Is It Safe to Put Fabuloso in a Toilet Tank? Facts, Reasons, & FAQ

So-called “life hacks” abound on the internet, purporting to make people’s lives easier if you just do this one thing. For example, people claim that putting Fabuloso, a multipurpose cleaner, in your toilet tank will help keep your toilet fresh and clean. At a glance this can seem like a clever solution, but does it work?

Kind of, but you shouldn’t do it. Toilet systems are delicately balanced to work with plain water, and putting chemicals in the tank can degrade components. Seals will degrade and other plastic parts can break down, potentially breaking the whole toilet. The caveat is that it does help keep your toilet smelling fresh. However, the jury is still out on whether it does anything to keep the bowl cleaner.

There are other potential problems with putting Fabuloso or other cleaners in toilet tanks. Some users place perforated bottles in the tanks, which can displace normal water levels in your toilet. What does this mean for you? Well, a weaker flush, for starters. This can make flushing large amounts of waste difficult because the toilet thinks there’s more water in the tank than there is.

For dual-flushing toilets and other toilets that use less water per flush, this is a particularly bad idea. Waste can begin to build up in your waste system if there’s not enough water flushing through the toilet and back up into your bowl.

What Can I Use to Clean the Toilet?

Most of us are familiar with toilet brushes and bowl-based cleaners, and it’s easy to yearn for a more permanent solution. However, plumbers generally recommended against putting toilet cleaners or any other cleaner directly into toilet tanks. It would probably take months or years of frequent use to harm your toilet by putting cleaners in the tank, but it’s not worth the damage.

We’d recommend using an automatic toilet tank-based cleaner that’s specifically formulated with chemicals that won’t dry out or destroy components within your tank. These still aren’t endorsed by plumbers, who say the chemicals might still cause damage with prolonged use.

To be on the safe side, you should just use bleach-based toilet cleaners and clean the bowl. By not adding chemicals to the tank, you prevent damage to its seals and parts. It can be a huge pain to clean the toilet, but it could save you hundreds or more on a plumber. That’s what would happen if you accidentally messed up your toilet.

How Often Should I Clean My Toilet?

Toilets are one of the most unsanitary parts of any home or building, and the majority have E. coli and other dangerous bacteria lingering around. Neglecting to clean your toilet allows these dangers to propagate and spread, potentially sickening people in the home.

To keep your bathroom as clean and sanitary as possible, clean your toilet (and sink) once a week with a bleach-based disinfectant cleaner. Houses with more people might need biweekly cleaning. Plus, you should sanitize more often when someone in the home is ill. Bacteria that cause viruses can linger on the toilet bowl after use—better safe than sorry!

Regular cleanings will do more to keep your toilet fresh than a gimmick solution like putting Fabuloso in the tank. It might take more elbow grease and be gross, but just think about all that money you won’t be paying the plumber when you’re scrubbing the bowl.

Conclusion

Cleaning the toilet is a hassle but putting Fabuloso in the tank can damage it over time and cost you a big plumber’s bill down the road. Although no tank-based cleaners are safe, some allegedly won’t damage your toilet’s delicate seals. If you do not want to change it, stick to cleaning the bowl once a week with a bleach-based cleaner and brush.

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Featured Image Credit: Irik Bik, Shutterstock