Dust balls below the drawer or under the bed can be tolerated, but a dirty and messy toilet is not a part of the package. Cleaning the toilet occasionally is very important. If the bathroom is not heavily used, cleaning it on a weekly basis might suffice. However, any household with a lot of people must have the toilet cleaned frequently. Many bathrooms today are easy to clean and to maintain the cleanliness because of the easy to clean materials they are made with. Porcelain and tile surfaces are resistant to stains, but letting scum and dirt collect on them will destroy their good nature. You might want to reinforce some guidelines in your home such as rinsing the toilet seat after every use, especially if there is no person delegated such a job.
Cleaning
The materials around a toilet include vitreous china that comes in more than one color, usually with a gloss look. The material is strong but you must take good care of it to avoid striking its surface or mishandle the connections roughly causing cracks, chips and scratches on it. The inside of the toilet bowl should always be cleaned once each week. Scrubbing the inside should be done thoroughly through the use a household bleach, toilet bowl cleaner and brush. An abrasive cleaner is also a good item to use to maintain the glossy finish of your toilet for a long time.
Disinfecting
It is also important to disinfect the handle surfaces, tank, lid, seat and bowl surfaces using the right disinfectant every day of the week. The area surrounding your toilet, especially the upper part of the tank must be clear and without any tins, toilet paper rolls or disinfectant spray containers. This ensures you can always find the shut off valve faster when you need to in case of an emergency or quick repair. Removing the lid of the tank will be done fast and the inside of the tank inspected for repair or adjustment.
Leaks
Cleaning the toilet should be done with leaks monitored concurrently. Leaks usually occur around the bowl, tank and across the floor. In case of any leak on the outer part of the tank, all the necessary repairs should be done. In most cases, the toilet bowl is connected to the floor flange through a gasket or wax ring that closes the connection to prevent odors and wastes from leaking.
Over a period of time, it is possible for a wax ring to deteriorate allowing the toilet base to start seeping. Depending on how a toilet is being used, the wax ring will have to be replaced between five and ten years as much as there are cases where the replacement can wait for a number of decades. Because of the underneath structure and floor, such a leak should be looked at immediately and any replacement done to avert an unhealthy catastrophe in your house.
Other frequent problems
If your toilet has not experienced frequent operating problems such as broken components, clogged drain, slow flushes and water leaks you are very lucky. However, be sure this will happen sooner than later. In case of a clogged drain, know what caused it. Avoid flushing objects down your drain so that the sewer pipes, drain and toilet are functioning as you would expect. You can remove any kind of clog using wire hangers, toilet plungers and many other ways depending on what is clogging the drain. Above all, a plumber always comes in handy in case of any complex replacement.
Angel has written this article after she got a major repair and maintenance of her toilet from a Fort Collins plumber. She got some great tips on how to keep the toilet clean and clog free.