The best toilet brushes that are actually hygienic, look good and scrub well – and one even squirts its own cleaner

This toilet brush may look basic, but it’s a well-designed version of a classic. The neat holder has a ventilated bottom that helps the brush stay dry – key for preventing bacteria buildup – and a lid that pops open when you pick the brush up.

The plastic bristles are dense and tough enough to scrub away limescale deposits (with the help of one of the best toilet cleaners), which is crucial for anyone living in hard water areas and something silicone brushes struggle with. Just note that a plastic brush will trap more grime than a silicone one, so make sure you rinse it in the flush and disinfect regularly by leaving it in the bowl with some toilet cleaner.

The handle is comfortable and lightweight too, and it’s available in white, grey or black for a little variety. An excellent all-rounder that’s worth the upgrade.

I tried several silicone toilet brushes in my six-month-long review, and the thin bristle pad on this one was my favourites overall. The design is more flexible than many others, allowing you to easily follow the contours of the toilet bowl during cleaning and scrub away grime with the rubbery bristles.

It’s light to manoeuvre and drains quickly, too – a quick tap on the toilet bowl and it’s ready to pop back in the holder – and the shape is well-suited to getting under the rim. It’s pretty soft, though, so not the best for scrubbing limescale.

I appreciate that the tall holder is dark grey on the inside, which saves you from seeing anything that may have gathered in the bottom. For a little less, you can buy a version with a smaller brush holder, or for a little more, you can get one with a neat caddy for storing a bottle of toilet cleaner.

With a beach wood handle and plant fibre bristles, this plant-based toilet brush was a surprisingly competent loo scrubber. The texture of the bristles, which feels firmer than silicone but softer than plastic, is perfect for everyday cleaning – and does a decent job of hard scrubbing, too.

It comes in an attractive enamel pot, which doesn’t do much to hide the brush but does keep it well aerated. The price may seem steep, but you can buy the brush alone (and keep it in a pot of your choosing) for less than 10 pounds. That’s good to know, if cumulative water damage, mould or bristle flattening ever render your brush unusable.

Chemical toilet cleaners of the bright blue or green variety can stain this toilet brush, so if you’re making the switch, consider adding Bower’s colourless, naturally-derived loo cleaner to your basket.

If you have a square-shaped toilet, the narrow design of this curved brush is great for getting into tight corners and under the rim. It’s surprisingly large and heavy, but the thick metal handle and circle of tough plastic bristles provide excellent scrubbing action.

The holder leaves the brush exposed, which is great for keeping it dry – you’ll just want to ensure your brush stays pristine enough to leave on display. My one gripe is that the magnet that keeps the brush in place is a bit too strong, causing the holder to get dragged around when you're trying to take the brush out.

The big brush head is a somewhat tight fit in my loo, and I’ve also seen reviewers saying it can’t reach below the water line of their toilet – something to bear in mind if you have a small loo.

If you’re really squeamish about reusing anything loo-related, this flushable cleaning pad system is the toilet brush hater’s toilet brush. When you need to clean, simply clip on one of the pads, dunk and wipe it around, then unclip it directly into the toilet bowl before flushing away. The slim handle gets stored next to your toilet.

The pads, which are biodegradable and break up like toilet paper (making them safe for your plumbing), are impregnated with blue-green toilet cleaner which has a lovely citrus scent. They do a good job of cleaning up grime, but they feel more like a wipe – this isn’t really a tool for scrubbing off tough stains.

You should also bear in mind that the starter pack only comes with four single-use pads, and if you use them regularly, the cost of refills could get pretty expensive. But if you’re that concerned about hygienic, hands-free toilet cleaning, it could be a price worth paying.

The head of Joseph Joseph’s premium toilet brush may look like something from Stranger Things, but the overall design feels undeniably high-end. Although it’s cheaper to buy in glossy white, I love the matt finish that comes in ecru or black.

The three-pronged head handles everyday cleaning well and is particularly adept at scrubbing under the toilet rim. The spaced-out spikes also drain water quickly and don’t trap as much grime as the dense bristles on a traditional brush. On the downside, it feels firmer and less flexible than other silicone brushes, which can make it a little difficult to manoeuvre – but that means it does a decent job of hard scrubbing.

We’ve all had a basic toilet brush like this one in our homes, but Argos’s struck me as a good version for a great price. It looks nice, the brush does a great job of scrubbing dirt and limescale, and the holder has a metal cover that stays attached to the brush (but doesn’t touch the water when you’re cleaning).

The metal hasn’t corroded at all, even after months of use. And if you’re brave, the plastic holder would also be easy to clean by hand... though I can’t say I’ve ever done so. Just note that, like all toilet brushes of this kind, it’s not easy to keep clean and dry – scroll down for our guidance on that. Overall, though, it’s an affordable brush that does the job and looks good.

While technically not a toilet brush, an honourable mention has to go to these long-handled pumice stones. With a little elbow grease, one of these can shift extreme limescale buildup that brushes and bleach can’t – just make sure both surfaces are wet and get scraping.

The stones can wear down quickly, but they’re inexpensive for a pack of two and will surprise you with how well they work. If you don’t fancy getting your rubber gloves on, the long handle is also great for keeping hands out of the water. A must for those in hard water areas, or for salvaging the toilet you’re always embarrassed of.