Ingredients in Toilet Bowl Tablets
The main reason for a leaky toilet is a damaged flapper. The flapper, which is made out of rubber, is the moving part of the flush valve. It seals water into the tank and lets it leave when the toilet is flushed. Flappers can develop leaks when you use in-tank toilet cleaners containing chlorine. The chlorine eats away at the rubber and can destroy a flapper in just 30 days, but it's not the only ingredient in toilet bowl cleaning tablets. While specific ingredients vary from product to product, there are basic types of ingredients used in formulating these cleaners. Does this Spark an idea?
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Cleaners
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The main ingredient in toilet bowl cleaners is the cleaning agent. Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, bromochloro-5, 5-dimethylhydantoin, calcium chlorate, calcium hydroxide, and calcium carbonate all remove dirt and deposits such as calcium and rust. They can be harmful if swallowed, and highly corrosive to the eyes and skin.
Inactive Ingredients
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Toilet bowl cleaners include binders such as fatty alcohol and hydroxyethyl cellulose to hold all the ingredients together. Sometimes, thickeners such as hydroxyethylcellulose are added. Hydroxyethylcellulose is a thickener derived from plants and has a low level of toxicity.
Surfactants are wetting agents used in cleaning products to help dissolve ingredients, stabilize foam and thicken products. Surfactants used in toilet bowl cleaners include alkyl sulfonates and coconut fatty acid amides.
Sodium citrate is a commonly used preservative, which is not a hazardous ingredient.
Dyes and fragrances can include natural or artificial materials, and add color to cleaning products and improve their smell.
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Eco-Friendly
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Most eco-friendly toilet bowl cleaners are liquids, but you can find tablets, as well. Eco-friendly tablets don't contain chlorine or phosphates. They're biodegradable and non-corrosive. It's important to note that just because a product is friendly to the environment doesn't mean it's totally safe. Some eco-friendly toilet bowl cleaners use sodium alkyl ether sulfonoate, which is mildly toxic. Sodium sulfate is another ingredient you can find in eco-friendly tablets. Although it's not toxic, it can cause eye irritation or asthmatic attacks.
Home Made
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If you want to avoid dangerous chemicals, you can clean your toilet bowl with baking soda and white vinegar. The baking soda cleans and deodorizes and also works as a scouring powder. The vinegar cuts through dirt. Borax can remove stains. Another solution is to leave one or two denture tablets in the bowl overnight. The denture tablets help remove mineral buildup.
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References
- Nipomo Community Services District: Using Your Water Meter To Check For Water Leaks, p. 2
- Chlorox: What's in Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Bleach & Blue
- What's Inside SC Johnson: Toilet Duck
- Consumer Products Information Database
- Ecocycle: Alternative Cleaners and Recipes
- Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia: Guide To Less Toxic Products
Resources
- Photo Credit toilet bowl painting Gzhel image by Vasily Smirnov from Fotolia.com
