When your toilet seat starts to yellow or look dingy, it’s a nightmare. No one wants their toilet at home to look like a public toilet. Yet often all you need to do is reach for a commonly available household gadget. I’m sure you have some of that sugary fizzy drink and baking soda at home. These ingredients can have an excellent effect as toilet cleaning helpers.

A beautiful white cutting board without yellowed stains or any blemishes will shine like new. You just need to know what to clean it with. There is no need to spend on expensive cleaning products in drugstores. Often they don’t have the effect they promise anyway. It’s important to understand why the board is turning yellow in the first place. That way you will know how to get rid of the problem.

What does a yellow toilet seat mean?

One of the main reasons why toilet seats (especially plastic ones) turn yellow is due to urine deposits, minerals from hard water and bacteria. In addition, nitrates in urine react with minerals from the water, so yellowish stains can often even turn light brown.

And the use of common cleaning agents with chlorine or harsh chemicals can damage the cutting board material with prolonged use.

Another problem is that conventional cleaning agents have limited antibacterial properties. In a study that evaluated natural products such as vinegar and baking soda, as well as common disinfectants, kitchen ingredients were shown to achieve bacteria reduction far greater than products recommended by professionals.

Baking soda in the home can handle a lot. Among other things, it comes in handy when cleaning the toilet. ━━ Baking soda in the home can handle a lot. Among other things, it comes in handy when cleaning the toilet. ( Source: Giorgio Trovato /  Unsplash+ )

Acids in lemonades help too

Many soft drinks (such as cola drinks) contain acids. These are usually phosphoric, citric or carbonic acid, which have the ability to break down mineral deposits and some organic stains.

According to the Southern Living website, Coca-Cola, for example, can serve as a one-stop cleaner because these acids help dissolve rust or stains, especially urine stains. However, that doesn’t mean it’s an ideal solution for regular toilet cleaning. The dark color of the drink itself can stain plastic or leave a sugary residue on the cutting board.

Studies have warned that in laboratory conditions, when surfaces are exposed to acidic drinks for long periods of time, the surface is damaged, both discoloured and scratched.