Best toilet brush to keep your toilet looking clean and fresh

Best toilet brush at a glance

• Best toilet brush for ventilation: Mr Siga Toilet Bowl Brush and Holder, £16.99
• Best budget toilet brush: Wenko Economic White Toilet Brush Holder, £3.99
• Best toilet brush for matching bathroom accessories: Ceramic Matt Colour Matching Bathroom Dispenser, Tumbler and Toilet Brush Set, £13.99
• Best toilet brush for a toilet roll holder: London Matt Black Toilet Butler, £20
• Best hygienic toilet brush: Joyki Beren Silicone Smart UV Toilet Brush, £30.99
• Best toilet brush for a flexible head: Joseph Joseph Flex Smart Toilet Brush, £24.99
• Best toilet brush for a plunger: Mr Siga Toilet Plunger and Bowl Brush Combo, £17.99
• Best disposable toilet brush: Duck Toilet Fresh Brush Starter Kit, £4

When testing and selecting the toilet brushes, we considered hygiene, effectiveness, depth of clean, additional extras, value and colours available. Toilet brushes have developed beyond the classic simple design, with a range of features now available each designed to improve their efficiency and keep them cleaner for longer. We've gone through the various types of toilet brushes available to break down what you might want to look out for.

To keep your other appliances clean, take a look at our round-up of the best washing machine cleaners and oven cleaners.

What to look for when choosing a toilet brush

Type – There are 2 main types of toilet brush, one is has a head with normal bristles and these are good at scrubbing the toilet bowl for hard-to-remove dirt. The silicone toilet brushes are slightly more hygienic and easier to clean. They also tend to be in a different shape, slightly flatter which means you can clean under the rim of the toilet bowl and in hard-to-reach areas. There are also disposable options too, but these aren't as sustainable as a regular toilet brush.

Hygiene – There have been lots of improvements made to create a more hygienic toilet brush. As previously mentioned, silicone is slightly more hygienic. However, there are advanced options available such as UV sterilising (number 5) and ventilated holders (number 1).

Style – A toilet brush may be something you choose to hide away or, it may be a nice bathroom accessory. There are some really stylish options and most on this list are available in various colours meaning you can find one to go with your bathroom décor or you can even get one with matching bathroom accessories included (number 3).

Replacement heads – Instead of replacing the whole toilet brush, sometimes it's possible to purchase replacement heads but this is not available for all toilet brushes.

Additional extras – You can get toilet brushes which come with additional extras such as a toilet roll holder (number 4) or even a plunger for the bathroom (number 9).

Our pick of the best toilet brushes

1. Mr. Siga Toilet Bowl Brush and Holder, £16.99

– Best for ventilation

Type: Normal bristles | Replacement heads available: Yes (£11.99 for 2) | Colours available: Black, grey, white

This hygienic toilet brush has a specially designed ventilation base. The toilet brush holder catches any excess water and the ventilation slots inside allow the water to quickly evaporate out to prevent bacteria and dirt growing at the bottom of the holder.

When you pull the toilet brush out of its holder it opens and closes automatically and the ventilation process described above means that once the the lid closes it should dry very quickly.

The handle is nice to hold with its ergonomic design which fits comfortably in your hand to make cleaning easier.

When the toilet brush head becomes old, there's no need to buy a whole new toilet brush, you can buy replacement antibacterial heads instead.

Pros: Ventilation, quick drying, holder lid automatically opens and closes, ergonomic handle, replacement heads available, multiple colours
Cons: Can't fit under the toilet rim

Available from: Amazon

2. Wenko Economic White Toilet Brush Holder, £3.99

– Best budget-buy

Type: Normal bristles | Replacement heads available: No | Colours available: White, taupe, grey

If you just want a bog-standard toilet brush (pun not intended) without any of the extras then this is ideal for you. It has the normal bristles and comes with a holder to store the brush.

It's excellent value for money. However, it isn't the most durable toilet brush and if you want one to last a long time then it's better to invest.

Due to the budget price, there are no replacement heads available but it should be affordable enough to just replace when needed.

The toilet brush is available in white, taupe or grey to go with your bathroom accessories.

Pros: Budget option, available in variety of colours
Cons: Not as hygienic as other options, can't clean under the rim easily, not as durable as others, no replacement heads available

Available from: Amazon

3. Ceramic Matt Colour Matching Bathroom Dispenser, Tumbler and Toilet Brush Set, £13.99

– Best for matching bathroom accessories

Type: Normal bristles | Replacement heads available: No | Colours available: White, taupe, grey

If you want your bathroom to look coordinated then this 3 piece set is super handy. You get a toilet brush, soap dispenser and tumbler which would be a great toothbrush pot all in matt ceramic, available in various colours to go with your bathroom décor.

The toilet brush itself is slim so can fit well in small gaps by the toilet. It also has tough bristles to remove unwanted grime.

Unfortunately, there are no replacement heads available.

Pros: Get matching bathroom accessories, affordable, aesthetically pleasing, available in variety of colours, slim
Cons: Not as hygienic as others, can't clean under the rim easily, no replacement heads available

Available from: Amazon

4. London Matt Black Toilet Butler, £20

– Best for toilet roll holder

Type: Normal bristles | Replacement heads available: No | Colours available: Black

Much like the matching accessories above, if you want a stylish and multifunctional toilet brush holder then this is a great option.

The free-standing toilet brush and toilet roll holder is slim and will fit well down the side of the toilet, even in smaller bathrooms. It's a great way to discreetly store your toilet brush and it's in a stylish matt black colour.

The toilet brush has normal bristles, but unfortunately no replacement heads are available.

Pros: Toilet roll holder included, stylish design
Cons: Not as hygienic as other options, no replacement heads available, can't clean under the rim easily

Available from: Dunelm

5. Joyki Beren Silicone Smart UV Toilet Brush, £30.99

– Best for hygiene

Type: Silicone | Replacement heads available: No | Colours available: White

You may be looking at this toilet brush thinking that's expensive for something so basic. However, if you think about how often you have to replace a toilet brush or its head then this may actually be worth the investment. Not only that, but you can be confident that it's one of the most hygienic toilet brushes on the market.

Most toilet brushes carry microorganisms and are the perfect place for bacteria to breed. But, with this toilet brush, once you've finished using it you can pop it in its holder and the UV base will automatically start a 300 second timer where it sterilises the brush to irradiate any bacteria and germs. As soon as you take the brush out of the holder the ultraviolet rays will switch off.

The holder can either be placed on the floor, or to save space you can mount it to the wall. There are no brush head replacements available as you don't need them. Once the brush has been sterilised it's essentially like a brand-new toilet brush and shouldn't need replacing, which justifies the price.

That's not the only brilliant thing about this toilet brush, it has a silicone flat head too which means it can clean under the rim of the toilet and get into hard-to-reach areas.

You do need to charge the holder but not very frequently as a full charge lasts around 120 days.

Pros: Hygienic, long-lasting, cleans under the rim, sterilises, can be mounted to the wall to save space, flat silicone head
Cons: More expensive option (but should last forever)

Available from: Amazon

6. Joseph Joseph Flex Smart Toilet Brush, £24.99

– Best for flexible head

Type: Silicone | Replacement heads available: No | Colours available: Blue, grey, white

The toilet brush's flexible head means you can get a thorough clean in all areas of your toilet bowl. The brush head, instead of being bristles, is a silicone scrubby pad with widely spaced and different height bristles to help get grime and dirt off your toilet and dry quickly when you've finished using it. At the top of the toilet brush head there's a row of extra-long bristles which go under the rim.

The handle of the toilet brush is cleverly designed. It's made of stainless steel so is incredibly durable and the curved handle helps you clean all around the bowl without having to get your hand too close to the toilet.

The brushes have been tested to ensure they don't react with any common toilet cleaning products.

Pros: Can get a very good clean, cleans under the rim, durable, dries quickly, available in variety of colours
Cons: No replacement heads available, quite expensive

Available from: Lakeland, Very and John Lewis

7. Mr. Siga Toilet Plunger and Bowl Brush Combo, £17.99

– Best for plunger

Type: Normal bristles | Replacement heads available: Yes (£11.99 for 2) | Colours available: Black, grey, white

If you need a plunger for your toilet too then this is a handy duo. The solid base holds both the toilet brush and the plunger neatly together.

The toilet brush has strong bristles for a deep and thorough clean while the plunger is made with a commercial grade rubber suction cup for clearing tough clogs.

As with the other Mr Siga toilet brush, you can buy the same replacement heads for the toilet brush.

Pros: Comes with plunger, available in variety of colours, can buy replacement heads
Cons: Not as hygienic as other options, hard to clean under the toilet rim

Available from: Amazon

8. Duck Toilet Fresh Brush Starter Kit (1 handle, 4 refills), £4

– Best for disposable

Type: Flushable pad | Replacement heads available: Yes (£3 for 12) | Colours available: N/A

If you really don't like the idea of a regular toilet brush then you could use the Duck disposable toilet brush heads. However, this isn't the most sustainable or cost effective option.

This starter pack comes with 1 handle, a storage holder and 4 flushable toilet cleaner pads. To use, attach the pad to the handle, wet it with the toilet water and this will activate the in-bowl toilet cleaner. Scrub the toilet as you would with any toilet brush and then just flush away the pad.

The pads leave your toilet with a lovely scent and allow you to get under the rim of the toilet too.

You will have to regularly buy replacement heads as they're disposable. If you want to save 5% you could use Amazon Subscribe & Save.

Pros: Leaves a scent, hygienic, cleans under the rim
Cons: Not cost effective and not sustainable

Available from: Ocado, Wilko and Asda

How often should I replace my toilet brush or toilet brush head?

It's recommended that you should replace your toilet brush every 6 months, or if replaceable heads are available, replace its head with a new one.

How do you clean a toilet brush?

You should rinse the toilet brush with a flush of the toilet every time you use it. For a more hygienic clean you can also put toilet cleaner in the bowl and swish your toilet brush around in the clean toilet water to get rid of any bacteria and germs on the toilet brush. This should be done ideally every week, if not after every use.