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Your cleaning day just got easier with these lemon-scented homemade toilet cleaning bombs. Made with all-natural ingredients, these cleaners will leave your toilet sparkling with little effort.
Cleaning the toilets isn’t the most pleasant job, though if you were here when I got out the toilet brush, you would think differently. All my kids LOVE to scrub the toilets.
Yes, they are weird! But I know this is partly because they are little, the brush looks exciting, and it appears that we are playing in the water. In a few years, I will have to beg someone to clean the toilet. 😉
If you don’t have 4 little helpers, as I do, I have an easy solution! Heck, even with all my help, I prefer to use these homemade toilet cleaning bombs over getting the scrub brush out.
Less mess and no one has to fight over whose turn it is.
This toilet bomb recipe is simple to make, and it works so well!
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Table of Contents
- Safe toilet bowl cleaner alternative
- How do homemade toilet cleaning bombs work?
- Adding essential oils for the toilet bombs
- Toilet bomb ingredients
- Tools & Materials
- Homemade Toilet Cleaning Bombs Recipe
- Expert Tips
- How do you use these toilet bombs?
- Recipe FAQs
- Related Cleaning DIYS
- Homemade Toilet Cleaning Bombs Recipe
Safe toilet bowl cleaner alternative
Most conventional, if not all, toilet cleaners are loaded with toxins and chemicals. I try to get these ingredients out of my house just in case a child would get into them. And so they can help me clean without me having to worry.
Plus, kids love to touch everything and put everything in their mouths. I don’t want to spray all the surfaces in my home with dangerous ingredients.
Before making my own products, I remember having to wear a mask over my face when I would clean. I couldn’t stand breathing in all the toxic fumes, and it oftentimes gave me a headache.
Now that I clean with natural ingredients, I don’t have to worry, and my house is still getting cleaned.
Good news! You don’t need dangerous chemicals to keep your toilets clean. This DIY toilet cleaner is made with all safe ingredients, and it works so well! Plus, they are hands-off!
How do homemade toilet cleaning bombs work?
Similar to my homemade relaxing bath bombs, when these hit the water, the baking soda and citric acid will have a reaction, causing a “fizzing action,” if you will.
That is why you will see in a minute, we need to use as little water as possible when making these.
As the ingredients fizz, it will naturally clean your toilet and work to remove dirt and grime. When using these, you won’t need to use a toilet brush; however, I wouldn’t get rid of the brush for good.
Every once in a while, I like to use my homemade foaming toilet bowl cleaner and perform a deep scrub when needed.
Adding essential oils for the toilet bombs
This is always the best part about DIYing your own cleaning products, whether it’s my homemade shower scrub or my DIY anti-mold spray; you get to choose the scent. I personally prefer citrus oils for cleaning; lemon is my favorite!
You can also use tea tree, lime, orange, rosemary, or lavender. These essential oils have cleansing and purifying properties, making them a great option for cleaning toilets.
Toilet bomb ingredients
Baking Soda: Baking soda is a great deodorizer. Using baking soda in the toilet is a great way to maintain clean pipes and drains. It can also help to unclog drains or be used in my simple bath bomb recipe!
Citric Acid: Citric acid is a must in toilet cleaner bombs. It can be found in lemons and limes, which is what gives them the tart flavor. However, citric acid is found in many cleaning agents in a manufactured form. The environmental working group (EWG) gives it an A rating!
Liquid Dish Soap: The recipe calls for a small amount of liquid dish soap. I prefer to use my homemade dish soap, but you can really use whatever kind you have on hand.
Tools & Materials
You will also need some molds. I use bath bomb molds because I love the way they look! You can use metal bath bomb molds or silicone molds. Both work well. You’ll also need a spray bottle!
Homemade Toilet Cleaning Bombs Recipe
Step 1: Add baking soda and citric acid to a medium-sized mixing bowl and combine well.
Step 2: If you are using essential oils, add them in now.
Step 3: Pour the liquid soap into a spray bottle and mist the powder mixture with it. You want to get the mixture wet enough that it holds together when you squeeze it together, but not soaked.
Note: If the liquid soap doesn’t mist through the sprayer, you can dilute it a bit with water.
Step 4: Press the mixture into a small bath bomb or silicone mold.
Step 5: Allow the mixture to completely dry overnight or until it hardens.
Remove from the mold and allow it to harden for at least 48 hours before storing it in a dark, dry place.
Expert Tips
- Use less water than you think you’ll need. You should be able to squeeze the mixture with your hands, and it just begins to hold its shape. It should somewhat resemble kinetic sand.
- If you have trouble getting the molds to pop free, try tapping lightly on the sides with the blunt end of a butter knife or a spoon.
- If the mixture starts expanding immediately after you press it together between the molds, it likely has too much liquid.
- If this is your first time making these, I highly suggest looking at the detailed step-by-step images above and watching my video tutorial before starting!
How do you use these toilet bombs?
When the toilet needs a little refresher or when it starts to look grimy, simply drop one tablet into the toilet. Watch it fizz; well, this part is optional! 😉
Let it sit in the toilet for a few minutes before flushing if the toilet is extra dirty. If your toilet needs additional love, you can break out the toilet brush and give it a scrub.
I am not a plumber, but I feel like it is best to let it completely dissolve before flushing it down.
You can use these as needed. I personally add one to the toilet about twice a week. As it fizzes, you will smell the essential oils, which is a great addition to my DIY bathroom air freshener.
If you are having guests over, just drop one in the toilet before everyone arrives, and then you will have a clean toilet and a fresh, clean-smelling bathroom.
Recipe FAQs
You can store these in a dry area in a basket for up to six months.
This will make approximately six toilet-cleaning bombs.
Yes, these work great for cleaning toilets!
Related Cleaning DIYS
- Homemade Multi-Surface Bathroom Spray
- DIY Multi-Purpose House Cleaner
- Homemade Furniture Dusting Spray
- DIY Trash Can Deodorizer
- Homemade Leather Shoe Cleaner
If you tried these homemade toilet bombs, I’d love for you to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Toilet Cleaning Bombs
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- ¼ cup citric acid
- 1 tablespoon liquid soap, You can use my homemade kind or any brand you have on hand.
- 30 drops essential oils, My favorites are lemon and wild orange.
Instructions
- Mix the baking soda and citric acid in a mixing bowl and stir well.
- Add essential oils to the bowl and mix well.
- Add the liquid soap to a small spray bottle. Mist the powder mixture until it starts to hold together. (you should be able to squeeze it in your hand, and it leaves an imprint.)
- Press the mixture into a small bath bomb or silicone mold.
- Allow the mixture to dry overnight or until completely hard before removing it from the molds.
- Allow the toilet cleaning bombs to harden for at least 48 hours before storing them in a dark, dry area.
- Drop one tablet into the toilet bowl and wait for it to completely dissolve before flushing.
Video
Notes
- Use less water than you think you’ll need. You should be able to squeeze the mixture with your hands, and it just begins to hold its shape. I should sorta resemble kinetic sand.
- If you have trouble getting the molds to pop free, try tapping lightly on the sides with the blunt end of a butter knife or a spoon.
- If the mixture starts expanding immediately after you press it together between the molds, it likely has too much liquid.
- If this is your first time making these, I highly suggest looking at the detailed step-by-step images above and watching my video tutorial before starting!
- Store for up to 6 months.
- This will make approximately 6 toilet bombs
Do you have anything you could substitute for the Citric Acid? I am going through my cleaning products to possibly make my own and this is the only recipe calling for the citric acid. So I was just curious if I could replace it with something else that would do the same thing?
Citric acid is useful in this recipe because it is powder and will only react with baking soda when in water. That is why you can mix them ahead of time. But any acid will react with the baking soda. For example, you can pour 2 cups of white distilled vinegar (acetic acid) into the toilet bowl, followed by approximately 1 cup of baking soda. This will create a fizz.
Scrub and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before flushing. You can also drop some essential oil.
These work great for our house. I drop one in the toilet midweek to freshen things up or if company come by I pop one in then for a fresh scent. I place them in a bowl or jar and if anyone feels the need after their business they can pop one in. Thanks for this great recipe.
Thank you for sharing! I am glad you liked it!
This is a great idea! You could use a mini ice cube tray and make small ones for “after business” refreshers.
is boric acid the same as citric acid?
No, they are different.
Hello,
My bombs keep growing and expanding, like the blob!?!? what am I doing wrong???
Haha like after they are made or during the process?
Mine are doing this as well. When I put them in the mold. They keep expanding almost like marshmallow mush. Some of my batches have done this and others it hasn’t.
Hey for everyone having issues with their bombs fluffing up while making them there’s a couple things to watch for. 1. If you make these while it’s raining or there’s high humidity it really impacts the reactiveness of the ingredients and can cause them not to set correctly so I try to do bath bombs or cleaners that react like bath bombs on days without high humidity. 2. If that isn’t an issue and you are still experiencing the problem cut back on the liquid soap. You really only need it to be like a moistened sand texture to be just damp enough to hold the other ingredients together, too much liquid causes it to react prematurely (which is also the issue the people who are not seeing them foam when they use them have, the reaction has occurred already for the most part and that is why they are not fizzing when dropped into the water). I hope this helps everybody!
Thanks for sharing!
can i use lemon juice instead of citric acid
I think it will make it to wet and cause them to fall apart when being transferred out of the molds.
I absolutely love this! I am definitely making it again soon!
I am so glad! They make cleaning so easy!
I’m sure you would have mentioned this, but I wanted to ask. Are these safe for a septic tank? Love your videos and I’m learning a lot about essential oils. Thanks for sharing !
I let it dissolve completely before flushing the toilet and I haven’t had any issues. 🙂
How many bombs does this recipe make?
With the mold I am using it makes 8.
When do you add the oil?
Right after you stir the powders together you can add in the essential oils if using. Stir well and then go to the next step.
Hello
My name is Safa
Happy to make your lovely recipes I am interested in natural recipes
I had ur ebook about skin care
Can you please send me ur ebook about essential oils
Thanks for everything