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The toilet - why it could be a problem
The toilet is certainly one of the most important parts of any household. Imagine if you still had to find your way in the dark towards the long-drop in the back yard. Even a modern toilet is a potential problem area, as it often contains faecal matter and urine. However, studies have shown that the average kitchen cutting board contains more bacteria than the average suburban toilet. How is this possible?
The toilet is the place in the house that gets cleaned most often with anti-bacterial cleaning agents. This reduces the bacterial load greatly. But should this not be done on a regular basis, or if the toilet is cracked, leaking or blocked, it could become a serious health hazard very quickly. The toilet handle is also a potential danger zone. With the proliferation of Escherichia coli (E. coli), the toilet could become a bacteria haven.
How to clean your toilet
Cleaning the toilet is not likely to be anywhere near the top of your list of favourite chores. Fortunately, there are effective and inexpensive cleaning materials on the market. Gone are the days of those potent multi-purpose disinfectants that the long-drops used to reek of!
Regular cleaning with anti-bacterial cleaning agents will sort out most of the bacterial problems in and around the toilet. It is important to clean properly inside the toilet bowl, below the water line as well as under the rim.
A special toilet scrubbing brush can be bought for this purpose. This brush should be used solely for this purpose. The toilet handle should also be washed regularly - preferably daily, especially if the toilet is used by a number of people. Air fresheners can also be put to good use in the toilet.
Handy hint:
To test if your toilet is leaking, add food colouring to the toilet tank. Do not flush for 30 minutes. If the water in the toilet bowl changes colour, you have a leaking toilet.
