The Best Toilet Brushes for the Bathroom

From sleek and modern to disposable and combination sets, these toilet brushes help make cleaning a little less of a chore.

By Jenn Ryan | Updated Mar 1, 2021 9:32 AM

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Best Toilet Brush

Photo: amazon.com

Finding the best toilet brush can make cleaning a little easier. The best brushes also help make your bathroom a more functional and hygienic place. Though you can spend a few bucks on cheaper brushes, others are worth a slightly larger investment, and some even make for a more frugal option with replaceable brush heads. Regardless of what you’re looking for, it helps to review a few shopping considerations, brush types, and features to find a toilet brush that meets your needs based on price, design, and more.

  1. BEST OVERALL: simplehuman Toilet Brush With Caddy
  2. RUNNER UP: mDesign Slim Compact Toilet Bowl Brush
  3. BEST COMBO SET: ToiletTree Products Toilet Brush and Plunger Combo
  4. BEST ELECTRIC: WiMiUS Electric Spin Scrubber
  5. BEST DISPOSABLE: JWCE Toilet Brush
  6. ALSO CONSIDER: ToiletTree Products Deluxe Toilet Brush
Best Toilet Brush

Photo: depositphotos.com

What to Consider When Buying a Toilet Brush

Whether cost is most important to you, or if you prefer sustainability or design, you can find the best toilet brush for your bathroom by considering the following.

Scrubbing Head

The shape of the scrubbing head matters just as much as the quality of the bristles. Many standard toilet brush designs can’t get into all the nooks and crannies of a toilet bowl, requiring multiple tools to get it fully clean. Having a brush that’s sturdy and well designed is the best bet for a cleaning tool investment.

However, for electric and disposable brushes, the bristles differ. Electric brushes don’t require as much force and maneuver easily, allowing you to get into places you normally wouldn’t with a traditional brush. Disposable brushes often have a generic design and a softer head for one-time use. Looking at various scrubbing head options will help you select the best toilet brush for your needs.

Handle

Handle designs can vary. You want a toilet brush handle to be comfortable while scrubbing, but another handle consideration is whether a brush has a good grip. A gripper can prevent the brush from slipping from your grasp and splashing you with toilet water while cleaning.

The height of the handle is important too, since a shorter handle could lead to the unnecessary spreading of germs, while a longer one generally adds a degree of comfort and ease of use. Check for brushes that have a minimum handle height of 10 inches.

Reusable vs. Disposable

Reusable brushes are the more sustainable picks, taking up residence in your bathroom and requiring regular sanitation as you use them. Most people prefer a reusable brush that’ll last long enough for them to feel that they’ve gotten their money’s worth out of the product.

However, disposable brushes are useful for a few reasons. They’re preferred for situations where you need an option to throw the brush away once the job is done, or for easy disposal before moving house.

Manual vs. Electric

Both manual and electric toilet brush options are available, which one is best depends on individual user preference. For one thing, manual toilet brushes tend to cost less, while electric toilet brushes require more of an investment.

Electric toilet brushes are cordless and require less effort to thoroughly clean a toilet bowl, since the motor does most of the work. Electric brushes make cleaning a little easier for people who have mobility challenges or back problems.

Both manual and electric brushes will get the job done, and both typically come with the option of swapping out a brush head as needed, saving money on replacements.

Odor Control

Odor control is important to some people when cleaning a toilet. A clean toilet generally helps reduce odors in a bathroom, but some users want a fresher smell to make the toilet and bathroom feel extra clean.

When considering odor-control toilet brushes with built-in cleaners, note that many of the cleaning chemicals used in these products contain toxic synthetic fragrances that can pose a hazard to kids and pets. Using homemade cleaning products with your toilet brush can help you get the scent you want. After cleaning, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the bowl. Excellent odor control and antibacterial picks include eucalyptus and tea tree oil, but for more of a fresh and bright fragrance, go with orange or lemon.

Our Top Picks

Taking into account the considerations outlined above, the following top picks include design-savvy choices, innovative brush heads, and budget-friendly options.

Best Toilet Brush SimpleHuman

Photo: amazon.com

BEST OVERALL: simplehuman Toilet Brush With Caddy

The design of the simplehuman features a slender profile that is open at the back for proper air ventilation. The design also allows for you to replace the brush head when necessary—a welcome feature.

A great option if you’re short on bathroom space, this toilet brush features stiff bristles to get stains out and has a magnetic strip around the collar of the caddy to ensure the toilet brush stays secure when carrying.

One con to this design is that the brush might not reach the main drain hole at the bottom of the bowl.

Best Toilet Brush mDesign

Photo: amazon.com

RUNNER UP: mDesign Slim Compact Toilet Bowl Brush

Discreet and attractive, the mDesign toilet brush has a simple design that can fit in just about any space. Only note that the brush head isn’t replaceable. Also, you may wish to clean and disinfect the brush and caddy on a regular basis, as there are no vents in the caddy to help the brush dry out between uses.

Best Toilet Brush ToiletTree

Photo: amazon.com

BEST COMBO SET: ToiletTree Products Toilet Brush and Plunger Combo

The ToiletTree brush-and-plunger combo is convenient for those wanting their brush and plunger to be hidden in the bathroom, and it’s great for smaller spaces lacking the room for a separate plunger and brush. The back is completely open to allow your brush and plunger to dry out properly, but the front remains enclosed for a clean, uniform look. Plus, the head of the brush can be replaced if and when necessary (replacements heads are sold separately).

Best Toilet Brush Spin Scrubber

Photo: amazon.com

BEST ELECTRIC: WiMiUS Electric Spin Scrubber

This electric toilet bowl brush from WiMiUS comes with four brush replacement heads and is cordless for added convenience. It takes just over three hours to charge fully, which provides 60 to 90 minutes of use (plenty of time to clean more than one toilet). The brush pole extends, which provides some distance between the user and the toilet while brushing.

This longer brush also can help people with back issues or other mobility challenges such as arthritis when they clean a toilet. As a multipurpose brush with a high rotating speed, the WiMiUS requires little pressure from the user when cleaning. This brush is a great option to maintain a sparkling toilet with regular, low-effort cleaning.

Best Toilet Brush JWCE

Photo: amazon.com

BEST DISPOSABLE: JWCE Toilet Brush

This mess-free, disposable brush works with any toilet bowl cleaner you choose, and its scratch-free brush head helps protect your toilet against damage. The brush doesn’t have interchangeable or removable heads, but for those bathrooms or occasions when you need a disposable toilet-cleaning brush, this is a cost-effective option.

Best Toilet Brush ToiletTree Deluxe

Photo: amazon.com

ALSO CONSIDER: ToiletTree Products Deluxe Toilet Brush

This model features a pleasing modern design style that can complement various bathroom decor styles. Plus, besides being rust-resistant, it is slim enough to fit comfortably in many smaller bathrooms.

The caddy does not have a draining space in the bottom for accumulated toilet water, so that area may require some extra cleaning and sanitizing from time to time. Also, the brush head isn’t removable. However, the mid-level price and sleek stainless steel look certainly make this brush worth considering.

FAQs About Your New Toilet Brush

What’s the right way to use a toilet brush, and how often should you clean it? Finding the best toilet brush is great, but without taking proper care of it and using it appropriately, it won’t help you get a truly clean bowl.

Q. How do you use a toilet brush?

A toilet brush is designed to clean the inside of your toilet only. Pour a cleaner into the toilet (whether homemade or store-bought), then use your toilet brush to scrub the bowl. Pay extra attention to the rim at the top (under the toilet seat) and the hole at the bottom. When done, flush the toilet, then finish cleaning the outside, and don’t forget to wash your hands afterward.

Q. How do you clean a toilet brush?

You should clean your toilet brush about once a week, or after every use. These things get dirty! You can clean it simply by pouring bleach over it as you hold the brush end over the toilet, or by rinsing with boiling water. You also can soak the brush in a bleach or vinegar solution for deep disinfecting. A toilet brush caddy should have proper ventilation to allow the brush to dry completely between uses to avoid bacteria buildup.

Q. How often should you change your toilet brush? 

You’ll know when it’s time to change your toilet brush based on the bristle quality (or, for bristle-free designs, the head quality). The stiffness of some brushes will hold up better than others. If your toilet brush is fraying or not properly doing its job anymore, it’s time for a new one. High-quality brushes should last longer than others. A good general rule is to change a toilet brush (or brush head) after about six months.