involved. We find that some of our clients use their brushes rarely, however because of moisture and germ build-up they become very dirty and need disinfecting.
What to do with a plunger after using it?
When you have used your plunger, it is best to rinse it off, soak it in bleach or disinfectant and leave it to dry. You can use a variety of soaking methods including vinegar and water however we find that bleach is the most effective. Anything that will kill all the germs on the plunger head is a plus and bleach does just that.
How do you get plunger stains out of a toilet?
If you’ve used your plunger to unclog a toilet recently and you have found some rubber marks on the side of the bowl, it is best to get a scrubber and clean it off. Rubber marks on porcelain are very easy and simple to remove and only require a bit of elbow grease. If you’re finding it hard to remove, try using an alcohol solution like isopropyl to remove the stubborn stains.
Can you use a plunger to unblock a toilet?
The sole purpose of a plunger is to unclog a toilet or remove a blockage. We don’t recommend using the plunger for anything else, and to differentiate a plunger that you would use in the toilet, from one that you would use on a kitchen sink or vice versa.
If one doesn’t clean their plunger often and is cross-contaminating between different areas of the home this can become problematic as you start to spread unwanted germs around the home.
It’s also very bad for your health and can lead to unwanted issues.
How do you clean a toilet brush and plunger?
Soaking both in a bleach solution is the most effective way to get both jobs at once. You may find, depending on how dirty your plunger is that the cleaning solution becomes quite dirty.
If you’re using bleach it doesn’t really matter as it is very harsh against bacteria. If you are using a vinegar solution we suggest replacing the water after the first use and soaking a second time if you are conscious about the level of cleanliness.
