It’s probably safe to say that most people do not enjoy cleaning their bathrooms. So, rather than get down on their hands and knees and scrub the revolting stains off the toilet bowl, why not just drop in a toilet bowl cleaner and call it a day? They sure make the water a beautifully clean shade of blue! Moreover, it certainly saves you cleaning time.
However, do you know how safe those toilet bowl cleaners really are?
Unfortunately, just like most things that profess convenience, drop-in toilet bowl cleaners are more trouble than they’re worth. This is because they actually cause your toilet’s working components or parts inside the tank or the bowl itself to corrode so much faster than they would with normal use.
The Fallout from Drop-In Toilet Bowl Cleaners
Whether they turn your water blue or not, bleach-based drop-in toilet bowl cleaners are bad news. Bleach is “caustic,” which means they break down all types of different materials over time. These materials include but are not limited to rubber seals, flappers, and gaskets in and around the lining of your toilet. The bolts themselves can break down too, but you’ll see issues far faster with the weaker materials that make up working parts inside your toilet’s tank.
In fact, some companies like Kohler even install warning labels on their toilets that tell the buyer they’ll void their warranty if they use a drop-in toilet bowl cleaner. This is ultimate because these cleaners cause toilets to develop leaks when their parts wear out. If that happens, you’ll then need to either invest in a new toilet or replace the guts of your current one.
Clogs
You can also clog your plumbing system if you choose a cheaper brand of drop-in toilet bowl cleaner. This is because pieces of these cheaper brands tend to break off, becoming lodged in your pipes. You’ll then need to call in a professional to come and clear it out.
Speaking of lodging, pieces from these cheaper cleaners can also become lodged in the flush valve, which makes it more difficult or impossible to flush.
You may notice when you flush that the water takes forever to fill up the tank. This can go on for months before the issue just becomes a nuisance and is serious enough to call a plumber – and when this happens, the problem is always worse.
Chemicals
To keep your toilet clean for as long as the cleaner says it will on its label, then it needs to emit chemicals all the time. Those chemicals do not stay trapped beneath the lid of your toilet tank either. They make their way into the very air you breathe. This is especially problematic if your bathroom is small and has poor ventilation.
Something a little more serious for some people is that not only are these chemicals dangerous to inhale for us humans with medical issues, but your pets can also get seriously sick if you forget to close the lid, and one of them drinks out of the toilet.
Taking all that into consideration, a few extra minutes to clean your toilet by hand or the more traditional and safe way doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?
If you’re experiencing difficulties with your toilet or plumbing, give ABC Plumbing a call at 817-427-3222.
