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The Best Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Last updated on August 3, 2024
Categories Cleaning, Home Tags
Best Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Our Review Process

Don't Waste Your Money is focused on helping you make the best purchasing decision. Our team of experts spends hundreds of hours analyzing, testing, and researching products so you don't have to. Learn more.

Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in a category.

Our Picks For The Top Toilet Bowl Cleaners

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Product Overview
Key Takeaway
 Best Overall

Scrubbing Bubbles Scented No-Touch Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Scrubbing Bubbles

Scented No-Touch Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Prevent limescale build-up and toilet rings with this toilet bowl cleaner. The kit includes a dispenser and six gel stamps, each of which lasts a total of 12 days. Each time you flush the toilet, the gel is activated. It then begins freshening your bowl and preventing stains.

Overall Take

Does the Hard Work for YouThis toilet bowl cleaner is available in a citrus, lavender or rainshower scent.

 Also Great

Iron OUT Rust Remover Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Iron OUT

Rust Remover Toilet Bowl Cleaner

If you have hard water, you'll want to go with this toilet bowl cleaner. The heavy-duty formula does a great job of repelling rust and removing stains — and it's even safe for use in septic systems. All you need to do is drop the tablet in the toilet tank and let it do all the work for you.

Overall Take

Septic SafeEach of the tablets in this toilet bowl cleaner economy pack lasts 45 days!

 Sanitize and Deodorize

Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tablet, 6-Pack

Clorox

Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tablet, 6-Pack

These simple-to-use sanitizing tablets can be dropped into the toilet tank, and they will clean and deodorize in just five minutes. The toilet bowl cleaner also prevents lime scale, hard water and mineral stains for up to five months.

Overall Take

Just Drop It InThis trusted brand provides an easy-to-deploy cleaning method for your toilets.

 We Also Like

SC Johnson Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl Cleaner, 24-Ounce

SC Johnson

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl Cleaner, 24-Ounce

This product boasts a curved nozzle that makes it easy to reach under the toilet rim. It goes in green and turns blue as it deep cleans, with a refreshing rain shower scent.

Overall Take

Green, Color-Changing FormulaGet your bathroom spic and span with this colored toilet bowl cleaner that lets you know when it’s done.

Buying Guide

Most people don’t enjoy cleaning toilets or bathrooms, but it is a necessary chore. Fortunately, today’s toilet bowl cleaners make it easier than ever to get a thorough, germ-free clean. You can choose from liquids, gels, attachments and tablets in a variety of price ranges.

Some toilet cleaners are made for heavy-duty cleaning, while others keep toilets fresh and smelling good. Many contain harsh chemical cleaning agents, while others are all-natural. Some of the more environmental-friendly options claim to clean just as well as those that have more traditional ingredients. If you prefer to kill germs with your bathroom cleaners, these might not be for you. If, however, you run a household free of harsh chemicals, you might want to give them a try.

Higher quality toilet bowl cleaners clean better, with the goal of making less work for you. If you find that you still have to do a lot of scrubbing after you have used the cleaner, you may want to try another brand. Sometimes, going with a trusted name is the best decision.

What to Look For

  • In-bowl attached toilet cleaners are usually made with a gel contained in a small cage that connects to the wall or edge of the toilet bowl. They clean with every flush, removing stains and bacteria.
  • Tablets are dropped into toilet tanks, and they also clean with every flush by releasing cleaning agents. These require very little effort, but you still need to do heavier cleanings from time to time.
  • Gels and liquids are better for deep toilet cleaning. To use them, turn the containers upside down and spray the contents into the bowl and under the rim. The substance then needs to sit for a set amount of time, per manufacturer instructions, and then you can start scrubbing. Check the label for wait times.

More to Explore

Believe it or not, the first flush toilet was invented by Queen Elizabeth I’s godson Sir John Harington back in  1596. He designed a 2-foot deep, waterproof bowl that was fed water from a cistern. This potty needed over seven gallons of water, and 20 people could use it between flushes.

Interestingly though, the first plastic toilet brush was not invented until 1932 (you can thank inventor William C. Schopp for this).

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