Can You Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner In The Shower? Comprehensive Guide

Using toilet bowl cleaner in the shower may sound funny, but some people consider using it in the shower. Since it’s a question for many, let’s see if you can use toilet bowl cleaner in the shower.

Many homeowners think that having separate products for a bathroom, for instance, a cleaning product for the sink and a cleaning product for the commode is solely for marketing purposes. They feel that buying separate products for cleaning bathroom fixtures and fittings wastes time and money. Therefore, they use one product to clean all the bathroom fixtures and fittings.

Using one product to clean all the bathroom fixtures and fittings can be disadvantageous in the long run, and you may have to spend more money than expected to replace the damaged bathroom fittings. In addition, it can harm your skin and cause other sicknesses due to chemical exposure.

In this article, we will learn if we can use toilet bowl cleaner in the shower, the main ingredients in a toilet bowl cleaner, the differences between toilet bowl cleaners and shower cleaners, and many other facts related to toilet bowl cleaners.

Let’s dive in!

What Are The Main Ingredients In Toilet Bowl Cleaners?

Toilet bowl cleaners are used for many reasons, including removing tough stains, killing harmful germs, and removing unpleasant odors. But do you know the ingredients used to make toilet bowl cleaners?

Bleaching powder is one of the key ingredients used in toilet bowl cleaners. On the label, it appears as Sodium Hypochlorite. It is used in many household cleaners to remove tough stains and to kill harmful germs. Your toilet bowl will appear bright and shiny due to the bleaching powder used in the toilet bowl cleaner.

Ammonia is commonly used as an active ingredient in the manufacture of toilet bowl cleaners apart from Sodium Hypochlorite. The reason for using Ammonia in toilet bowl cleaners is to get rid of tough stains and bad odors.

Apart from toilet bowl cleaners, hydrochloric acid is used to clean drains and sinks. It has many uses, including converting organic materials such as debris, minerals, and calcium into water-soluble forms, washing stains, and preventing corrosion. It is a favorite acid among plumbers as they use it to unclog blocked drains and sewage pipes.

Sodium Hydroxide, SLES (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate), Cetrimonium Chloride, Fragrances, and Dyes are other active ingredients used to manufacture toil bowl cleaners.

How Do Toilet Bowl Cleaners Differ From Shower Cleaners?

If you are thinking of using toilet bowl cleaners to clean your shower because they both contain a few common ingredients or because you run out of shower cleaners and think they are both used for one common purpose: cleaning.

We first need to clear the misconception on the reason for the existence of separate cleaning products. The reason why different cleaning products exist in the market is for our safety. They are not manufactured for profit or marketing.

Toilet bowl cleaners are used to clean smaller surfaces or areas. Therefore, they are highly concentrated with many harmful chemicals to obtain the maximum result. In contrast, shower cleaners are used to clean larger sizes and contain fewer toxic chemicals since they are directly in contact with our skin.

It is advised to avoid touching toilet bowl cleaners; if you accidentally touch the liquid, you must ensure to wash it off immediately. Shower cleaners contain chemicals, but not as harsh as toilet cleaners.

Can You Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner In The Shower?

The answer is No. You cannot use toilet bowl cleaner instead of a shower cleaner to clean the shower.

Nothing will stop you from using toilet bowl cleaner to clean the shower; however, once you learn its harmful effects, you will never dream of cleaning your shower with toilet bowl cleaner.

Toilet bowl cleaners and shower cleaners exist as separate products for a reason. Therefore, it is up to the homeowner to use the two products effectively. It is important to read the notice on the back of these products before using them.

Toilet bowl cleaners contain harmful chemicals that can burn or damage solid materials like concrete and tile. You may have noticed how the labels state to keep the liquid after putting toilet bowl cleaner into the commode for 20 minutes to 1 hour maximum. The reason for specifying the time is to prevent damage to the surface area due to the toxic chemicals used in toilet bowl cleaners.

Why Are Toilet Bowl Cleaners Bad To Use In The Shower Area?

There are many reasons to avoid using toilet bowl cleaners in the shower area. Let’s look at a few of them.

Toilet bowl cleaners are manufactured to remove tough stains in the commode. Getting rid of tough stains isn’t easy, especially if you do not clean the toilet bowl daily using a cleaner. Therefore, manufacturers use harsh chemicals like bleaching powder, Hydrochloric acid, Ammonia, and many others to produce toilet bowl cleaners.

These chemicals are toxic to humans. You should especially avoid touching and smelling toilet bowl cleaners as much as possible as they can damage your skin, emit harmful odors, stain the grout, and damage the fixtures and fittings. If you lie down to relax in a bubble bath, your entire skin is exposed to the shower area, especially your feet and back.

Toilet bowl cleaners are meant for cleaning toilet bowls where you have no physical contact. They are ideal for cleaning porcelain-based surfaces. Remember to avoid using toilet bowl cleaner, especially If your shower fittings and fixtures are plated in chrome, as they can damage the fittings in a short time.

We already know that toilet bowl cleaners contain bleaching powder. Bleaching powder is known for its strong smell and other cleaning abilities. It is strictly advised to avoid inhaling and touching it as it can lead to respiratory problems, especially if your bathroom isn’t ventilated.

What Should I Use To Clean The Shower?

Now that you know the effects of using toilet bowl cleaner to clean the shower, it is better to stick to products available for cleaning the shower.

Foaming bubbles is a great and safe way to clean the shower. The foam is made of less harmful chemicals; therefore, it will not damage your skin or shower fittings.

Another natural way of cleaning the shower is to prepare a solution by mixing baking soda and white vinegar. This is a DIY project and is cheaper and safer. However, remember to wear gloves when mixing the solution because white vinegar is still acidic and is harmful to the touch. The vinegar and baking soda mixture is ideal for scrubbing soap scum and other buildups on the shower walls. You do not have to wash off the solution from the walls; instead, wipe it off using paper towels.

There are plenty of all-purpose shower cleaners in the market. You can use one of them to clean the shower. The best way to clean grout off the walls is to mix warm water with white vinegar and spray over the grouted surfaces. You can rinse it off after leaving it for a few minutes.

What Are The Other Purposes Of Toilet Bowl Cleaner?

We know that toilet bowl cleaners are essential for cleaning and maintaining a hygienic bathroom. Now that we know that toilet bowl cleaners are not suitable for cleaning the shower let’s look at a few other purposes for using a toilet bowl cleaner.

Will you be surprised to know that using toilet bowl cleaner reduces stress and fatigue? If you use toilet bowl cleaners regularly, there will be fewer sicknesses and other illnesses due to poor hygiene. If you throw a party or host a gathering at your place and you need to remember to clean the bathroom, it will reflect badly on you if someone finds it dirty since you did not clean it daily.

You have to look into many things when you invite people over to your place; the last thing you remember is to clean the bathroom. Hence, why stress yourself unnecessarily when you can easily use toilet bowl cleaner to clean your bathroom daily?

You can use toilet bowl cleaner in your kitchen with a tiled kitchen wall. The bleaching powder in toilet bowl cleaners can help to wipe out grout. However, you must use safety gear, especially gloves, when cleaning the wall with the liquid. It is also suitable for cleaning mold or mildew, especially on moist surfaces.

Another surprising purpose of toilet bowl cleaner is to wash the dirt inside a trash can. Try it, and you will be amazed by the result.

Continue Exploring: More Articles to Keep You Engaged

• Toilet Tank Losing Water But No Leak
• Is Oxiclean Safe for Septic Systems?
• How to Store Bath Bombs?