There’s nothing worse than scrubbing away at stubborn stains and obscured rims on the toilet bowl, especially when you don’t have the best toilet brush for the job. Sometimes, no amount of toilet cleaner or bleach can save you from this fate, especially if you live in an area with particularly hard water that’s prone to limescale.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re tired of struggling to clean hard-to-reach areas with standard toilet brushes. Or you might be sick of buying cheap brushes that break after five minutes’ use. Even worse, you could have a smelly brush that’s needed replacing for longer than you’d like to admit; it’s recommended that you replace your toilet brush every six months, but many of us are guilty of waiting longer. Carbon Brush
From brushes that include a built-in rim cleaner and interchangeable heads to innovative easy-clean silicone brushes, we’ve got it covered in this list. So, if you fancy getting an insight into the wonderful world of toilet brushes, you can read our detailed buying guide below. If you want to skip that, scroll a little further down to find the best toilet brushes out there.
You might be thinking, “It’s a toilet brush. Is there really anything to explain?” Well, you should never underestimate the power of a good bog brush; it can make your life so much easier when you’ve got the correct shape, the right materials and a strong build quality. Here are a few things to consider before you make that all-important investment.
Silicone brushes have seen a surge in popularity in recent years because they’re much easier to clean than standard bristle brushes, and therefore harbour fewer bacteria. That means they don’t need replacing as often and don’t start to smell as quickly either.
With silicone brushes, the flatter, spatula-shaped designs tend to work better than those with more traditional rounded heads. Silicone brushes that emulate the bristle brush shape usually have weak bristles that don’t do a great job on stubborn dirt. The spatula style is much more suited to tackling grime, although you’ll have to get used to a different technique of brushing.
Bristle brushes are the bog-standard brushes you’ll find in most homes. While the thin, sturdy bristles are tougher on dirt than silicone brushes, they’re so tightly packed together they’re impossible to clean perfectly, meaning that bacteria build-up is inevitable. Therefore, they need replacing much more often and can start to smell if they’re not kept clean and stored in a well-ventilated stand.
Rim cleaner: This convenient feature sticks up so that it can reach underneath the rim of the toilet bowl, an area that’s infamously hard to clean without getting uncomfortably hands-on. In silicone brushes, this often consists of a flexible top that can bend to fit those hard-to-reach spots. For bristle brushes, the rim cleaner typically juts out from the brush head at an angle.
Replacement heads: The environmentally conscious among us will not only be frustrated with the added cost of replacing a toilet brush every six months, but also with the amount of waste involved. Luckily, you can buy replacement heads for quite a few toilet brushes. Granted, this isn’t quite as green as using a single long-lasting silicone brush, but it does save you purchasing a new handle and stand every time.
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The brush may take care of the business end, but the stand is of almost equal importance. Finding a stand that’s got decent ventilation, space for drips and that’s easy to clean is essential for keeping gross smells to a minimum. Usually when you buy a toilet brush it will come with a stand, but the main things to look out for are the following.
Wall mount: This will be particularly useful if you’ve got pets roaming the house, or if you want to be able to clean the floors without moving your toilet brush around.
Drip tray: Damp brushes are the worst for harbouring bacteria and bad smells, so having a stand that collects all the drips is integral for keeping your brush clean for as long as possible.
Ease of cleaning: Perhaps this is stating the obvious, but once the brush has drip-dried, any dirt left at the bottom of the stand is going to have to be cleaned. The easier and quicker you can do this, the better – for your nose’s sake.
Ventilation holes: Sometimes you may forget to clean out the tray, which is easily done. Buying a stand with ventilation holes close to the base should allow bad smells to evaporate rather than stewing at the bottom of a sealed container, ready for you to find the next time you clean it.
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Price: £20 | Buy now from AmazonThis toilet brush has a traditional bristle brush head with added blue bristles that are angled to fit under the rim. It’s got a non-slip grip on the handle, which is comfortable to hold, and the handle itself is very sturdy, so you can really go to town on built-up grime. It’s a bristle brush, though, so you’ll have to replace the head every six months. Luckily, Oxo’s replacement heads are readily available to buy on Amazon at £6 per head.
Not only is the toilet brush itself well designed, but the stand is too. When closed with the brush inside, it looks discreet and tidy, hiding the brush away completely. To open it, you simply pick up the brush to part the two halves. It also has a wipe-clean drip tray at the bottom, with ventilation so that any excess liquid can evaporate away.
Key details – Materials: ABS, nylon, polyproylene and stainless steel; Dimensions: 48 x 10 x 13cm (HWD); Replaceable head? Yes; Mounting style: Free standing
Price: £15 | Buy now from AmazonIt may not look much like a traditional bog scrubber, but this silicone model from Asobeage is one of the best-designed brushes out there. The head has a flat-ish shape that can be bent to reach into all the cracks and crevices of your loo, without the need for a separate rim cleaner, and the short, stubby silicone bristles are sturdy enough to loosen dried-on dirt yet not so stiff that they’re hard to manoeuvre.
Since the shape is so different to a standard brush you’ll have to adjust your cleaning technique somewhat, but it’s well worth the effort for the added toilet cleanliness and brush longevity. The stand is also pretty good, if a little lightweight, and there’s an option to mount it onto the wall using a strong adhesive pad. Wall mounted or not, the stand comes in three parts, so is simple to take apart and clean, and it has good ventilation at the base.
Key details – Materials: Plastic, silicone; Dimensions: 41 x 11 x 6cm (HWD); Replaceable head? No; Mounting style: Free standing or wall mounted
Price: £25 | Buy now from John Lewis Meant to keep our bathrooms clean and germ-free, badly designed toilet brushes can often harbour plenty of bacteria and grime themselves. That’s why it can pay dividends to go the extra mile when purchasing a toilet brush and choose one with a clever, hygienic design, such as this offering from Joseph Joseph.
This Flex Smart model has tough but widely-spaced silicone bristles on its brush head, allowing it to clean effectively without trapping dirt and water between the bristles. The brush head itself is flexible and ergonomically shaped, allowing it to move smoothly over the bowl and clean thoroughly, getting into hard to reach nooks and crannies. The long, kinked handle also makes it easier to clean, while making sure your hand never has to get too perilously close to the bowl you’re cleaning.
Key details – Materials: Plastic, silicone; Dimensions: 43 x 9 x 12 (HWD); Replaceable head: No
Buy now from John Lewis
Price: £1.50 | Buy now from WilkoThis practical bristle brush will effortlessly scrub away dirt, grime and even tough limescale buildup from your toilet bowl. Unlike pricier models, this brush doesn’t come with a rim cleaner or replaceable heads but that just means you’ll need to use a little more effort to clean those hard-to-reach areas. For a brush that costs under £2, its build quality is sturdy and the handle is comfortable.
Although the brush head isn’t replaceable, its bristles are sturdy enough to last effortlessly until it’s time to swap out your brush for a new one. Also, the stand isn’t very well-ventilated, but the brush has a standard size that will fit into another toilet brush holder if you’ve already got one that fits nicely in your bathroom.
Key details – Materials: Plastic; Dimensions: 39 x 12 x 12cm (HWD); Replaceable head? No; Mounting style: Free standing
Price: £15 | Buy now from John LewisIf you’re looking for a brush that will blend in with all your other bathroom accessories, this brush from John Lewis can be purchased alongside a matching soap dispenser, toothbrush holder, soap dish and bin. It’s got a classic, replaceable bristle brush head, the replacements for which cost as little as £3.
Each accessory in the entire Everyday bathroom set is available to buy in grey, white and teal, and features a minimalist striped design that will match pretty much any bathroom aesthetic. As with all John Lewis products, you can be sure that these items will be long-lasting and of great quality. While there’s no ventilation on the toilet brush’s freestanding stand, it’s at least made from a smooth, sturdy plastic that’s really easy to clean.
Key details – Materials: Plastic; Dimensions: 37 x 9 x 9cm (HWD); Replaceable head? Yes; Mounting style: Free standing
Buy now from John Lewis
Price: £3.15 | Buy now from WilkoRenovating a bathroom can get pricey quickly, but if you’re on the hunt for a set of toilet accessories to tie your bathroom together on a budget, then this bamboo-style accent set from Wilko is a great option. The stylish toilet brush is an affordable black bristle brush that will make it easy to clean away dirt without looking as dirty as a white brush would.
It’s got an aesthetically pleasing brushed metal handle with a bamboo lid attached, and when it’s placed back onto the black plastic stand, the brush is held up away from the base so it can drip dry easily. There’s no ventilation on this stand but it can be cleaned easily because it’s constructed from sturdy plastic. In the set, you can also buy a matching seat, bin, soap dispenser set, mirror, and storage set, all of which come at a very reasonable price.
Key details – Materials: Plastic, bamboo; Dimensions: 37 x 9 x 9cm (HWD); Replaceable head? No; Mounting style: Free standing
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