• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
go to homepage

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

go to homepage

How To Clean Stuff.net

Search by
Category
  • Cleaning Blog
  • Automotive
  • Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures
  • Carpets and Rugs
  • Cats
  • Closets and Organization
  • Dogs
  • Electronics
  • Fabrics
  • Floor & Carpet
  • Floors
  • Food
  • Furniture
  • General Housecleaning
  • House
  • Household Appliances and Fixtures
  • Jewelry
  • Kitchen Appliances and Fixtures
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Surfaces
  • Kitchenware
  • Metals
  • Outdoors
  • Other Pets, Animals and Pests
  • People
  • Stain Removal
  • Stuff
  • Surfaces
  • Things You Own
  • Tools and Techniques
  • Walls and Ceilings
  • Windows
  • Everything Else
  • Ask us your cleaning question

Home / Cleaning Guides / Kitchen & Bath / Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures / How to Clean a Plunger

How to Clean a Plunger

Matthew asked, “Where do you keep your plunger and how do you clean it off after using it?”

Table of Contents:
  1. Cleaning a Plunger
  2. Additional Tips and Advice
  3. Sources

A plunger is one of those household tools we need, but don’t want to admit we actually use. It does not have to be a gross addition to your cleaning supplies; read on for no-fuss cleaning and storage tips.

Cleaning a Plunger

You Will Need:

  • Detergent, such as dish liquid
  • Chlorine bleach
  • All-purpose disinfectant spray
  • Boiling water
  • Plunger holder
  • Small bucket

Steps to Clean the Plunger:

  1. After using the plunger to clean a toilet, flush the toilet a few times and use the water to clean the plunger off.¹
  2. Mix detergent and bleach in the toilet water, and swish the plunger around to clean and disinfect it.¹
  3. If you do not have any chlorine bleach, you can allow the plunger to dry and then spray it with an all-purpose disinfectant spray.²
  4. As a last resort, if no cleaning supplies are available, you can carefully allow boiling water to flow over the plunger into the toilet to sterilize it. Be sure that the water touches all surfces of the plunger, including the areas within the cup.³
  5. Flush the toilet when done to rinse away any cleaning solutions.
  6. Tap the plunger on the side of the toilet to remove excess liquid.¹
  7. Put the plunger away in a plunger holder or small bucket for storage.

Additional Tips and Advice

  • A linen or storage closet is a common place to keep a plunger, but there really is no reason to hide a clean plunger. One fun tip is to paint the handgrip white and use it to store toilet paper near the toilet so both are close by.⁴

Sources

  1. Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson
  2. Cleaning Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin
  3. Green Clean by Linda Mason Hunter & Mikki Halpin
  4. Handy Household Hints from Heloise

 

Bathroom Appliances and Fixtures, Cleaning Guides, Stuff

Was This Guide Helpful?

+30
-5
Rating: 86%. From 35 votes.
Please wait...

Related Posts

  • How to Clean Paint from Bathroom Fixtures
  • How to Clean Cultured Marble
  • How to Clean The World
  • How to Clean Stuff
  • How to Clean Lycra
  • How to Clean Oilcloth

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, conse ctetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit sed diam.


Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

About the Author

Avatar photo

Melanie

Hi! I am a seasoned writer-researcher who prides myself on quality and accuracy. I always vet my sources and test the cleaning methods I prescribe! I hope my cleaning guides can help you out! :)

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Helpful comments include feedback on the recipe or changes you made.

show comments +

Comments

  1. Grayson says

    January 7, 2015 at 1:10 pm

    Detergents sometimes contain ammonia. Ammonia and bleach combined will create a toxic cloud. Not a good idea. In fact, urine contains ammonia. Bleach in the toilet bowl should be used with caution if there is ursine present. Definitely do not add bleach to a bowl of urine or urinate into bleach water in the toilet….unless you want to breathe in toxic fumes.

    Reply
  2. Lila says

    October 24, 2015 at 12:04 am

    I’m not really sure how to clean plungers, so thank you for that information. But I noticed a few things that should have a caution or warning about: most toilet bowl cleaners should NOT mix with chlorine bleach, so if you use those cleaners, it’s best to be safe and not use the bleach. Another caution is using boiling water over the toilet to sterilize the plunger; the boiled water could crack the porcelain.

    Reply
  3. Cesarea says

    December 12, 2017 at 9:07 am

    I’m all for using boiling water to clean & sterilize but, you said to pour over, but what about getting up in there where the real bacteria lurks?! Also it never occurred to me to rinse in the toilet, I just ran really hot water over in the tub which left residue in it so I like this option much better!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      July 5, 2019 at 2:59 am

      I like their idea better too. I cleaned mine in my shower, lol, like you in the tub.
      I posted down below.
      If you are ever even going to read this…the writers of the article probably won’t read mine either since this article came out in 2015 or before. AND now that I’m looking at the few responses from readers, I’m not seeing a reply at all. But maybe they email their responses because they did ask for our emails. Wish I could see what they replied with though.

      Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      July 7, 2019 at 4:47 pm

      Hi Cesarea,
      You’re right, the water needs to be poured over all surfaces of the plunger. Sorry this article didn’t make that clear. I will update it now. Thanks so much!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Featured Guides

How to Clean a Hairbrush

How to Clean a Microwave Oven With ZERO Chemicals

How to Clean Every Dental Retainer

How to Clean your Macbook’s Screen

Join our mailing list.
Be the first to know about new arrivals, sales, and special events.
Thank you for subscribing!

Footer

Browse by Category

  • Automotive
  • Clothing & Fabrics
  • Floors & Carpets
  • Housecleaning
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Outdoors
  • People & Pets
  • Household Stuff

Contact

  • Ask Us Your Cleaning Questions
  • Contact Form

Follow us on Social Media

Site Information

  • Cookie Policy
  • Guest Post Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • XML Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 · HowToCleanStuff.net · All Rights Reserved · Website by Anchored Design