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Ditch the blue goo from the store and make these fizzing toilet bombs! The combination of citric acid, baking soda, and essential oils will help scrub your toilet with minimal effort, and use simple ingredients you can feel good about using.
Plus, they’re made with just a couple of natural ingredients and can be made with any scent you like. We love to make a big batch to have them on-hand at all times!
Why you’ll love this DIY toilet bomb recipe
What is citric acid?
Citric acid is basically the same acid that’s found in lemon juice and other citrus fruits, although it isn’t just dehydrated lemon juice. In fact, companies ferment different types of mold on starches or sugars.
It’s commonly used to make sour candies extra sour or to make preserves more acidic without adding any liquid.
Why is citric acid used for cleaning?
Citric acid is one of the best natural cleaning products! Why? Well, when you combine baking soda, citric acid, and water, it fizzes up just like your favorite soft drinks.
When combined in the water, baking soda and citric acid release carbon dioxide, which streams out in the form of bubbles. (They also create a trisodium salt called sodium citrate.)
All that fizzing naturally cleans your toilet with less effort. I do recommend using a brush to scrub the toilet lightly, as the toilet scrub would only clean where the water is and not under the rim.
Bonus – all those bubbles release the scent of the essential oils in your citric acid toilet bowl cleaner, making your bathroom smell great!
Note: Like using any acid, citric acid can etch stone surfaces, so only use it on a porcelain toilet bowl or stainless steel surfaces.
Equipment
To make your own DIY toilet bombs, you’ll need:
- Small bowl
- Spray bottle with water
- Spoon
- Mini bath bomb molds
Ingredients
Baking soda: Baking soda (AKA sodium bicarbonate) is a fantastic natural cleaning agent available at any local grocer. It’s also inexpensive, versatile, and environmentally friendly, so we always have it on hand for cleaning or baking! Azure Standard also sells it in bulk for easy pickup at your next drop!
Citric acid powder: Citric acid may be a new ingredient for you! Citric acid is generally regarded as safe by the FDA. It is often found in food products and is a great boost for natural cleaning!
You may be able to find citric acid locally, but I’ve typically ordered it online. It is easy to find on Amazon (packaged in plastic), or you can add it to your Azure Standard order.
Essential oils: These are entirely optional, but add a really fresh scent. Plant Therapy or Mountain Rose Herbs are great options.
DIY Toilet Cleaning Bombs: Step by Step Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together baking soda, citric acid, and essential oils. Stir well.
- Spritz with water from your spray bottle, stirring until you reach a wet sand texture. It should clump when you squeeze it with your hand.
- Use two pieces of your mini bath bomb molds to compress the powder. Repeat.
- Allow the molds to dry for at least 2-3 hours, pressing down to make them firm.
- Remove your fizzy toilet bombs and store in an airtight container like a mason jar.
- To use, add 1-2 toilet bowl bombs in the toilet bowl and let them fizz for 5-10 minutes. Gently scrub to remove any build-up, as needed, and flush it away.
Best Essential Oils for Toilet Cleaning
Add your favorite refreshing essential oils to make this natural toilet bowl cleaner even more refreshing. I prefer to use really bright and refreshing scents!
- Grapefruit essential oil
- Lemon essential oil
- Orange essential oil
- Lemongrass
- Tea tree oil
- Eucalyptus
Storing Suggestions
Both the powder and toilet bomb cleaners should be stored in an airtight jar or container at room temperature. I almost always use a wide-mouth quart or half-gallon mason jar.
Best Mold for Homemade Toilet Bombs
Okay, I tested several different methods when I first started making these toilet cleaner bombs and had some successes and some flops.
First, I tried mixing just the powders – no water or oils – to make a toilet cleaning powder. That worked great, but did clump sometimes due to ambient moisture.
I then tried using an ice cube tray. The bottom of the cubes looked fine but the top would bubble and foam on top, making them crumbly.
I also tried using a cookie scoop and a plastic measuring scoop. Again, the outside would bubble and foam slightly, making them look quite strange.
Eventually, I just gave in and bought mini bath bomb molds. They’re made of metal and you simply press them together, compressing the bombs into a firm, shape. Plus, you get a nice, clean presentation.
It does help to let them dry for at least a few hours and then pop them out. I do sometimes leave them to dry completely, but you end up needing to pry them open!
Tips & Variations
- The mixture will fizz up slightly while you’re adding water. Just keep stirring and it will be fine!
- For extra fizzing power, increase the citric acid to 3/4 cup. You will need to add more water, but only add enough until you reach that wet sand consistency.
- Use different essential oil blends to change up the scent.
- If you let the toilet bombs dry out overnight, you may need to tap or wiggle the mold to get it off. I had to use a butter knife and it helped to tap the molds first.
- You can try other molds, like an ice cube tray, but it’s important to press the molds or they will fizz and become very crumbly.
- If you don’t have citric acid, you can get a similar effect using 1/4 cup of each baking soda and white vinegar. I typically use a quarter cup of each. Let them fizz, then scrub with a toilet brush before flushing.
Other Uses for Toilet Bombs
This citric acid-based cleaner can be used around the house anytime you need some extra scrubbing power!
Garbage disposal cleaner
- To clean your garbage disposal of any gunk or build-up, you’ll first want to run it with a low stream of warm running water for about 1 minute.
- Then, turn off the disposal and add 2 tbs of the mixture (or 1 toilet bomb) into your garbage disposal with the water still running. Allow it to fizz up and foam for a minute, and then turn the disposal back on. Let it run for another 30 seconds to a minute and you’re done!
Sink cleaner
Make your kitchen sink sparkle and shine with this easy DIY toilet bowl cleaner.
If you’re noticing your bathroom sinks are draining slowly or collecting gunk, it’s time for a cleaning!
- Close your drain with the stopper, add about an inch or two of water, and put about 2 tbs of the toilet cleaner powder or 1 toilet bomb in the water.
- Let it fizz up for a few minutes, then come back, scrub the mixture around, and rinse!
FAQs
I would recommend using about 2 tablespoons. If you don’t have an extra tablespoon to keep in the jar, check to see if you have any extra scoops from protein powders, etc. We usually have a couple of random scoops on hand, and this 33 cc (about 2.25 tbs) one from our collagen fits perfectly.
Natural cleaning products like citric acid and vinegar are typically considered safe to use for septic tanks. For more information, read this post to understand proper use.
How to Remove Hard Water Stains from Your Toilet Easily
After you fizz your toilet bowl clean, the last thing you want to see is a hard water stain. Don’t worry!
The easiest solution I’ve ever found is to scrub your toilet bowl with a ceramic-safe pumice stone. You simply rub it over the stain, and they’ll disappear. Be sure to dip the stone in the water before scouring to ensure a scratch-free surface.
The only con is that the stones come individually wrapped in plastic. As soon as I find a plastic-free alternative, I will share it right away!
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DIY Toilet Bombs
Equipment
- small bowl
- Spray bottle with water
- spoon
- Mini bath bomb molds (or 2 ice cube trays)
- Airtight container for storage (large glass jar or silicone bag)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup citric acid
- 20-30 drops essential oils
- water, as needed from spray bottle
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together baking soda, citric acid, and essential oils. Stir well.
- Spritz with water from your spray bottle, stirring until you reach a wet sand texture. It should clump when you squeeze it with your hand.
- Use two pieces of your mini bath bomb molds to compress the powder. Repeat.
- Allow the molds to dry for at least 2-3 hours, pressing down to make them firm.
- Remove your fizzy toilet bombs and store in an airtight container like a mason jar.
- To use, add 1-2 toilet bowl bombs in the toilet bowl and let them fizz for 5-10 minutes. Gently scrub to remove any build-up, as needed, and flush it away.
Notes
- The mixture will fizz up slightly while you’re adding water. Just keep stirring and it will be fine!
- For extra fizzing power, increase the citric acid to 3/4 cup. You will need to add more water, but only add enough until you reach that wet sand consistency.
- Use different essential oil blends to change up the scent.
- If you let the toilet bombs dry out overnight, you may need to tap or wiggle the mold to get it off. I had to use a butter knife and it helped to tap the molds first.
- You can try other molds, like an ice cube tray, but it’s important to press the molds or they will fizz and become very crumbly.
- If you don’t have citric acid, you can get a similar effect using 1/4 cup of each baking soda and white vinegar. I typically use a quarter cup of each. Let them fizz, then scrub with a toilet brush before flushing.
Did you try this recipe?
Post a photo and tag @milkglasshome!
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Wow, this is new to me, I’m definitely going to try this recipe out. It looks so simple, and I love the idea of it fizzy up, although I bet my kids would be keen to try it out on the toilet just to see if they could make it really bubbly, so may have to keep it somewhere, where they won’t waste it 🙂
Love the fizz & scent. Only issue is that after a week or two, it solidifying like brown sugar. Wondering if you know a way around this?
This is due to the essential oils! You can keep them out of the mixture and add them separately. I also keep silica packets in my jar that I keep from other purchases. Hope this helps!
Hi, I hope you can help me. I mixed up this cleanser and put it in a jar–I thought the jar was airtight, NOPE. Now the mixture is hardened in the jar! Do you have any suggestions for me to remove/loosen it so I can put it in a true airtight jar? Thank you for any help =)
Ah, I’ve been there, too! I used to make the powder with essential oils, and they would solidify in the jar. Sounds like the mixture absorbed the moisture from the air due to the container. The best option is to go a little wild and carve away at it with a butter knife, breaking it into little clumps. It will be imperfect and a bit unwieldy, but you will be able to drop the clumps and broken pieces into the toilet anyway. Hope this helps at all!