Alternative Toilet Cleansers

Many household cleaning products on the market today are very toxic. Among the worst are oven cleaners, drain cleaners, and (you guessed it) toilet bowl cleaners. Not only are these chemicals risky to your family's health, but they're also risky to the environment. What's more, synthetic chemical cleaners can be financially costly, too. For those of you looking for alternatives, I will recommend several natural products and inexpensive methods you can use to get your toilets really clean.

• Mix 1/4 cup baking soda into 1 cup white vinegar. Dump this mixture into the toilet bowl and let it fizz for 5-10 minutes. Then scrub it with a toilet bowl brush and flush. If you're just trying to clean off a toilet bowl ring, sprinkle baking soda around the rim and scrub the ring off.
• Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice into 1 cup borax. Pour into toilet and let it sit for a few minutes. Then scrub the toilet bowl well and flush. This method is helpful for removing stains and stubborn toilet bowl rings.
• Another borax method is to sprinkle it on the sides of the toilet bowl after flushing. Then spray the bowl with white vinegar. Leave it alone overnight or for several hours before scrubbing.
• Denture tablets make a great substitute cleanser. Drop 2 tablets into the bowl and let them dissolve, then scrub with a toilet brush until clean.
• Combine liquid castile soap in the toilet bowl with either borax or baking soda. Scrub as you normally would, then flush.
• Oxy-Flush is a good choice because it contains no chlorine and no acid. It sanitizes as well as removes hard water deposits. Safe and environmentally friendly, the downside of this product is that it's pretty expensive.
• Auto-cleansers that stay in the toilet are helpful. They clean the toilet every time you flush. Although you won't have to scrub the toilet bowl as often, you'll still have to remember to change out the cleaner disks weekly or monthly.

I'm sure that one of these products or methods will provide a great alternative toilet bowl cleanser for you and your family.