Cleanliness and sanitation are two hallmarks of civilization. Many centuries ago, the Roman empire constructed aquaducts and rudimentary sewage systems to carry water into Rome and carry waste away. Early Puritans here in America, claimed that "cleanliness is next to Godliness". The rate of post-operative deaths dropped dramatically when it was established that sterilization of the doctor's hands and of the operation site before the operation had a direct relation to the patient's recovery. Therefore, cleanliness makes sense to most people for a variety of reasons: the appearance of cleanliness is appealing; cleanliness signifies a degree of refinement; and cleanliness is necessary for sound hygene and sanitary practices.
Today in western civilization, most of us are accustomed to and expect cleanliness in homes, hotels, and even the service stations that we frequent. A filthy washroom in a commercial establishment is both disgusting and unforgettable, particularly if it is in a restaurant. Over the years, many national oils companies have realized the positive attraction of clean restrooms in their service stations and consequently base a portion of their advertising budget on a claim for spotless washrooms. Other commercial establishments have followed suit, realizing that spotless restroom facilities are essential not only for health reasons, but also as a statement of the general service to their customers, by they diners, hotel guests, or movie watchers.
In the domestic area, housewives and single people are also concerned with maintaining a clean bathroom. Again, there is the omnipresent concern for health reasons, particularly if there are small children present in the home. No American is unaware of the state of the bathroom when visitors arrive: the proliferation of toilet bowl cleaners, deodorizers, and blueing agents on the market attest to the public's desire for a clean bathroom.
Unfortunately, due to the basic design of the toilet, it is difficult to keep it clean for any period of time. The area around the inside rim of the toilet bowl is virtually inaccessible, and invites the lodging and multiplication of waste bacteria and germs. Therefore, even a toilet that looks clean may not be truly sterile, as the bacteria clings to the underside of the rim. The more clean this troublesome area is, the longer the entire toilet bowl looks and stays clean.
It is known in the prior art to use a brush and caustic cleaning compound to achieve manual cleaning of soiled porcelain surfaces of the toilet bowl.