Best toilet cleaner 2023: Keep your loo fresh, fragranced and stain-free
Whether you’re dealing with stubborn stains, limescale or unpleasant odours, check out our roundup of the best toilet cleaners
Cleaning the toilet is nobody’s favourite household chore, but putting it off can make things more difficult down the line. Having the best toilet cleaner for the job can make things a lot simpler, turning a dreaded task into a routine one. If you’re trying to remove unsightly discolouration, break down calcium build-up or you just want to keep everything nice and fresh, we’ve got you sorted.
Below you’ll find our handy buying guide, which will take you through some of the questions you might have when choosing the right toilet cleaner for your particular needs. Further down the page are our mini-reviews of the best toilet cleaners based on their strengths and best uses.
Our list covers a range of products from strong cleaners to gentler, environmentally friendly products, as well as some fuss-free solutions for those of you who don’t feel like strapping on those yellow gloves.
READ NEXT: The best bathroom cleaners to buy
Best toilet cleaner: At a glance
- Best all-round toilet cleaner: Harpic Power Plus
- Best toilet cleaner for limescale: HG Professional Limescale Remover
- Best environmentally friendly cleaner: Ecover Toilet Cleaner Pine & Mint
- Best whitening toilet cleaner: Harpic White & Shine
- Best toilet cleaner tablets: Astonish Toilet Tablets
- Best set-and-forget toilet cleaner: Ecozone Forever Flush
- Best toilet rim block: Bloo Colour Active
How to choose the best toilet cleaner for you
How many products do I need to clean my toilet?
This will depend on the problems your loo is causing and how involved you want to get with them. For general day-to-day cleaning, a strong multipurpose cleaner should take care of things nicely. If you have problems with limescale or want your toilet to be sparkling white, then you’ll need to add more specific products, such as a limescale remover or a whitening product, to your cleaning arsenal.
If you’d like to keep things as hands-off as possible, a tablet-based cleaner or a set-and-forget toilet block are solid options. If you want to go the extra mile and make sure your toilet is okay on the pipes and drainage front, you should also take a look at our list of the best drain cleaners.
Will I still need to use a scrubbing brush with these products?
This will depend on a few factors: the severity and stubbornness of any limescale or stains you might have, how long you leave a product to sit for and the strength of your cleaning solution. Our list contains products that range from the concentrated and strongly formulated to milder products.
The stronger and more direct the product, the more likely it is to remove dirt and calcification with minimal scrubbing. However, some build-ups and stains can be incredibly stubborn and might even resist a strong cleaner and some intense scrubbing. If this sounds familiar, our top tip is to leave a product to sit overnight and then scrub down the bowl with (and we’re aware this may sound odd) a pumice stone.
READ NEXT: Our guide to the best toilet brushes
Are there more environmentally friendly cleaners available?
With everyone trying to do their bit by being a little greener, environmentally friendly cleaning products have become increasingly popular in recent years. Eco-conscious companies tend to make products that use less harsh chemicals – for toilet cleaners, look out for products that are certified as less damaging to marine creatures, as all that flushed water can eventually end up in the ocean.
Greener companies also tend to stock products that are hypoallergenic and safer to use around small children and pets, so they’re a good pick for those of you with allergies or little house-guests of either variety. Other things to look out for are products that have recyclable packaging or ones that offer refills so as to cut down on waste.
The best toilet cleaner to buy
1. Harpic Power Plus: Best all-round toilet cleaner
Price: £5 | Buy now from Amazon
Harpic Power Plus sits at the top of our list because of its strength and versatility. This toilet cleaner targets a wide range of problems – its formula works on stains, removes limescale and rust build-ups and also kills germs and bacteria.
As well as its grime-fighting skills, we like the handy bottle shape, which makes it easy for using under the rim. It also cleans above and below the water-line due to its thickness and gets to work quite quickly. However, as Harpic Power Plus has such a strong formula, you’ll need to be extra careful when applying it. Always use it in a well-ventilated space, avoid inhaling any vapours and keep the bottle well out of the reach of children.
Key details – Size: 750ml; Form: Liquid; Septic-tank safe: Yes
2. HG Professional Limescale remover: Best limescale-focused cleaner
Price: £5 | Buy now from Amazon
Limescale build-up in toilets is a problem that many people simply give up on, and we can understand why. Even cleaners that claim to have descaling properties sometimes fail to shift this stubborn build-up. However, this highly concentrated limescale remover from HG has become a staple due to its effectiveness.
Though only 500ml, the concentrated formula means one bottle should last for a long time if applied appropriately. And while it works well on loos, it can also be used safely on a variety of bathroom surfaces, such as shower doors, tiles and taps, and on various types of grime, such as soap scum and rust. This bottle-based concentrate is our top pick for toilets, but if you’d like to use it as a general bathroom descaler, the foam spray variation is an option worth considering.
Key details – Size: 500ml; Form: Liquid; Septic-tank safe: Yes
3. Ecover Toilet Cleaner: Best environmentally friendly toilet cleaner
Price: £2 | Buy now from Big Green Smile
Ecover is a reliable brand for gentler cleaning products that get the job done, and its toilet cleaner is no exception. It cleans, decalcifies and freshens like the rest of the cleaners on our list, but what impressed us most were its eco-credentials.
Its biodegradable formula has a minimum impact on marine life and it’s made without petrochemicals, focusing instead on plant and mineral-based ingredients. The plant-based fragrance of pine and mint is the most natural and fresh-smelling scent used in any of the products in our roundup.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the cap and bottle are recyclable. If you would rather reduce and reuse, there’s also a 5L refill bottle available, which should keep you stocked for a long time.
Key details – Size: 750ml; Form: Liquid; Septic-tank safe: Yes
4. Harpic White & Shine: Best whitening toilet cleaner
Price: £4.50 | Buy now from Amazon
There’s clean, and there’s sparkling and shiny. For those of you aiming for the latter, Harpic White & Shine is a standout option. This product has all the usual whitening and cleaning properties of a bleach-based cleaner, with the addition of baking soda.
It’s designed not only to restore but also maintain the colour and sheen of your porcelain, making it a good pick for regular, day-to-day use in your loo. Besides getting to work on whitening, it’s also effective against less visible nasties such as germs and many viruses – E.coli being one example. Like most bleach-based cleaners it isn’t super-effective against limescale, so you may want to look elsewhere if descaling is a high priority.
Key details – Size: 750ml; Form: Liquid; Septic-tank safe: Yes
5. Astonish Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tablets: Best toilet cleaner tablets
Price: £3 | Buy now from Lakeland
This vegan-certified product from Astonish is one of the easiest cleaners to use on our list. Simply pop a tablet in your toilet and leave it to sit overnight. In the morning, it should have given your loo a light clean and freshen without you having to lift a finger. These tablets also tackle limescale, with Astonish claiming the product is suitable even for those in hard-water areas with heavy scaling.
This product does have a few drawbacks, one being its comparatively slow workrate, and another being the fact that it isn’t suitable for use with septic tanks, so keep these factors in mind before you buy.
Key details – Size: 8 pk; Form: Tablets; Septic-tank safe: No
6. Ecozone Forever Flush: Best set-and-forget toilet cleaner
Price: £18 | Buy now from Amazon
This cistern-based toilet block from Ecozone is a discreet and handy product for toilet maintenance. Simply pop one in your tank and each time you flush, your toilet will be lightly cleaned and descaled – keep an eye out for blue water to ensure it’s working.
While initially it might seem a tad pricey, this product does provide value for money in the long run. Each block in a twin pack should last for approximately 2,000 flushes, enough to keep most households going for a long time (the world average for toilet flushing is 2,500 per year). As a bonus, these blocks are also biodegradable, non-toxic and certified by Allergy UK for being hypoallergenic. They’re also vegan and cruelty-free.
Key details – Size: Twin pk; Form: Toilet block; Septic-tank safe: Yes
7. Bloo colour active: Best toilet rim block
Price: £3.50 | Buy now from Wilko
This rim-based toilet block is a budget-friendly option for maintaining freshness on a daily basis. Each time you flush, the cleaning foam works to lift dirt and provide a burst of fragrance that persists pleasantly in the bathroom. The blue tinge you see is a handy reminder that the product is working – and also gives you a good idea of when it’s time to reapply your block.
A handy feature of this product is its anti-limescale and dirt properties, which help prevent limescale build-up and restaining – making for an easier deep clean when the time comes.
Key details – Size: Twin pk; Form: Toilet rim block; Septic-tank safe: Yes