You probably already know there are many ways to clean the toilet bowl, ranging from DIY solutions to commercial products like bleach. But is it safe? Can you pour bleach down the toilet?
Bleaching the toilet bowl is an effective way to make the fixture pristine. However, using this solution should be minimized if you have a septic tank to avoid eliminating the good bacteria for successful waste breakdown.
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Bleach as a Toilet Cleaning Solution
Bleach is a chemical with sodium hypochlorite as its main active ingredient, usually 3% or 9% for household products. It also includes sodium and hydrogen peroxide plus calcium hypochlorite.
Cleaning the toilet with bleach is an effective way of disinfecting the fixture. Indeed, itt should be utilized with caution as it can be irritating, especially to the skin, nose, and eyes.
How Does Bleach Work in Toilets? Is It Safe?
When we use bleach to clean the toilet, the agent will kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the porcelain. It’s mainly the sodium hypochlorite that does this when it releases chlorine, while the hydrogen is in charge of whitening the material, giving it a shiny finish.
When it comes to safety, there is no harm to put bleach in the toilet bowl.
However, it is recommended to minimize its use with a septic tank since its ingredients can affect the bacteria integral in breaking down the waste.
- The good bacteria aid in disintegrating the waste from your plumbing fixtures down to the septic system.
- When you often use bleach, it can kill the good bacteria, which will result in a slower breakdown process of the waste. This can lead to clogs or the waste backing up to the toilet.
We also don’t advise leaving bleach in the toilet bowl overnight. While it will take more than 24 hours before bleach can damage toilet bowls, it’s better to cut the duration to only 15 minutes to avoid corroding the porcelain or enamel.
Pros and Cons of Pouring Bleach Down the Toilet
Now that we’ve introduced bleach—specifically in cleaning toilets—we can now weigh its pros and cons.
- Good disinfectant that kills germs causing diseases
- Removes dirt in the toilet
- Whitens the toilet
- Easy to use and accessible in the market
- Effective on porcelain
- Not the most effective in removing hard water stains
- Kills good bacteria in the septic tank
- Can cause corrosion when bleach is left in the toilet for too long
- Make the situation worse when poured into a clogged drain
How to Clean a Toilet With Bleach
What to prepare:
- bleach (½ cup)
- all-purpose spray cleaner
- toilet brush
- paper towels
- microfiber cloth
- cleaning gloves
Cleaning the toilet using bleach is easy for everyone, especially with the instructions we provided in this section. Remember, do not mix bleach with other cleaning products as it may create a chemical reaction.
- Step 1: Ensure that you have good ventilation by either opening the windows or the door.
- Step 2: Spray the all-purpose cleaner around the exterior of the toilet; the base, the tank, and the seat. Open the toilet seat and spray on it too.
- Step 3: After spraying, take a paper towel and wipe all the areas you sprayed on until clean.
- Step 4: Next, polish the same areas using a microfiber cloth as a final step for the exterior cleaning.
- Step 5: Flush the toilet, then take ½ cup of bleach and pour it around the bowl.
- Step 6: Using the toilet brush, scrub around the bowl. Make sure you brush the following areas: around the bowl, underneath the rim, and in places with dirt.
- Step 7: After that, brush the waterline with a twisting movement (yes, the brush will go into the water!).
- Step 8: Once done, flush the toilet twice. The more water included in disposing of the bleach, the better.
Different brands of bleach have their own instructions for usage. You may choose to follow them as well, such as the ratio of dilution. Of course, you can still use this guide for the order of cleaning.
How to Get Rid of Bleach
- Flush and dilute the bleach
If you use bleach in your toilet, flush it with a lot of water to dilute it. If possible, don’t use too much bleach when cleaning so there is little risk of killing the good bacteria in the septic system.
- Bring it to a hazardous waste facility
If you want to dispose of a bottle of bleach for a particular reason, bring them to the appropriate waste facility. Bleach is a hazardous product and should be discarded properly.
- Drain and recycle the bottle
Probably the most common and efficient way is to use up the bleach to clean not just the toilet, but other surfaces. You can wash the bottle afterward for recycling.
Alternatives for Bleach
Bleach is an effective disinfectant. But if you want to use something that doesn’t contain it or other chemicals, the following are the alternatives:
- Boric acid – This can not only clean your toilet, but it can also eliminate hard water stains.
- Vinegar – Excellent in removing mold and hard water marks, white vinegar is often mixed with baking soda.
- Baking soda – Mildly abrasive, a baking soda paste can clean bowl stains. We can also let it sit longer compared to bleach.
- Citric acid – A natural disinfectant, this ingredient is highly effective in removing mineral deposit marks and mold.
You may have to mix two of these together, or one with water to achieve a bleach-free cleaning solution. You can also purchase toilet cleaning products that don’t have bleach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Leave Bleach in the Toilet Overnight?
No, you aren’t supposed to leave bleach on your toilet overnight. Even though it will take at least 24 hours of exposure before it damages the toilet, we only encourage leaving it between 5 to 15 minutes.
How Often Should You Put Bleach Down the Toilet?
You should only use bleach in little amounts once a week. You can also choose to have a toilet cleaner without bleach in its components more often and widen the interval of the use of bleach alone.
Can Bleach Unclog Toilets?
Bleach is excellent to use in disinfecting the toilet but not to unclog it. Unless it’s a minor blockage, you can use it mixed with hot water and that should do the trick or help in alleviating the clog for the next step.
Conclusion
Cleaning the toilet bowl is an important task that should be done regularly. There are many products that we can use, such as bleach. However, some might wonder if you can pour bleach down the toilet.
You can use it to get rid of germs and dirt on your toilet bowl, but ensure that you don’t use more than a cup each cleaning session. It’s also essential to flush it with lots of water to dilute the chemical, keeping it from eliminating good bacteria in the septic system.
I’m Paulk Webb, and I work as a writer for Saveourwaterrebates. I’m happy to put in the time and effort to conduct market research to identify the most pressing issues faced by households concerning their plumbing. Feel free to check out our guides to get the most informed recommendations for how to solve your problems.