How do you clean a toilet?

nodwah

greenbee wrote: »

According to a couple of sources I've seen, there are more germs in the average sink plughole than in the toilet :eek:

!

Don't forget that these bacteria are everywhere all the time in varying amounts and are we all ill all the time because of them ?

Err... NO


So stop worrying:cool:

BuddyBonthenet

arunadasi wrote: »

I think it indeed is automatically unhygienic, since moisture is a breeding place for germs and you simply can't clean a carpet properly as often as would be needed. And it's not just "my choice"; whenever I had German friends visit in my last home they couldn't believe the carpeted bathroom! It's probably only in the UK that it was ever considered "normal", and I don't believe they will ever be considered normal again, as people travel more and compare, and as standards of hygiene improve.

However, I don't want to be rude to anyone here who has a carpet in the bathroom, and I certainly said nothing to a close friend of mine whom I caught laying a new carpet in her own bathroom. But it really is a British quirk. Or has anyone seen them in any other country? I haven't.

It is certainly old fashioned - very 70s, but not just a UK thing as it was just as popular in the USA. Proper bathroom carpet is rubber backed, water resistant, antibacterial and anti-fungal. I'd say should only be avoided if it is going to regularly soaked and that doesn't happen in every household. If it is looked after like carpet in any other room it will not smell or anything!

As I said technology and fashion changes. I can still remember the TV ads for Flotex 21! Carpets were gradually replaced by new choices like warm feel tiles and vinyl style flooring. Lots of different materials became more usable indoors and fashionable, like wood finish vinyl style flooring, ceramic tiles, etc. Then we moved on to laminate and real wood floors. Wood floors have always had their fans and I'm sure that's how it will continue. Underfloor heating is becoming more and more popular and who knows what we will have next? More and more options will become available and affordable.

I'm clearly not a germ freak and although I do prefer tiles myself (but not white!), I'm not going to be horrified by someone with a bathroom carpet unless it looks uncared for, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on the hygiene aspect. I doubt anyone on here will now admit to liking bathroom carpet.

BuddyBonthenet

nodwah wrote: »

I also have white (ceramic) floor tiles that we inherited with the house and I hate the way the dust and fluff collects!

Also the tile that gets most of the wet feet stepping out o f the bath is now lifting off the floor:mad:

Next time I'll be getting some sort of lino which is seamless with nowhere for muck to collect

LOL! My husband didn't want them as he wanted a plain white floor :rolleyes:, but I've got three small round mats we now stand on that go in the washing machine. :j
Have you seen the price of lino (the proper stuff I mean)? :eek:

greenbee

nodwah wrote: »

Don't forget that these bacteria are everywhere all the time in varying amounts and are we all ill all the time because of them ?

Err... NO


So stop worrying:cool:

I'm not worrying I keep things clean but don't feel a need to make sure everything is bleached/disinfected/treated with antibacterial cleaning products. I'm more a soap, water and elbow-grease girl (if it really needs it...:rolleyes: )

arunadasi

BuddyBonthenet wrote: »

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I'm clearly not a germ freak and although I do prefer tiles myself (but not white!), I'm not going to be horrified by someone with a bathroom carpet unless it looks uncared for, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on the hygiene aspect. I doubt anyone on here will now admit to liking bathroom carpet.

But how would/did someone deal with an old man like mine, who several times a day sprinkles the floor around the loo with little puddles of urine??? Sorry but no matter how antibacterial a carpet is, that is still yucky! Even if you can't see or smell it!

Tea_Bag_3

but has anyone tried the new domestos limescale rmover product yet - the one in the Manly and Strong Black bottle. it really does do what it says on the bottle... unlike every other cleaner I've tried.

frankly, I could do with never ever cleaning a toilet again in my life. if I could pay someone to come and do it, I would!!!! (dream on!) and I don'T care what technique they have.

p.s. ripped up the carpet in the bathroom when we moved in and had tiles put down. but not white. don'T show the dirt........ I am impressed by how often everyone seems to be cleaning the bathroom....!

champys

BuddyBonthenet wrote: »

I'm clearly not a germ freak and although I do prefer tiles myself (but not white!), I'm not going to be horrified by someone with a bathroom carpet unless it looks uncared for, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on the hygiene aspect. I doubt anyone on here will now admit to liking bathroom carpet.

Every situation is different..... When we came to this house (in France), the loo floor covering was this artificial grass stuff (astroturf?). Not sure where the previous owner got that idea from! DH changed it for a piece of lino, but I do keep a cotton rug in front of the toilet now. Why? Well - the loo is the first door you come to when coming in from the garden or the barn, so there is always mud and grit being walked in. Unless you mop every hour, or every evening, this is most annoying when you have to go there barefoot (like at night). The rug takes up the worst of the sand and mud, and all I have to do is quickly shake it out outdoors, turn it over and/or throw it in the wash. They are cheap Ikea India rugs and I have loads of them. Another one in front of the wash basin - same problem. Unless I can persuade DH to take his shoes off before entering the house (or pee in the garden), I don't know how else to solve this. But any ideas welcome!

BuddyBonthenet

arunadasi wrote: »

But how would/did someone deal with an old man like mine, who several times a day sprinkles the floor around the loo with little puddles of urine??? Sorry but no matter how antibacterial a carpet is, that is still yucky! Even if you can't see or smell it!

I can't help but feel you won't let this go until I agree with you and that just isn't going to happen!

I'm not saying having a carpeted bathroom is suitable for everyone! I have never even suggested that! I don't even have carpet in my own loo! All I'm saying is that having carpet in a bathroom does not automatically make it unhygienic! You say it does and so as I said before we will have to agree to disagree.

As champs says everyone is different. You choose what ever floor covering you want for your circumstances and personal preferences. My preference is for tiles and small washable mats. Not every household has people in it who pees any where except in the toilet bowl, soak the floor every time the room is used for what ever purpose, can't stand on a mat, use an extractor fan or even air a room properly - I could go on... And what are bath mats and pedestal mats etc. for if not to protect the main floor surface what ever that maybe.

When was the last time you heard of someone being ill or even dying as a result of being in a carpeted bathroom???

LydiaJ

I'm interested by the suggestions about putting bleach in the cistern.

I can't work out how to get the bleach in! The toilet in my (rented) house has a cistern lid that won't lift up. The flush is two buttons (for small and large flush) in the centre of the top of the cistern, and the way they're attached to their mechanism seems to hold the lid down so I can't open it to put any bleach inside. The two buttons together make a circular shape surrounded by a fixed ring - I've tried rotating the ring, but it doesn't seem to unscrew anything.

If anyone knows how to get bleach inside a cistern of this design, I'd be really grateful!

ETA It has "Ideal Standard" on the ring - in case that helps identify what kind it is.

jackieb

LydiaJ wrote: »

I'm interested by the suggestions about putting bleach in the cistern.

I can't work out how to get the bleach in! The toilet in my (rented) house has a cistern lid that won't lift up. The flush is two buttons (for small and large flush) in the centre of the top of the cistern, and the way they're attached to their mechanism seems to hold the lid down so I can't open it to put any bleach inside. The two buttons together make a circular shape surrounded by a fixed ring - I've tried rotating the ring, but it doesn't seem to unscrew anything.

If anyone knows how to get bleach inside a cistern of this design, I'd be really grateful!

I'm a bit wary of doing this as I heard it can cause some of the parts inside the cistern to disintegrate. I know I always used to put bleach blocks in my cistern, and twice had to replace parts.