How to Keep Your Toilet Smelling Fresh: Tried & Tested Steps

A smelly toilet not only makes your bathroom less inviting but may also pose a health and safety concern for everyone using the space.

The main causes of unpleasant toilet odours include germs and bacteria buildup, sewer gases, lingering waste, and poor ventilation. These odours don’t stay confined—they can quickly spread, making the entire bathroom smell unpleasant.

The good news? With the right cleaning routine and trusted products from Lysol^®, you can help manage these odours effectively, while killing 99.99% of viruses and bacteria^*.

Keep reading to discover how to keep your toilet smelling fresh and transform your bathroom into a more pleasant and inviting space.

1. Clean your toilet regularly

Regularly cleaning and disinfecting the toilet bowl is a given if you want to get rid of toilet odours by preventing bacteria growth.

Even if it’s as simple as wiping down your toilet surfaces every other day using Lysol^® Disinfecting Wipes, a little bit of toilet cleaning can go a long way.

Keep a toilet brush and a high-quality toilet bowl cleaner from a trusted cleaning and disinfecting products brand, such as Lysol^®, next to your toilet to remind you to clean on a regular basis.

To clean the toilet bowl, apply Lysol^® Toilet Cleaner - Power into it. Place the nozzle under the rim and gently squeeze the bottle to distribute the cleaner, ensuring maximum bowl coverage, including the hard-to-reach areas.

After that, allow the cleaner to sit in the bowl for at least 5-10 minutes to penetrate, dissolve, and remove tough, hard water stains, rust stains, mineral deposits, and 99.9% of viruses and odour-causing bacteria^*.

Then, pick up a toilet brush to scrub the insides of the bowl. Lastly, flush the toilet thoroughly to rinse away the cleaning agent and the accumulated deposits.

2. Hook the automatic toilet drop

To help manage the unpleasant smell, attach the Lysol^® Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner on the inside of the toilet bowl. With every flush, it cleans your toilet bowl and freshens the entire bathroom.

3. Apply hydrogen peroxide in the toilet bowl

Hydrogen peroxide is a natural oxidizing agent that is an excellent resource for odour removal but also works as a powerful cleaning solution.

Apply Lysol^® Toilet Bowl Cleaner - Hydrogen Peroxide Action^TM  inside the toilet bowl, which will help dissolve even the toughest stains, leaving behind no chemical residues: just a clean, fresh scent.

Additionally, unlike some other cleaners, Lysol^® Toilet Bowl Cleaner - Hydrogen Peroxide Action^TM contains 0% bleach and no harsh chemical residue, and eliminates 99.99% of bacteria*.

4. Make sure to ventilate

Keeping the bathroom ventilated is important to reduce unpleasant toilet odours or reduce them to acceptable levels.

Ventilate the bathroom, especially after toilet use, by opening up windows and an exhaust fan (if you have any) to circulate fresh air, and expel unpleasant toilet odours, ensuring a cleaner, hygienic, and fresher environment.

5. Using air freshener

A reliable and top-notch air freshener such as Lysol^® Neutra 2in1 Air Freshener helps kill bad toilet odours caused by bacteria on hard surfaces and releases a pleasant fragrance into the air.

^*When used as directed.

FAQs

How often should I clean my toilet to prevent bad odours?

Clean the toilet thoroughly at least once a week, paying special attention to visible stains, as they can harbour bacteria that cause unpleasant odours.

What can I put in my toilet tank to keep it clean and free of odour?

Just put the Lysol^® Toilet Tank Cleaner - Continuous Action Puck in your toilet tank to clean it and keep it clean, clear and free of odour with every flush. It will sanitize the toilet bowl water by killing 99.99% of viruses and bacteria^*, helping it stay clean, clear, and odour-free.

How can I tackle persistent odours in the toilet?

Inspect for hidden buildup in the tank or under the rim, and use deep-cleaning products, such as Lysol^® Toilet Cleaner - Power and Lysol^® Hydrogen Peroxide Bathroom Cleaner, to remove them.

How do germs contribute to toilet odours?

Germs and bacteria thrive in moist, warm environments like toilet bowls and surrounding areas. As they multiply, they produce waste and compounds that cause unpleasant odours. Regular cleaning and disinfecting with products like Lysol^® help eliminate these germs, keeping your toilet and bathroom smelling fresh and germ-free.