What Happens When You Put Baking Soda in Your Toilet

Baking soda is the one ingredient that is helpful anywhere, and the best thing about it? It’s cheap. You probably already have it in your kitchen!

So, what happens when you put baking soda in your toilet?

Many might already know that this agent cleans and deodorizes the commode in a natural way. Furthermore, when mixed with hot water or vinegar, it is usable to unclog the bowl.

What is Baking Soda and How Does It Work?

Sodium bicarbonate, the scientific name of baking soda, is a type of crystalline salt. It’s a mild alkaline base that can neutralize acids—even acidic odors—that’s why baking soda is widely used for smell reduction.

This ingredient has also become a staple in cleaning bathrooms. Its deodorizing capabilities, mixed with its mildly abrasive characteristic, are perfect for creating a scrubbing paste to beat the toilet’s stubborn stains.

Lastly, a mixture of baking soda and vinegar can be your natural toilet unclogger. They will create a fizzy reaction when combined, but it’s nothing to be alarmed about. Baking soda reacts with acids and releases carbon dioxide in the process.

Benefits of Using Baking Soda on Your Toilet

“Is it OK to pour baking soda into the toilet? I mean, it’s for baking!” Yes, and doing so has a lot of benefits which we listed below:

This ingredient is non-toxic, making it environmentally friendly and safe for your health.

How to Clean Toilet With Baking Soda

What to prepare:

To use our natural and homemade toilet bowl cleaner, follow these steps.

1. Turn off the water supply valve and flush the toilet.
2. Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into the bowl, especially the dirt or stains. Use the brush to spread it around the bowl.
3. Leave it on for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. How much baking soda to put will also depend on the area it has to cover. We recommend pouring 1 cup first, but you may add more if the toilet has a lot of stains.
5. After pouring the baking soda, add 1 to 2 cups of white vinegar.
6. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
7. With your toilet brush, scrub the bowl and apply elbow grease if needed.
8. After scrubbing, leave it again for another 30 minutes.
9. To rinse, turn on the water supply valve, then flush the toilet.

How to Unclog Toilet Naturally With Baking Soda

What to prepare:

If you clog the toilet after doing a number two (don’t worry, it happens!), we have a mixture that dissolves poop fast. Just follow the instructions below to get it right.

1. Turn off the shut-off valve and scoop out excess water from the bowl if necessary to avoid overflow.
2. Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the bowl, then slowly pour 1 cup of vinegar.
3. Let it fizz and wait for 20 to 30 minutes until it breaks down the poop in the toilet.
4. Once the clog has disappeared and the water level is lower, you can flush the toilet.
5. If the clog is still there, try pouring a kettle of hot water slowly.

Just ensure that the blockage is gone before turning on the shut-off valve and flushing, to avoid the water from backing up.

You can also leave the baking soda and vinegar mixture overnight to address a toilet clog. But if this doesn’t work, we advise calling a professional plumber.

Other Natural Remedies for a Clogged Toilet

Aside from unclogging a toilet with baking soda, you can use other ingredients that you can find at home as well, such as:

Having a toilet flange plunger and an auger at home will also help you in the long run, since you can first aid the clog using these materials.

More Uses for Baking Soda in the Bathroom

Baking soda goes a long way in cleaning. Aside from toilet maintenance, we can utilize this ingredient to clean other bathroom areas!

You can also put together a tablespoon of baking soda, a small amount of essential oil, and water in a spray bottle to create an air freshener.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Long Can You Leave Baking Soda in the Toilet?

Since baking soda is nontoxic and not harmful to the commode’s material, we can leave it overnight without worries.

However, you should still follow instructions for homemade toilet bowl cleaners. Some may require leaving baking soda for only 20 to 30 minutes unless the stain or clog is bad.

Is Baking Soda Safe to Use in Septic Systems?

Baking soda is absolutely safe to be flushed and poured into the drains as it doesn’t harm septic systems. So, no need to worry about killing the good bacteria in there!

How Often Should I Clean My Toilet With Baking Soda?

There is no specific requirement as to how often you should clean your toilet with baking soda. However, you can add the ingredient to your regular toilet cleaning routine, which should be done at least once a week.

As we’ve mentioned, baking soda won’t harm the commode or the septic system, so you can even use it for occasional scrubbing outside your cleaning routine to help prevent stain buildup.

Conclusion

To summarize what happens when you put baking soda in your toilet, the ingredient can clean or unclog the fixture and keep it from smelling bad. Baking soda is only mildly abrasive, so it’s safe to use on the toilet’s surface, and it poses no harm to the septic system.

Aside from being a natural toilet cleaner, it can clean other areas of the bathroom, such as the bathtub, walls, and grout. If you don’t have baking soda at home, you can also try using hot water mixed with dishwashing soap, borax, or Epsom salt.