Why some households pour salt into the toilet bowl before bed
A home trick combines coarse salt with baking soda and essential oil to fight odors and grime in the toilet bowl overnight. Experts note it does not replace regular plumbing cleaning.
Keeping a bathroom clean often takes more than wiping down surfaces — limescale can build up over time and unpleasant odors can develop. To deal with this, many households turn to simple home remedies to supplement their regular cleaning routine.
One such method involves using coarse salt together with baking soda to clean the toilet bowl. According to the outlet "El Cronista," this mixture is often combined with a few drops of essential oil as well.
How the remedy works
Salt acts as an additional cleaning ingredient that, combined with baking soda, helps reduce unpleasant odors and grime on the surface of the toilet bowl. The essential oil is mainly added for a pleasant scent — lemon, lavender, or eucalyptus oil can be used, for example.
How to prepare and use it
The recommended mixture is two tablespoons of coarse salt combined with two tablespoons of baking soda, plus about five drops of essential oil. This mixture should be poured into the toilet bowl in the evening before bed, with the lid closed and left to work overnight, then rinsed away with water in the morning. The process can be repeated once or twice a week as a supplement to regular cleaning.
When it won't help
The salt-and-soda mixture is not meant to remove stubborn, already-formed limescale deposits — in such cases, a dedicated descaling product is recommended instead. It is also advised not to mix different household chemical products, particularly those containing chlorine, acids, or ammonia, as this can be hazardous.
Overall, this method should be viewed only as a minor addition rather than a replacement for regular cleaning of the toilet bowl and other bathroom surfaces, which remains the main way to maintain hygiene.
