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It's time to clean the toilet bowl again in that never-ending war against germs and unsightly porcelain. How can we win the battle in a few simple steps?
Take the plunge: Use a toilet plunger or a toilet bowl swab or brush to push excess water out of the toilet bowl. At a minimum, water should be pushed below the visible water line. Why? When you apply toilet bowl cleaner, if there is excess water in the bowl, the chemical will become diluted and will not remove deposits as well.
Baste the bowl: Apply bowl cleaner under the rim, around the entire bowl, and allow the chemical to flow down and coat the sides. Some bowl cleaners come in a bottle with a “goose neck” that allows you to easily apply the chemical under the rim. Do not pour bowl cleaner directly into the water because this will dilute it and reduce its effectiveness.
Give the bowl time: Toilet bowl cleaning chemicals (regardless of what much advertising would indicate) do not work instantly; they take a few minutes. Leave the bowl cleaner in the bowl while cleaning the sink, emptying the trash or cleaning the mirrors, and then go back and finish.
Now mix the contents: Using your toilet bowl brush or swab, agitate the bowl cleaner from the top of the bowl, under the rim, and work down to the throat.
These four easy steps will help you to conquer the toilet bowl in minimum time.
©2004 by Alan S. Bigger and Linda B. Bigger. Used by permission.
Alan and Linda Bigger have been writing articles together for nearly 10 years. Alan, the Frugal Housekeeper, has been involved in housekeeping and facilities management for more than 20 years. An author and speaker, he has written or co-authored more than 250 articles and several books. He has received regional and national awards from housekeeping and facilities management organizations including the International Executive Housekeepers' Association William D. Joyner Achievement Award (2004) and Cleaning and Maintenance Management's Person of the Year Award (2004). Linda is a homemaker and freelance editor. Visit the 
