How To Keep Unused Toilets Clean

My mom has a condo in Florida that they are only able to get to a handful of times a year. She puts a cup of bleach in the toilet and then covers it with Saran Wrap. Seems to work for mildew and the like, not sure if it'd do any good for well water or not. Maybe try vinegar instead of bleach?

See 1 previous
@The Chirping Frog We are in Florida and the bleach n saran wrap worked really well. The ONLY time we had a problem was when a drastic change in temperature caused condensation, which doesn't happen often in south Florida, but the condensation started to mildew. We were gone for 5 months and still very little mildew. Highly recommend trying this method.
@Repurpose Diva and Chirping Frog, Thank you both for the idea! That seems like an easy thing to try first.

Turn off water and empty toilet. Pour 1 gallon vinegar slowly into toilet and close lid. The vinegar will help to take the musty smell out of the cabin and will leave no ring in the toilet. When you are ready to use again, just turn on the water to fill the tank and flush the toilet. Many cabins are on septic systems and you shouldn't use bleach very much. Vinegar is natural, will deter mold and hard water stains. takes odors out of the air and is a naturaly antibacterial.

@Wanda Arganbright Thank you for this tip. I will try it for sure. Maybe only use the bleach when I don't have the vinegar. But I will buy vinegar just for this purpose.

We have the same issue, I usually drop a denture cleaning table into each of the toilets and the next time we come there is no buildup or discoloration. If I don't have any, I've been known to pour a whole can of regular Coke in and shut the lid. Never an issue even when it has been over 90 days. I buy the denture tablets at the dollar store.

@TinaLouise Thank you Tina, I drop denture tablets into the toiled as soon as I get up here and the last time I was here, I left three in the toilet. It didn't help leaving it, but it does help after I've arrived.

I use a product called Iron Out. Its a powder and I pour a little in the toilet bowl. Walmart has it in the paint department.

Chlorine bleach will set rust stains in porcelain. Be careful if you have iron in your water.

To clean the stain use a pumice stone.

Terri on Apr 24, 2015

I used to live in the country and my well water had alot of minerals and iron! The only thing I found that works like a "charm" and without alot of scrubbing! Is a product called wink rust stain remover. I would try putting some in the bowl before you leave and see how that does

We had a cabin. Prior to closing up, cleaned and turned the water off to cabin. Would swish toilet w/ Ajax and don't flush. The water was shut off in case of a water leak. That would make your pump continue to work til it burns out(if you have a well). Also you don't want a flooded place when you come to relax.Even our Insurance agent suggested this. Bleach in a septic system will kill the good bacteria to keep the system from working properly. Use the vinegar instead of Bleach.

Empty the toilet by turning off the water valve and flushing. Then add RV winterizer. You can find it in hardware, big box stores or campgrounds. It's non toxic, and won't freeze. When you return just turn the water valve back on and flush it away. No worries ever.

Anita on Apr 24, 2015

I like Wanda 's vinegar tip best No chemical it's natural and I'll bet it does work well .

I use a dishwasher pouch/tablet. Just make sure you flush before using the toilet.

Use The Works Toilet Bowl Cleaner, leave the lid up. The Works has muratic acid in it, closing the lid I have noticed even on home owners I clean for it gets worse faster. It makes it moldy also. It is okay to do when your home, because your using it all the time. But if your gone for months at a time...you might have to deal with it.

. Flush and turn off water to stop mineral build up. Lemon juice in bowl before leaving. About a cup swished around bowl.

Sue on May 24, 2015