How to Clean a Toilet Brush and Holder

This may be a cleaning article that isn’t glamorous or a topic that people don’t want to talk about, but it is necessary. If you have a toilet, you have to clean it. If you have to clean a toilet, you likely have a toilet brush and holder. 

Just like with anything in your bathroom, you will want to make sure that you adequately clean them both. Below we will talk about the products you need and three methods to clean a toilet brush and holder. 

Why should you clean your toilet brush & holder?

To most of us, this reason is pretty self-explanatory. Just think about the nature of what these cleaning tools do. They are bound to not be all too sanitary. For those who need a little more convincing, let’s talk about some gross albeit not so surprising facts. 

In a study done of public restrooms in 2015, 77,000 distinct types of bacteria and viruses were found. One hour after being professionally cleaned, researchers found bathrooms to be recontaminated entirely with fecal bacteria and microbes. If you just made a grossed-out facial expression while reading this, you are not alone.

While your home bathroom may not have 77,000 bacteria types in it, there are common contaminants in yours that come in direct contact with your toilet brush. These include fecal bacteria, influenza, streptococcus, E. coli, hepatitis, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), salmonella, shigella, and norovirus. 

So once you’ve cleaned your toilet with that brush, it just sits in the toilet brush holder, and the bacteria are never sterilized. Is that enough to make you ready to scrub your toilet brush and holder? I thought so. Let’s get started.

Method 1: The Natural Solution

If you tend to clean with green products or refrain from the use of harsh chemicals, then this is the cleaning solution for you. It takes just a few products and steps to complete. First, here is what you need:

• Spray Bottle
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Paper Towels or Cleaning Rag

You will want to fill your spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide before starting. After you finish scrubbing the toilet, follow the steps below:

1. Flush your toilet and rinse the brush in clean toilet water.
2. Place the toilet brush handle under the toilet seat to allow the brush head to hang over the toilet bowl.
3. Spray the brush with the hydrogen peroxide, rotating the brush to coat all the bristles.
4. Allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes
5. Flush the toilet and then rinse again in clean toilet water.
6. Place it under the toilet seat and allow it to dry.

After you spray the brush, you should also spray your toilet brush holder. It is best to place it in the shower or bathtub for this. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes and wipe it out with paper towels or a cleaning rag and rinse under the faucet or with a showerhead before allowing it to dry.

Method 2: The Bathroom Disinfectant

This method is easy and requires few products. You most likely have Lysol bathroom disinfectant in your house. You will follow the steps above as you would for cleaning with hydrogen peroxide, except for the final rinsing. When using a bathroom disinfectant for this job, it is essential not to rinse the brush and the holder as you will want the product to dry completely to sanitize it thoroughly. Rinsing it will just wash away the disinfectant properties. 

There are wonderful products, like Microban 24 Hour Bathroom Cleaner, which can sanitize for a total of 24 hours after use. 

Method 3: The Bleach Process

If the meaning of something being clean equates to the smell of bleach, then this is the method for you. Just like the method above, this one doesn’t take a lot of products or steps to make sure your toilet brush and holder are disinfected and squeaky clean. You will need:

• 5 Gallon Bucket
• Bleach
• A Cleaning Rag
• Rubber Gloves

An important note here is to make sure that you are not wearing good clothing, using good towels, or placing the bucket you are using on your bath mat when cleaning with bleach. The bleach will quickly ruin them. It is best to keep the bucket in the bathtub or shower for this. Now for the steps in how to clean a toilet brush and holder with bleach:

1. Fill the bucket ¾ of the way full with hot water (we are talking as hot as you can get it!)
2. Place 2-3 capfuls of bleach into the bucket. 
3. Submerge the toilet brush holder and toilet brush in the bucket. Tip: If the brusher holder or brush wants to float, you can use a white kitchen plate or clear pyrex dish and place it on top of them to hold them under.
4.  Let soak for an hour.
5. Rinse the brush with hot water and wipe out any residue in the holder with a cleaning rag before rinsing.
6. Let the brush and holder air dry.

Either method, with bleach, disinfectant, or hydrogen peroxide is practical and easy for how to clean a toilet brush and holder.

How often should you clean your toilet brush & holder?

Whether you do a deep cleaning or just a general cleaning of your bathroom each week, you should be cleaning and sanitizing your toilet brush and holder weekly. This way, you know it has been sterilized after you have used it and is not sitting and allowing bacteria to grow.  

If you use a toilet brush weekly, it is recommended that you change it every six months for a new one. Depending on if your brush has a replaceable brush head, you will discard the entire thing or just replace the brush head. Both the brush head and the handle itself should be recyclable, but it is always wise to check with your municipality before you place it in your recycling bin.

Cleaning your toilet brush and holder is not a glamorous cleaning job, but it needs to be done regularly to ensure that your bathroom stays squeaky clean and as germ-free as possible. Hopefully, one of the methods above will be the right fit for your household and easily fit into your weekly cleaning schedule.