Why a Dirty Toilet Is The Biggest Home Cleaning Ick

You’re definitely not alone if you routinely scrub your house from top to bottom before guests arrive, but chances are you’ve wondered what things people actually notice in your home, versus the tasks that require a quick refresh or that you can skip completely. One cleaning pro shared the biggest cleaning icks that people notice about your home in a new Instagram video, and unsurprisingly, a dirty toilet tops her list. 

Instagram user Sarah Baker-Holtom regularly shares cleaning hacks and tips on her @house.of.holtom Instagram account from her years of owning a cleaning business (because even the most avid cleaners want to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible). 

In a “truth bomb” Instagram video shared in June, the content creator shared a list of key areas guests notice when they come into your home. It turns out the adage that if you want to know how clean someone is, just look at their bathroom might be true, because Baker-Holtman said that a dirty toilet personally grosses her out the most. 

So, what constitutes a dirty toilet? This might vary from person to person, as Baker-Holtman shared in the video’s caption. “Everyone has their own personal level of cleanliness so this is not meant as judgmental,” she said. In addition to the obvious (poop) and less pleasant aesthetic details, like water stains, a toilet that hasn’t been cleaned properly can contribute to the spread of bacteria and viruses. Plus, chances are that all your guests will be using it at some point during their visit — making it a high-priority area for cleaning.

But if you’re suddenly self-conscious about the quality of your toilet cleaning, here are some tips. While scrubbing your toilet might not be your favorite cleaning task, there are some things that can make cleaning it go more smoothly. First, put on a pair of gloves (to minimize the ick factor) and flush your toilet with the lid closed.

Next, open the lid, and add toilet bowl cleaner along the rim of the bowl. Wait 15 minutes, during which you can start cleaning the outside of the toilet and the top of the lid. Use a dust rag first, then do a wet clean with a disinfectant, making sure to get all the hard-to-reach spots and the bottom of the toilet.

Once you’ve gotten all the exterior spots cleaned, scrub the toilet bowl with a toilet brush, working down from the rim to the bottom of the bowl. Flush the toilet, rinse off your toilet brush in the clean water, then return it to its stand. Use a damp rag to get rid of any chemical cleaner residue that might be still left on the seat or the lid, then you’re good to go.

While Baker-Holtman said that a dirty toilet was her biggest ick, she also named mold, rat traps, cigarette smoke, bugs, and dirty underwear on the floor as some other things to avoid. Many commenters agreed with her calling out “nasty smells” from the trash, pets, smoking, and an unclean bathroom as their biggest ick.

However, as one commenter pointed out, while getting icks are natural, it can be good to try to see beyond them. The Instagram user revealed they bought a home despite the fact that it was very dirty and smelled bad, calling it the “best decision ever” as they were able to find a great home by looking past the surface level cleaning that needed to be done. “While I do get the ick factor, sometimes the treasure is buried under the ick,” they wrote. Wise words indeed!