Homeowners are always looking for fast and easy ways to clean spaces in their homes, especially their toilets. This is the reason so many choose to use drop-in toilet cleaners that are often purchased in the form of a bleach-chlorine tablet. While they may seem like an easy solution, they can often cause more damage than good.
Toilet Tablets Safety
The question “Are toilet tablets safe?” may be going through your head. The simple answer to this question is that chemicals in the drop-in cleaner tablets will eventually cause damage to the flush valve, flapper, and other parts. In the early 1990s, these drop-in tablets for the toilet were first introduced as a quick and efficient way to clean toilets. However, manufacturers noticed an increase in repair calls for new toilets.
These simple solutions to clean your toilet may cause damage that can result in extreme repair costs for homeowners. These tablets contain alkalines, and many parts of your toilet and other materials corrode in high-alkaline water. The rubber pieces will eventually turn brittle, causing other parts of your toilet to age before their time.
Chlorine Tablets & Toilets
If you are wondering how chlorine tablets ruin toilets, the answer is pretty straightforward. When tablets are dropped into the toilet tank, the chlorine tablets slowly dissolve. The sitting water and caustic materials come in contact with the rubber and plastic parts, including the washers and gaskets. These are the parts that are at risk of corrosion and wear. Eventually, your toilet will either leak or fail to flush properly due to the damage caused by the tablets.
The longer a tablet sits in a tank without a toilet being flushed, the quicker the damage can occur to the various parts of your toilet. Many people just drop these tablets in their toilet tank and leave thinking that the tablets are doing their job. In reality, these cleaning tablets are slowly damaging your toilet.
Other Issues Caused by Drop-in Toilet Cleaners
Besides just the damage tablets can cause to your toilet, there are a couple of other issues of concern. First, these toilet tank tablets can easily get stuck in the flush valve while they are dissolving. This can prevent the toilet from flushing since it will block the water flow. The chunks from the tablet will then get sucked into small passages, preventing the bowl from refilling after it has been flushed. This can really slow down the process to an inconsistent trickle. Additionally, you may even start to notice that your water bill begins to increase if your toilet is leaking and not properly filling. This is due to the damage caused by the toilet bowl tablet cleaners.