A bathroom doesn’t look or feel clean unless the toilet bowl is clean. Stains and streaks inside your toilet will have you reaching for any number of cleaning products, but which one should you use? Those who use septic systems or cesspools have to be extra careful when making that choice.
How Can Toilet Bowl Cleaners Damage Septic Tanks?
Most toilet bowl cleaners make the task of ridding your toilet of stains by using powerful chemicals like chlorine bleach, hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite. As effective as these solutions are in the toilet bowl, they can damage your plumbing and septic system just as easily.
Even if your pipes can handle the corrosive chemicals in most common toilet bowl cleaners, a septic system or cesspool will not react well. Both septic systems and cesspools rely on certain bacteria to break down waste; bacteria that will die out when in contact with bleach or strong acids.
How to Find Septic-Safe Toilet Bowl Cleaners
But all hope is not lost, some toilet bowl cleaners have caught on to this concern and developed safer products for homeowners with septic systems or cesspools. Just beware, the phrase “septic safe” may not mean the product is as safe as you think. Use toilet bowl cleaners with more natural ingredients and use them as directed only. If you are having trouble finding a suitable replacement for harsh chemical cleaners, ask your neighbors what cleaners they use and you may find a reliable recommendation.
Keep your Septic System Safe from Harsh Chemicals
Space out your toilet bowl cleanings as far as you can. Even the safest cleaner will damage your septic system’s bacterial ecosystem if too much goes down the drain. Make sure other chemical cleaners are washed, poured, or flushed sparingly. If too much damage has already been done, call Maui Pumping for a septic treatment or cesspool rehab today!
