It seems that you guys love to see photos of my icky toilet and shower because whenever I share before and after images on Facebook or Instagram, interaction is off the charts!
Here are photos of my shower screens before and after I used the following (very simple) method to clean them. (Note that I hadn’t actually cleaned my glass for a good 8-12 weeks – nope, not joking!)
Not bad, right? All it took was a few ingredients, 20-30 minutes of my time and the willingness to participate in a very light workout. I am the first one to encourage muscle-power over harsh chemicals, and some of my recipes require this, but not this one, no sir. I hardly broke a sweat, scout’s honour.
And how is this, from Kelly in the Facebook Chat Group! More proof that we don’t need to use heavy duty, store-bought cleaning products to achieve results like this!
Toilet & Shower Cleaner
Makes: single use Prep time: < 5 min.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup | 200 g citric acid
- 1/4 cup | 70 g sodium bicarbonate (bicarb)
- 30 drops of essential oils
My Choice of Essential Oils
My favourite essential oil in this recipe is clove but don’t be limited by my suggestions. Use oils that fit your budget, or those that you already have in your collection.. Read here for more information on essential oils.
Method
Add citric acid, sodium bicarbonate and essential oils to a bowl and mix until combined.
To Use
In shower – slowly add enough water to make a paste. Use a cleaning cloth to smear over shower screens and tiles until covered. Leave for 20-30 minutes. Scrub well (with the same cleaning cloth or a scrubbing brush), then rinse well and dry.
In toilet bowl – sprinkle mixture into toilet bowl and use toilet brush to scrub around sides and under rim. Leave for 20-30 minutes. Scrub again before flushing once or twice. Repeat process if necessary.
Recipe Notes
- To avoid a sticky residue, make sure you rinse off all of the mixture completely.
- If you have black tiles, test first in an inconspicuous area.
- I’ve adapted this recipe to be ‘single use’ after noting that some people find the mixture solidifying in their container, usually due to moisture contamination. So, use it immediately and consider halving the recipe if you don’t think you’ll use it all in one hit.
33 Comments
Hi Krissy,
I have been using bicarb and citric acid to clean my toilet bowl for quite a while. Admittedly not the same ratio as your recipe. Mine always goes hard. I was wondering if it is the essential oil and should I leave it out and just put a few drops in the bowl when I sprinkle the powder in. I use a sealed container, so shouldn’t be exposure to the air. Have you had this happen to you and if so what are your suggestions please?
Hi Dawn, any moisture at all and this mixture will go hard. It depends on your climate. You might be better off just mixing as you need it 🙂
OK, thankyou. I live in North Queensland where it is quite humid and hot for most of the year, so I will just mix as I need it.
This is such an easy way to clean the toilet without all the chemicals! Smells good too ?
Having problems with both toilet and shower. Only ever used natural products. Finally could not stand the stain in the toilet and for the last week been pouring in bleach. Hate to use it because we are in country and have septic. Going to try this tomorrow. Can any one tell me where I can buy Citric acid in a large quantity. Only seen little container of it in the supermarket. Thanks
Once you’ve tried this, you will never pour bleach down the toilet again!! And lots of bulk supplier suggestions here > https://krissyballinger.com.au/sourcing-diy-ingredients/
I use this recipe of Krissys all the time, in fact for a couple of years now. The recipe is AMAZING & so SIMPLE. Thank you Krissy for sharing your knowledge & inspiration!
Great recipe! So easy to use as it’s paste on, wash off. A little sticky and needs a good rinse but works so well 🙂
Love this recipe, no more bleach and toxic chemicals ?
Love this recipe..going into the depths of the shower/ bathroom tomorrow to make it shine..I did a little mums class yesterday and made your sunscreen, baby wipes/ cleaning wipes using different oils..nappy cream and a lip balm for the mum’s xx
This recipe is really good, so easy to make and really effective. I add limoncellos and eucalyptus essential oils – FRESH!
I love how easy this is to make, and it cleans my toilet and shower beautifully, without all the toxins.
Thanks to this recipe my kids love to help me clean the toilet also. We make fizzies with the bicarb and citric acid and it works wonders.
Without a doubt the best DIY recipe to clean your shower with! The easiest recipe and no nasties, what an absolute win!
Love this toilet fizz recipe it’s quick to make (apart from curing time) and works every time ✨??
It really works! The best way to clean those toilets 🙂 Even better is the kids asking if they can make that cleaning paste for you 🙂 🙂
This has got to be hands down my favourite diy. My kids love seeing the citric acid react in our toilet bowl. Love the no nasties and my kids actually want to help me clean.
This recipe works, I leave paste to sit on the mouldy/ filthy grout areas and come back later on & wipe off. Amazing results!
Cleaning the shower without the nasties is one of my favourite recipes. No longer do I need bleach in my house as well as all of those other “nasty” products. Your recipes are easy to follow and most times you already have the ingredients.
Thank you for this. This worked a treat in my toilets – I just thought I had a dud brush but seems I just wasn’t using good enough loo cleaner. So awesome!
Thanks for sharing! It’s a goodie isn’t it?!!
Would this mixture be alright to leave in thetoilet overnight? i would like to put it in before bed and scrub with brush when I get up. Is that too long to leave in the toilet?
I would worry that it would solidify at the bottom of the bowl. A better idea might be to pop it in before your bedtime routine, and give it a scrub and flush before jumping into bed 🙂
Can you please tell me if I REALLY need essential oils in this cleaning product? Besides nice smell what influence on the end product would 30 drops of essential oil have? I just don’t want to waste my expensive oils for no reason, that’s all. Thanks for your honest opinion
Nope, leave them out!
Oh my goodness this recipe is totally amazing. I had a terrible stain at the bottom of my toilet that I tried using so many “nasty”cleaning products to get rid of it. Tried this recipe and after years the toilet is clean again. Has to be tried to be believed
Love this feedback Lisa, thank you! Hopefully more and more people put down the nasty stuff and give this recipe a whirl!
This is such a simple and effective recipe! I can’t believe how easily it cleans my toilet and shower, without spending ages scrubbing.
Hi Krissy, love your diy recipes but what do you use on the surface of the toilet please.
Thanks! Do you mean the porcelain and lid etc? This > https://krissyballinger.com.au/recipes/citrus-cleaning-spray/ 🙂
How to remove black stains in the bottom of toilet bowl. Have tried without success. Help! Thanks
Have you tried this recipe? I’ve seen so many people (with before and after pics) demonstrating its effectiveness!
Rented unit. Very old & stained toilet. I tried everything repeatedly to clean it & got nowhere until I found this recipe. It took a few goes but it came up amazingly. I absolutely love it & recommend it often.