Tired Of Scrubbing? Keep Your Toilet Fresh Naturally With These DIY Tablets

There are few things more daunting than scrubbing the toilet. This is especially true if you need to treat toilet bowl stains, which can be unsightly and a little gross to tackle. But before you buy a traditional toilet cleaner to help lift those stains, you might want to reconsider. Many store-bought toilet cleaners are made with bleach and other harsh chemicals, which can damage sewer lines and irritate the skin. Instead, try making your own DIY toilet cleaning tablets for a gentler option. All you need are a few simple ingredients that will make scrubbing your toilet a breeze. This includes baking soda, citric acid, Castile soap, and essential oils, all of which offer unique properties for cleaning.

Here's how each ingredient works: Baking soda is mildly abrasive, so it can gently clean stubborn toilet stains and loosen them before you scrub. It also absorbs odors, making it ideal for keeping your toilet fresh. Citric acid is antibacterial (meaning it destroys bacteria) and reduces hard water buildup, which is responsible for many stains in toilet bowls. Finally, Castile soap is a natural, gentle soap that removes grime, bacteria, and viruses, while some essential oils provide antimicrobial properties and good smells to boot. When combined, these ingredients create a powerhouse toilet cleaner that will transform your bathroom cleaning game. But how do you use them to make cleaning tablets exactly?

First, grab a bowl to mix your ingredients. Combine 1 cup baking soda, ¼ cup citric acid, 2 tablespoons Castile soap, and about 25 drops of essential oil. Tea tree, lemongrass, and eucalyptus oils are great options because they smell wonderful and have antimicrobial properties. Next, stir the ingredients until they clump together like wet sand. (If the mixture is too dry, lightly spray it with water.) Transfer the mixture into an old ice cube tray, pressing firmly to pack it in. Let it dry for 24 hours, pop out the cleaning tablets, and then store them in an airtight container — like a mason jar — in the bathroom. When you're ready to use a tablet, simply toss it in the toilet. After it fizzes and dissolves, scrub your toilet as usual. Be sure to clean your toilet brush between uses to ensure it doesn't harbor any nasty bacteria. 

Using these tablets is the ultimate cleaning trick that'll get your stained toilet white and bright. Plus, they're easy to customize. For example, in addition to using antimicrobial essential oils, you can incorporate lavender, cedarwood, or ylang-ylang oils for more fragrance. Another idea is to use cute silicone molds instead of an ice cube tray. Check out the baking or candy section of your local craft store, where you'll find molds in shapes like stars and flowers. Finally, when storing the tablets, consider printing or writing labels for the container. These labels can include the name of the cleaning product, instructions on how to use it, and the ingredients list. This way, you'll be able to easily recreate the DIY toilet cleaning tablets in the future.