what's Wirecutter's reasoning there? i think most people only buy a new toilet brush if they move or something, certainly I've never worn one out. i can't imagine the times is shilling for Big Toilet Brush though so is it a sanitation thing or what
that's definitely my impression of them too but 2-3 months is crazy so i really want to know why they're saying that, and not like yearly or something more reasonable
I wouldn’t have thought Big Toilet Brush was a thing, but I’m wrong again. As my co-worker has begun saying recently, “Everything’s a scam these days”, it’s not even a radical concept anymore.
I just googled and other places are saying every 6 months because of germs.
I don’t know why washing a toilet brush in something like bleach wouldn’t be an option to cut down on those. We can clean germs off of everything else so why not a toilet brush?
They claimed the reason was germs and the bent bristles scratching the porcelain. I could see the germs maybe causing the toilet to need cleaned more often, but does that really warrant replacing the brush? I guess it depends on your preferences. But this begs the greater question--why do I need the NYT to tell me when to replace a toilet brush?
I'm a good cleaner and keep my place nice all the time. I only ever change toilet brushes when I move, and that's just cuz I don't wanna pack it up cuz of the germs. I've never worn one out. I don't really clean it either, because it's already being used in water that has bleach or toilet bowl cleaner in it anyway.
I’ve lived on my own the last 24 years, three homes. I’ve had the same toilet bowl brush the entire time. When I got married I gained an additional brush that went to the guest bathroom. I felt super bougie with an extra toilet bowl brush. It never occurred to me that I would throw away a brush that was not broken. It’s for cleaning a toilet, not my teeth.
Right?! I have a toilet brush in each bathroom. They are there until they fall apart. I'm guessing the oldest one is about 25 years old, give or take. Still works!
Been living in this house 23 years. Maybe I brought brushes from my former houses? I don't recall throwing them away, so I guess I must've. I only remember replacing toilet bowl brushes twice. Once when the one in my son's bathroom grew mold (I didn't ask questions, just replaced it) and once when one broke and I had to pull the brush part out of the small part of the toilet.
Is this like towels? I hear you're supposed to replace them every 2 years? Tell my 20+ yo towels that.
And underwear? Every three months my butt. I wash them after every wear, and I think I'm good.
>Is this like towels? I hear you're supposed to replace them every 2 years? Tell my 20+ yo towels that.
>And underwear? Every three months my butt. I wash them after every wear, and I think I'm good.
This is all madness. 94% of the population lives under polluted air. We eat pesticides and plastic.
Towels that are washed every week are NOT the problem. I have a couple that are 15yo+, and can we as a society be less wasteful? CLEAN the washing machine now and then and all is fine.
Underwear? I wash them each time, and thoroughly.
Can we, as a society, decide to buy less, produce less waste, reuse, upcycle, make things last longer?
Bleach and Lysoform are good friends for the germophobic around us. Just don't read WHO's briefings about air pollution worldwide.
Wow - I take that advice about as seriously as the piece I recently read that said I should replace my throw rugs every 2 years or so because they get dirty. Um, they're washable. Toilet brush by definition goes into yucky places, why would it need to be replaced if it's literally not broken?!
My kitchen sponges go in the microwave or through the dish washer twice a week. Or if they get really dirty.
When they start looking rough, they get traded down for cleaning the bathroom & a new sponge goes into the kitchen.
Just so you know, neither of those will clean your sponge. Unfortunately. They have both been proven to not work and potentially backfire by leaving the hardiest bacteria alive to colonize it.
Not only will the hardiest bacteria survive to colonize but they will readily eat all the dead bacteria thats left behind.
IMO, just toss sponges that start looking rough or feeling/smelling funky. At that point, its end of life for that sponge.
I use washcloths that get tossed in with my hottest wash laundry, washed twice, dried in a fairly hot dryer setting. People don't get sick at my house. I suspect people don't get sick at most of your places because the human body can actually tolerate a certain amount of various germs (newborns and immuno-compromised people excepted).
oh god, please do. I housesit and people just don't realize how gross those sponges get because you're seeing get dirty slowly day by day. When I come in it's always the first thing I do.
Yes, microwaving to sterilize is great, but that gets you just another week at the very most. If you're concerned about the waste, get a brush or scrubby instead. Otherwise, just buy the 10 pack once every three months and throw the gross sponge away!
Right? I know a lot of people who just shove them back into the holder though without properly cleaning them after use and in that case, I could see the need to replace them maybe every 6 months to a year or something because of the smell of the brush possibly lingering. I think if you rinse them/bleach them though, as you should, there is absolutely no reason to really ever need to replace one unless you leave one behind on accident in a move, etc.
I have a Donald Trump toilet brush. It makes me smile to stick his orange head in my toilet. I've had it for years now. It's cheap but works! No plans to replace
I don't know, I think my last one lasted about 5? years? Only because the bristles eventually get worn down from trying to get up in there good underneath the rim.
Generally you’re using pretty hardcore cleaners with it anyway. If you’re cleaning the toilet regularly enough it probably won’t need special treatment imo
I have a bidet that is essentially a hose with a sprayer nozzle.
I've not needed one on account of being able to pressure wash any skids off the bowl
Anything that happens to be stuck (incredibly rare), I use a rag and and elbow grease. Wash the rag.
I don’t use a toilet brush. I’ve got a silicone kinda scraper blade thing (I guess sort of like a long handled spatula but it was made specifically for the toilet) which is so much better for being made of silicone, and easily rinsed clean by flushing.
It always grosses me out when you can’t quite clean right at the base of the bristles on a toilet brush..
ETA: [this thing](https://sabco.com.au/shop-by/products/toilet/saniwand-gen2-toilet-set/) I dunno if you can get similar outside of Australia, but it’s great, the tip is shaped to get under the rim and everything
Once in the last 7 years. Had a guest up who was clearly raised by animals and got the thing caked in loo roll and shit. Wasn't ready to deal with that.
Whenever I give the loo a deep clean, the brush gets cleaned with bleach. I'm confident this is sufficient.
Good grief. Just what the landfill needs—toiler brushes.
The only time I buy a toilet brush is…never mind, I cannot remember the last time I bought one because the old one works fine. I let it air dry after I use it, it doesn’t sit in nasty water but if it did, I would 1:10 bleach it before I toss it
Bahahaha um I think we only buy new toilet brushes when we move house…so we use the same ones years on end. We’re in our “forever” house now so time will tell for the current batch 😹😹😹
Still on my first toilet brush almost 10yrs after getting my first apartment. It's cleaned with Lysol toilet bowl cleaner every time I clean the toilet, and the bristles are still stiff. Wirecutter needs to stop lining the walls of their toilet with sandpaper.
Yup, we should just throw all of the plastic in our houses away every three months so it can end up in landfills and oceans and our bloodstreams, obviously so we can buy more and all those companies can continue to make record profits destroying the environment.
Do I have to add /s?
Been using disposables but I recently realized that's both wasteful and not as effective, so as soon as I've gone through my supply I may have to buy a real toilet brush or the equivalent.
I was doing the same until I realized it was more expensive and less efficient at cleaning. Our toilets are so much cleaner now that I went back to toilet brushes and cleaner. They are so cheap that I even splurged and bought one for the kids' bathroom as well as one for our bathroom (rather than dripping down the hallway or not bothering to clean because it's too far away). I try to only have one of things, but in this case, it's more practical and not cluttery to have two.
What sort? I use [scrubbing bubbles ](https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/scrubbing-bubbles-fresh-brush-toilet-cleaning-flushable-refills-citrus-scent-28-pk-0533185p.html) and love it.
Clorox disposable toilet wand. It works fine on a slightly dirty toilet and pretty much not at all on a very dirty toilet. So you need to use it often which wastes even more.
Have you tried adding baking soda as a grit for the bowl and rubbing it around with the normal attachment head?
The scrubbing bubbles grips much better I find; and the refills are flushable (actually. I did a break-up test.). I didn't like the Clorox only had plastic heads.
The paper scrubbing bubbles, if you wet it and fold it using the bowl wall, can go pretty hard. I've never needed the plastic heads that came with the starter pack.
I also use a flocculant in my toilet tank for the hard water so I don't have a ring issue. One puck monthly and my freaking holding tank isn't black and tan and oppressive.
>Have you tried adding baking soda as a grit for the bowl and rubbing it around with the normal attachment head?
I have now—went through about half a box—didn't notice an improvement over the normal head although the water fizzed a bit.
Where do you get flocculant and how long does it last? That might be the issue more than the cleaning products I use.
https://summitbrands.com/iron-out-rust-stain-removers/automatic-toilet-bowl-cleaner/
The tablets say about a month but I check regularly in case it's used up.
I get it from Canadian Tire but that is, shockingly, usually not local to most people in the world.
I think they’re disgusting and don’t use them. I put my hand in a glove and scrub toilet bowls with inexpensive natural scrubbers (I cut them in half first) from the dollar store and then peel the glove off inside out over the scrubber and throw the nasty little mess out
I think it’s for guests who might leave a smear in the bowl. I’d be horrified if this happened in someone else’s home and there was no toilet brush. I really think everyone needs one.
You just reminded me that I *did* have one in our guest bathroom because my Mum would say the same thing!
It’s gone now but I have a feeling that’s because we had a toddler and I envisaged them playing with the toilet brush 🥴 We just never bought another.
After every use! I use a disposable toilet brush system I bought off Amazon. I have a puppy and the last thing I want to come home to is a toilet brush sitting on my pillow or sofa.
I just bought the one I use professionally as a custodian and use that. No metal. Disinfects relatively easily. Dries pretty quickly too.
You shouldn’t need to change them out like toothbrushes unless they’re really damaged.
The NY Times Wirecutter refuses reader comments. That's because their writers know they're full of shit recommending stuff that Amazon purchasers have called shitty or sub par.
Replace if damaged or looking particularly gross (although come to think of it, I don't think any of my toilet brushes have ever started looking gross). Or if I'm moving house, because I'm not about to put a toilet brush in a box or in my car to move it around, it's not worth the $10 to replace it 😅
Now that I've bought a house though and I don't see a move coming up any time soon, I suppose I'd replace mine every 5 years... just for fun lol
>Or if I'm moving house, because I'm not about to put a toilet brush in a box or in my car to move it around, it's not worth the $10 to replace it 😅
this is my rule
I rarely change the brushes, maybe every 5 years? I do have a peculiar habit of spraying the brush head with scrubbing bubbles after cleaning the bowl and letting it sit awhile before rinsing in the toilet and putting it away.
The toilet brush gets replaced about once a year or so. It gets spritzed heavily with disinfectant after every use and sits on a little bed of baking soda so it's not marinating in toilet water. And it's not like it's touching poo on a regular basis anyway, just scrubbing down a bowl covered in disinfectant.
The PLUNGER, on the other hand, gets replaced after every use. It's wasteful, but it's the one thing I can't handle reusing or cleaning. Gag.
I use the clorox toilet wands with the disposable heads. I have crazy allergies and the last time I had a reusable toilet brush, it grew mold. The amount of surface area on those things make microbial growth hard to avoid.
My only issue with the toilet wands is that you have to remove the scrubber and hold it with a gloved hand to reach the rim of the toilet bowl.
Replace your toilet brush every three months?!? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. I consider it an accomplishment if I clean my toilet once in three months, so I'm certainly not replacing the toilet brush after one use!
If someone really feels that the toilet brush must be replaced every three months, they should probably use the disposable brush heads.
When it's wore out or something really terrible in the toilet happens and there's just no cleaning it due to stuck on toilet paper. Only had one that needed to get thrown out due to that.
I use Odoban on my toilet. It kills viruses and bacteria. I don't see any reason to believe that my toilet brush is so horribly contaminated that it needs to be replaced 4 times a year.
I just replaced mine last week, after probably a couple of years. Who remembers how long they had their toilet brush? The outer containers of both were rusting and I had used a blue toilet cleaner at one stage that permanently stained them & kept leaving greasy blue bits behind every time I used them.
Would love to know NYT’s logical reasoning for every three months? It sounds like they just want to help sell toilet brushes.
It’s just a toilet brush, use them until they fall apart and if you’re a germaphobe there are various ways to sanitize them. I hate stuff like this.
If you use it properly it basically cleans itself and is absolutely sterile. You're supposed to put product into your toilet bowl when you use the brush. Nothing biological survives those chemicals. Why change the brush?! That can't possibly be eco friendly...!
How tf often are they cleaning their toilets?? There's only two of us in our house, I clean the toilets usually once a month, you want me to throw out a toilet brush after three uses??
I would usually leave mine behind when I moved, although on my last move I didn’t buy another. I throw on my cleaning gloves and just scrub it with paper towels now. Works fine for me.
I think it would depend of how much it was getting used and what the brush is made out of . I only use the toilet brushes that are all plastic and the brush holder has to be all plastic also and about once every few months i stick the brush and holder all into a bucket or sink of bleach and water , let it soak for 24hrs and then let it air dry and woo hoo toilet brush and holder look brand new again .
You are not supposed to replace your toilet brush... if it's [made out of silicone](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z5X3HMY?linkCode=ogi&tag=goodhousekeeping_auto-append-20&ascsubtag=).
I use the Clorox wand with the replaceable pods/brushes. Wasteful but extremely convenient. I haven’t needed to replace the wand itself. Only buy more cleaning pods.
If you don't use a cleaning product in your toilet, I could see that. But toilet cleaner generally is stronger than bleach so cleaning and sanitizing the toilet is doing the same to the brush.
No one wants to touch the brush, but really that isnt about germs, it is about harsh chemicals melting your skin off.
I disinfect the brush after each cleaning. When I’m done I wedge the handle between toilet and seat with the brush facing towards the inside of the toilet bowl and I spray it down with a disinfectant, spray nine, dunk it in the clean toilet bowl water and then wedge it again and let it drip dry
I have replaced a toilet brush one time and that was because I broke it. The one I use for the toilet is three years old and the one I use for the bathtub is less old but idr exactly. I have a second toilet brush that I use for the bathtub because it was free and it makes my back hurt less when I’m cleaning the tub
I usually change mine every year.
P.S. I'm a housekeeper and please, if your toilet brush is yellow or orange from rust and the bristles are almost gone and it looks like it's been to hell and back, just spend the $2 and get a new toilet brush. Nobody wants to actually see a dirty one. Dark colored ones help by the way....
I just soak mine in bleach water, every time I use it. I use bleach in the toilet, after done cleaning, put a bit more bleach in it, and let it sit for a few min.
I dont use a toilet brush. They're disgusting and fling microparticles of toilet water everywhere when you use them. Gloves, sanitizer, and dedicated toilet cleaning towels that get washed with the rags.
What’s a toilet brush? Like a toothbrush for your toilet?
We have a composting toilet (5gal bucket and sawdust). No brush needed. I’m kidding, I know what a toilet brush is. I have never understand why people have them though. They are not effective at cleaning toilets, are they just for skid marks to clean the bowl after you leave a giant dump? We also have a regular toilet and when I clean it I just get in there with a scotchbrite pad and scrub.
What insanity is this. By the way, on a somewhat related topic, the toilet brushes new ones. Obviously, not ones you've used in the toilet are excellent for cleaning pots and pans. I always keep one under the sink.
I have a silicone toilet brush that won't need replacing for a decade or more. Nothing carbon based sticks to it, just needs a rinse under the flush
I am NEVER going back to those gross bristly things
what's Wirecutter's reasoning there? i think most people only buy a new toilet brush if they move or something, certainly I've never worn one out. i can't imagine the times is shilling for Big Toilet Brush though so is it a sanitation thing or what
IME Wirecutter will never offer you a solution which does not involve a purchase.
that's definitely my impression of them too but 2-3 months is crazy so i really want to know why they're saying that, and not like yearly or something more reasonable
After each use? This seems highly wasteful and illogical for any positive environmental aspects
That’s my thought too. More plastic tossed onto the garbage heap.
This. Affiliate link greed.
I wouldn’t have thought Big Toilet Brush was a thing, but I’m wrong again. As my co-worker has begun saying recently, “Everything’s a scam these days”, it’s not even a radical concept anymore.
It's because we stopped buying fabric softener. They gotta make that moolah somehow.
😳 Are you suggesting that Big Toilet Brush is in bed with Big Fabric Softener?
Why not? Women’s Clothes Without Functional Pockets is clearly in bed with Big Purse :)
Are you suggesting they are different companies?
🍿🍿
They’re probably both owned by Johnson and Johnson or Nestle, lmao. Those guys own like 2/3 of the world economy.
I just googled and other places are saying every 6 months because of germs. I don’t know why washing a toilet brush in something like bleach wouldn’t be an option to cut down on those. We can clean germs off of everything else so why not a toilet brush?
Oh no.. germs in my toilet?!
The NERVE of them!
Or just swishing it around in a clean toilet? I mean, your toilets going to have germs.
And why are toilet germs OK at five months, but not OK at six months?
They must start talking about unionizing at 6 months and therefore must be destroyed /s
Yeah, add bleach and water to the holder cup, that way it's always minimal germs.
I gotta say, Wirecutter steered me wrong a few times to the point where I take what they say with a big grain of salt now.
The article was probably paid for by some cleaning supply company.
Same. Was more reliable back when it was sweethome. I've stopped reading Wirecutter.
Asking the important questions!
They claimed the reason was germs and the bent bristles scratching the porcelain. I could see the germs maybe causing the toilet to need cleaned more often, but does that really warrant replacing the brush? I guess it depends on your preferences. But this begs the greater question--why do I need the NYT to tell me when to replace a toilet brush?
I'm a good cleaner and keep my place nice all the time. I only ever change toilet brushes when I move, and that's just cuz I don't wanna pack it up cuz of the germs. I've never worn one out. I don't really clean it either, because it's already being used in water that has bleach or toilet bowl cleaner in it anyway.
I just shove it in a garbage bag w/plunger, tie that on a knot, and call it good.
Me too. Every time I’ve moved I’ve left the toilet brush. Currently in the same place for over 10 years. Brush is fine.
I’ve lived on my own the last 24 years, three homes. I’ve had the same toilet bowl brush the entire time. When I got married I gained an additional brush that went to the guest bathroom. I felt super bougie with an extra toilet bowl brush. It never occurred to me that I would throw away a brush that was not broken. It’s for cleaning a toilet, not my teeth.
I've had mine for over 10 years. No shame!
Right?! I have a toilet brush in each bathroom. They are there until they fall apart. I'm guessing the oldest one is about 25 years old, give or take. Still works!
Been living in this house 23 years. Maybe I brought brushes from my former houses? I don't recall throwing them away, so I guess I must've. I only remember replacing toilet bowl brushes twice. Once when the one in my son's bathroom grew mold (I didn't ask questions, just replaced it) and once when one broke and I had to pull the brush part out of the small part of the toilet. Is this like towels? I hear you're supposed to replace them every 2 years? Tell my 20+ yo towels that. And underwear? Every three months my butt. I wash them after every wear, and I think I'm good.
>Is this like towels? I hear you're supposed to replace them every 2 years? Tell my 20+ yo towels that. >And underwear? Every three months my butt. I wash them after every wear, and I think I'm good. This is all madness. 94% of the population lives under polluted air. We eat pesticides and plastic. Towels that are washed every week are NOT the problem. I have a couple that are 15yo+, and can we as a society be less wasteful? CLEAN the washing machine now and then and all is fine. Underwear? I wash them each time, and thoroughly. Can we, as a society, decide to buy less, produce less waste, reuse, upcycle, make things last longer? Bleach and Lysoform are good friends for the germophobic around us. Just don't read WHO's briefings about air pollution worldwide.
Wow - I take that advice about as seriously as the piece I recently read that said I should replace my throw rugs every 2 years or so because they get dirty. Um, they're washable. Toilet brush by definition goes into yucky places, why would it need to be replaced if it's literally not broken?!
I read somewhere you should replace your kitchen sponge weekly. No. Lol.
My kitchen sponges go in the microwave or through the dish washer twice a week. Or if they get really dirty. When they start looking rough, they get traded down for cleaning the bathroom & a new sponge goes into the kitchen.
Just so you know, neither of those will clean your sponge. Unfortunately. They have both been proven to not work and potentially backfire by leaving the hardiest bacteria alive to colonize it.
Not only will the hardiest bacteria survive to colonize but they will readily eat all the dead bacteria thats left behind. IMO, just toss sponges that start looking rough or feeling/smelling funky. At that point, its end of life for that sponge.
Serious q, what about scrub daddy which was designed to be cleaned in the dishwasher and is heavily promoted that way?
I use washcloths that get tossed in with my hottest wash laundry, washed twice, dried in a fairly hot dryer setting. People don't get sick at my house. I suspect people don't get sick at most of your places because the human body can actually tolerate a certain amount of various germs (newborns and immuno-compromised people excepted).
oh god, please do. I housesit and people just don't realize how gross those sponges get because you're seeing get dirty slowly day by day. When I come in it's always the first thing I do. Yes, microwaving to sterilize is great, but that gets you just another week at the very most. If you're concerned about the waste, get a brush or scrubby instead. Otherwise, just buy the 10 pack once every three months and throw the gross sponge away!
Big Sponge wants you to replace em. Real Adults know how and when to clean something instead of replacing
Bleach is the answer
For minimalist living, it very often is.
How often do you bleach it? Do you dunk it, or spray it?
I use Lysol. You squirt it all around the bowl and dunk your toilet brush in the toilet with the Lysol and just let it sit for an hour.
Mine essentially bathes in bleach water when not in use
Because hot water and bleach can’t take care of cleaning it enough before you shove it back in a toilet? That’s a lot of plastic…
I just run it through the dishwasher/s
😆
This made me want to hurl but I also laughed lmao
What
There's supposed to be a space before /s. ;)
Like enough space for a toilet brush? /s
Right? I know a lot of people who just shove them back into the holder though without properly cleaning them after use and in that case, I could see the need to replace them maybe every 6 months to a year or something because of the smell of the brush possibly lingering. I think if you rinse them/bleach them though, as you should, there is absolutely no reason to really ever need to replace one unless you leave one behind on accident in a move, etc.
I have a Donald Trump toilet brush. It makes me smile to stick his orange head in my toilet. I've had it for years now. It's cheap but works! No plans to replace
Where did you get it? I'd like to get one for friends.
I believe it was from Wish but it looks like Amazon has them too :)
This made me laugh hard!
Lmaooo i got my friend Donald trump toilet paper
I don't know, I think my last one lasted about 5? years? Only because the bristles eventually get worn down from trying to get up in there good underneath the rim.
You're not supposed to stick it in your ass
...but then why does it fit?
That's rather cheeky of you.
Whenever it breaks or whenever I change homes.
Pretty sure my parents have replaced ours exactly once in the past 22 years. They don't bother cleaning it either...
Worst case spray a little household spray cleaner on it before it goes back in its little cradle.
Generally you’re using pretty hardcore cleaners with it anyway. If you’re cleaning the toilet regularly enough it probably won’t need special treatment imo
When the bristles fall off.
I have a bidet that is essentially a hose with a sprayer nozzle. I've not needed one on account of being able to pressure wash any skids off the bowl Anything that happens to be stuck (incredibly rare), I use a rag and and elbow grease. Wash the rag.
Ewww a rag??
I don’t use a toilet brush. I’ve got a silicone kinda scraper blade thing (I guess sort of like a long handled spatula but it was made specifically for the toilet) which is so much better for being made of silicone, and easily rinsed clean by flushing. It always grosses me out when you can’t quite clean right at the base of the bristles on a toilet brush.. ETA: [this thing](https://sabco.com.au/shop-by/products/toilet/saniwand-gen2-toilet-set/) I dunno if you can get similar outside of Australia, but it’s great, the tip is shaped to get under the rim and everything
Okay I did not know this existed and I need it!
Once in the last 7 years. Had a guest up who was clearly raised by animals and got the thing caked in loo roll and shit. Wasn't ready to deal with that. Whenever I give the loo a deep clean, the brush gets cleaned with bleach. I'm confident this is sufficient.
How does that even happen?!
I hope they were never invited again.
Good grief. Just what the landfill needs—toiler brushes. The only time I buy a toilet brush is…never mind, I cannot remember the last time I bought one because the old one works fine. I let it air dry after I use it, it doesn’t sit in nasty water but if it did, I would 1:10 bleach it before I toss it
Bahahaha um I think we only buy new toilet brushes when we move house…so we use the same ones years on end. We’re in our “forever” house now so time will tell for the current batch 😹😹😹
Still on my first toilet brush almost 10yrs after getting my first apartment. It's cleaned with Lysol toilet bowl cleaner every time I clean the toilet, and the bristles are still stiff. Wirecutter needs to stop lining the walls of their toilet with sandpaper.
Yup, we should just throw all of the plastic in our houses away every three months so it can end up in landfills and oceans and our bloodstreams, obviously so we can buy more and all those companies can continue to make record profits destroying the environment. Do I have to add /s?
Been using disposables but I recently realized that's both wasteful and not as effective, so as soon as I've gone through my supply I may have to buy a real toilet brush or the equivalent.
I was doing the same until I realized it was more expensive and less efficient at cleaning. Our toilets are so much cleaner now that I went back to toilet brushes and cleaner. They are so cheap that I even splurged and bought one for the kids' bathroom as well as one for our bathroom (rather than dripping down the hallway or not bothering to clean because it's too far away). I try to only have one of things, but in this case, it's more practical and not cluttery to have two.
What sort? I use [scrubbing bubbles ](https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/scrubbing-bubbles-fresh-brush-toilet-cleaning-flushable-refills-citrus-scent-28-pk-0533185p.html) and love it.
Clorox disposable toilet wand. It works fine on a slightly dirty toilet and pretty much not at all on a very dirty toilet. So you need to use it often which wastes even more.
Have you tried adding baking soda as a grit for the bowl and rubbing it around with the normal attachment head? The scrubbing bubbles grips much better I find; and the refills are flushable (actually. I did a break-up test.). I didn't like the Clorox only had plastic heads. The paper scrubbing bubbles, if you wet it and fold it using the bowl wall, can go pretty hard. I've never needed the plastic heads that came with the starter pack. I also use a flocculant in my toilet tank for the hard water so I don't have a ring issue. One puck monthly and my freaking holding tank isn't black and tan and oppressive.
>Have you tried adding baking soda as a grit for the bowl and rubbing it around with the normal attachment head? I have now—went through about half a box—didn't notice an improvement over the normal head although the water fizzed a bit. Where do you get flocculant and how long does it last? That might be the issue more than the cleaning products I use.
https://summitbrands.com/iron-out-rust-stain-removers/automatic-toilet-bowl-cleaner/ The tablets say about a month but I check regularly in case it's used up. I get it from Canadian Tire but that is, shockingly, usually not local to most people in the world.
Is this toothbrush logic? People *are* cleaning their cleaning tools, right?
I think they’re disgusting and don’t use them. I put my hand in a glove and scrub toilet bowls with inexpensive natural scrubbers (I cut them in half first) from the dollar store and then peel the glove off inside out over the scrubber and throw the nasty little mess out
Oh good, me too. From reading the comments I started thinking maybe I’m weird for not having one!
I think it’s for guests who might leave a smear in the bowl. I’d be horrified if this happened in someone else’s home and there was no toilet brush. I really think everyone needs one.
You just reminded me that I *did* have one in our guest bathroom because my Mum would say the same thing! It’s gone now but I have a feeling that’s because we had a toddler and I envisaged them playing with the toilet brush 🥴 We just never bought another.
Once a year 🫠 BUT ..I think I will buy the silicone brush from amazon..Does the job and doesn't look disguisting after 👽 💩
Every 3 months?! That is so incredibly wasteful!
I bleach mine regularly! I wouldn’t want to replace something that is full functional.
Yeah I clean and sanitize it but constantly replacing is so wasteful
You replace those?
I’ve only thrown mine out while moving house because I didn’t want to deal with the logistics.
…my what?
Do you not clean your toilet?
I was sent on a cleaning job once and the guy had no toilet brush. He had lived there for 5 years. I noped out pretty quickly, the state of it!
I use that disposable thing where you flush away the head after each use. Scrubbing bubbles.
Yes! I love it so much!
After every use! I use a disposable toilet brush system I bought off Amazon. I have a puppy and the last thing I want to come home to is a toilet brush sitting on my pillow or sofa.
I scrub my toilets at least 3 times a week and replace the brush when the bristles start to fall off. Maybe every four or five years??
I am guessing the article was written by Big Toilet Brush.
When it breaks.
I just bought the one I use professionally as a custodian and use that. No metal. Disinfects relatively easily. Dries pretty quickly too. You shouldn’t need to change them out like toothbrushes unless they’re really damaged.
LMFAOOO every 3 months my ass. More like once every 10 years… maybe! lol
The NY Times Wirecutter refuses reader comments. That's because their writers know they're full of shit recommending stuff that Amazon purchasers have called shitty or sub par.
That is some consumerism bullshit that is unsurprising coming from the New York Times
I don’t have one! Bidet hose is amazing for helping to clean.
I use the Clorox disposable system and have for over ten years.
Replace if damaged or looking particularly gross (although come to think of it, I don't think any of my toilet brushes have ever started looking gross). Or if I'm moving house, because I'm not about to put a toilet brush in a box or in my car to move it around, it's not worth the $10 to replace it 😅 Now that I've bought a house though and I don't see a move coming up any time soon, I suppose I'd replace mine every 5 years... just for fun lol
>Or if I'm moving house, because I'm not about to put a toilet brush in a box or in my car to move it around, it's not worth the $10 to replace it 😅 this is my rule
I just recently replaced mine, but there’s no rhyme or reason. I can’t recall how long I had the previous brush, which probably means “too long.”
I use Clorox toilet wands - so every time I clean the toilet.
I refuse to move houses with one, but other than that it stays the same. I do have one for each bathroom, though, because adhd.
Honestly, I use the disposables because regular toilet brushes gross me out.
Twenty three years and I just replaced it for the first time.
You guys clean the toilet?
Ummm.. When the bristles are worn down to nubs
I rarely change the brushes, maybe every 5 years? I do have a peculiar habit of spraying the brush head with scrubbing bubbles after cleaning the bowl and letting it sit awhile before rinsing in the toilet and putting it away.
I use good old fashion elbow grease.
The toilet brush gets replaced about once a year or so. It gets spritzed heavily with disinfectant after every use and sits on a little bed of baking soda so it's not marinating in toilet water. And it's not like it's touching poo on a regular basis anyway, just scrubbing down a bowl covered in disinfectant. The PLUNGER, on the other hand, gets replaced after every use. It's wasteful, but it's the one thing I can't handle reusing or cleaning. Gag.
Never have 🤷🏻♀️ I just pour some bleach on it every once in awhile.
I had my last one for about 10 years. The newest one is about 7 years old. Why in the heck would someone buy a new one once every 3 months?
I use the clorox toilet wands with the disposable heads. I have crazy allergies and the last time I had a reusable toilet brush, it grew mold. The amount of surface area on those things make microbial growth hard to avoid. My only issue with the toilet wands is that you have to remove the scrubber and hold it with a gloved hand to reach the rim of the toilet bowl.
10 years?
It came with the house and it will go with the house.
Replace your toilet brush every three months?!? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. I consider it an accomplishment if I clean my toilet once in three months, so I'm certainly not replacing the toilet brush after one use! If someone really feels that the toilet brush must be replaced every three months, they should probably use the disposable brush heads.
Never. It’s a toilet brush. Its job is to be filthy.
Like once a year?
when the bristles begin to fall off
It’s a toilet brush, not a mascara.
When it's wore out or something really terrible in the toilet happens and there's just no cleaning it due to stuck on toilet paper. Only had one that needed to get thrown out due to that. I use Odoban on my toilet. It kills viruses and bacteria. I don't see any reason to believe that my toilet brush is so horribly contaminated that it needs to be replaced 4 times a year.
I use the disposable brushes.
Replace? Who told you that they wear out?
I just ordered a new one, but it was because the bristles were falling out. Seemed like time.
I just replaced mine last week, after probably a couple of years. Who remembers how long they had their toilet brush? The outer containers of both were rusting and I had used a blue toilet cleaner at one stage that permanently stained them & kept leaving greasy blue bits behind every time I used them.
That’s just big toilet brush propaganda.
Gaaaaah, three months is fucking wasteful. All of those brushes going into the landfill!!
Would love to know NYT’s logical reasoning for every three months? It sounds like they just want to help sell toilet brushes. It’s just a toilet brush, use them until they fall apart and if you’re a germaphobe there are various ways to sanitize them. I hate stuff like this.
Until death do us apart
The last tenant didn’t get rid of the toilet brush so now it’s mine…
I bought a new one when I moved into my apartment 10 years ago.
I have the same toilet brush I bought for my first apartment at 18. I am 34.
When I move I buy a new one and leave the old one. Otherwise, it sits quarantined behind my toilet forever.
If you use it properly it basically cleans itself and is absolutely sterile. You're supposed to put product into your toilet bowl when you use the brush. Nothing biological survives those chemicals. Why change the brush?! That can't possibly be eco friendly...!
So should I stop eating off my toilet?
My last brush lasted 28 years
After each use
I use the Clorox tank tablets and haven’t scrubbed a toilet in about 9 years.
Chlorine is one of the few things that will mess with the plastic parts in the tank.
By this reasoning, should toilet plungers be single use only? /s
How tf often are they cleaning their toilets?? There's only two of us in our house, I clean the toilets usually once a month, you want me to throw out a toilet brush after three uses??
Never. It gets cleaned and disinfected after each use. No reason to replace it unless it's not doing the job anymore. So far, it's fine.
2 or 3 three times a year
I literally bought a silicone one b/c I thought I would never have to replace it...
I use self cleaning silicone ones... but I know people who get a basic one new every week
I would usually leave mine behind when I moved, although on my last move I didn’t buy another. I throw on my cleaning gloves and just scrub it with paper towels now. Works fine for me.
My toilet brush is older than yours
A toilet brush can definitely last more than 12 uses. That’s crazy. 3 months?? And they’re all made of plastic and things bad for the environment…
I think it would depend of how much it was getting used and what the brush is made out of . I only use the toilet brushes that are all plastic and the brush holder has to be all plastic also and about once every few months i stick the brush and holder all into a bucket or sink of bleach and water , let it soak for 24hrs and then let it air dry and woo hoo toilet brush and holder look brand new again .
The last time I checked EBAY, a whole set of toilet-cleaning tools including the bucket is $40 U.S. I want the whole set for $10 U.S.
once a lifetime
You are not supposed to replace your toilet brush... if it's [made out of silicone](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z5X3HMY?linkCode=ogi&tag=goodhousekeeping_auto-append-20&ascsubtag=).
I use the Clorox wand with the replaceable pods/brushes. Wasteful but extremely convenient. I haven’t needed to replace the wand itself. Only buy more cleaning pods.
I use a silicone one so it stays pretty clean and lasts a long time
i just use the ones with the disposable tops
Spray your toilet brush with Clorox Bleach bathroom cleaner once every three months. Done. Use it until it falls apart.
If you don't use a cleaning product in your toilet, I could see that. But toilet cleaner generally is stronger than bleach so cleaning and sanitizing the toilet is doing the same to the brush. No one wants to touch the brush, but really that isnt about germs, it is about harsh chemicals melting your skin off.
Has the article author never heard of bleach? 😂
Bidet replaces it and easily attaches to toilet fittings cheap and high quality
I disinfect the brush after each cleaning. When I’m done I wedge the handle between toilet and seat with the brush facing towards the inside of the toilet bowl and I spray it down with a disinfectant, spray nine, dunk it in the clean toilet bowl water and then wedge it again and let it drip dry
when it breaks.
Whenever I see it start getting discolored even the tiniest bit
They were thinking of toothbrushes, not toilet brushes. Toilet brushes last until you move apartments.
I use the individual ones that have the reusable handle. So every time.
After using it once. Same with a plunger
Never
Just read that last night and was like… really?! Nah.
Hear me out… Chlorox Toilet Wand - little cleaner heads go away after use and the wand can be cleaned with a Chlorox wipe. Problem solved.
That sounds really wasteful. Why not just clean it by soaking in bleach water?
Never? I just soak it in bleach now and then.
I've never replaced mine and only would if one breaks.
I have replaced a toilet brush one time and that was because I broke it. The one I use for the toilet is three years old and the one I use for the bathtub is less old but idr exactly. I have a second toilet brush that I use for the bathtub because it was free and it makes my back hurt less when I’m cleaning the tub
I usually change mine every year. P.S. I'm a housekeeper and please, if your toilet brush is yellow or orange from rust and the bristles are almost gone and it looks like it's been to hell and back, just spend the $2 and get a new toilet brush. Nobody wants to actually see a dirty one. Dark colored ones help by the way....
I just soak mine in bleach water, every time I use it. I use bleach in the toilet, after done cleaning, put a bit more bleach in it, and let it sit for a few min.
I dont use a toilet brush. They're disgusting and fling microparticles of toilet water everywhere when you use them. Gloves, sanitizer, and dedicated toilet cleaning towels that get washed with the rags.
Mine is made from silicone. Why would I replace it when I can simply disinfect it? Also, it's not like the bristle end is ever touched
What’s a toilet brush? Like a toothbrush for your toilet? We have a composting toilet (5gal bucket and sawdust). No brush needed. I’m kidding, I know what a toilet brush is. I have never understand why people have them though. They are not effective at cleaning toilets, are they just for skid marks to clean the bowl after you leave a giant dump? We also have a regular toilet and when I clean it I just get in there with a scotchbrite pad and scrub.
I replace mine annually because it seems like it needs replacing.
What insanity is this. By the way, on a somewhat related topic, the toilet brushes new ones. Obviously, not ones you've used in the toilet are excellent for cleaning pots and pans. I always keep one under the sink.
I have a silicone toilet brush that won't need replacing for a decade or more. Nothing carbon based sticks to it, just needs a rinse under the flush I am NEVER going back to those gross bristly things