Tackling the shower may be difficult when it comes to eliminating persistent stains and grime accumulation. While toilet bowl cleaners do a great job keeping our toilets sparkling, they’re often seen as a quick fix for grungy sinks and showers.
Now, if your shower’s discolored, your tile walls are looking a bit dingy, or mold’s making a comeback in the grout, you might be wondering: can you use a toilet bowl agent for the job? The question really boils down to this – is it safe and effective to tackle a larger surface like a shower with it, or would you be better off leaning on the consistency and thoroughness provided by recurring house cleaning services in Addison, IL?
Housekeeping Tip: whether using a toilet bowl cleaner is a safe choice for your bathroom
Can You Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner In the Shower
Knowing what’s in toilet bowl cleaners and how they function is a good idea to figure out whether you should apply them in a shower.
It is useful to know that it contains substances that are inappropriate for sanitizing showers, including bleach and acid, so you should not apply them in the shower. Let’s take a look at every ingredient.
Hydrochloric Acid
If you use the powerful hydrochloric acid in toilet bowl cleaners to clean the shower, you could damage your bathtub. Hydrochloric acid-resistant porcelain is used to make toilet bowls. Bathroom surfaces, however, aren’t composed of acid-resistant materials that are susceptible to harm.
For instance, some bathtubs are composed of plastic, readily harmed by acid when used as a cleaning agent. Additionally, corrosive and hydrogen chloride may burn your skin when it comes into touch with it.
Also, it releases vapors that may be dangerous to one’s throat, eyes, and lungs.
Bleach
Bleach is another ingredient used in toilet bowl cleaners, which risks the cleaner’s health. When handled or breathed, bleach can cause respiratory issues and skin irritations. Additionally, this means that bleach will corrode the majority of objects it comes into touch with while cleaning the toilet, including sinks and bathtubs.
Since folks who work with bleach frequently get serious ailments, including asthma and throat and nasal cancer, bleach may not benefit you.
On toilet surfaces, bleach works to whiten and destroy bacteria. Like hydrochloric acid, it could be too strong to effectively clean shower surfaces like tubs and floors.
Ammonia
Because of its disinfecting properties, ammonia is a common active component in many toilet bowl cleaners. It works well for eliminating stains, mold, and mildew.
However, employing ammonia-based cleansers might still cause harm to shower surfaces.
Ammonia, like bleach, can create a residue that draws more debris and causes discoloration to the tile grout in your shower as time passes. The use of ammonia solutions in the shower on a regular basis will damage and erode the grout.
Other Cleaning Ingredients
Other substances are essential, notably for covering up exhaust emissions and bathroom odors. Detergents, phenol, and isopropyl alcohol are examples of such substances. Different body parts can be poisoned by these chemicals.
Watch out for skin, nose, throat, and eye inflammation. Depending on how much fumes you breathe, it can also impact your blood, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and the neurological system.
Whenever you use toilet bowl cleaners in your home, always exercise caution. Invest in the appropriate safety equipment before purchasing cleaning supplies. In case of poisoning, immediately contact your neighborhood poison control center.
Maid Service: Can Your Bathtub Get Damaged by Using a Toilet Bowl Cleaner
The bathtub lacks a porcelain coating for protection. This leads the bathtub to acidic elements and harsh chemicals. Every time you use the toilet bowl cleaner, you risk damaging your bathtub. You must let toilet bowl cleansers sit on the surface for at least 15 minutes.
Your bathtub’s surface will deteriorate while you wait. After each wash, the cleanser will erode the bathtub. If you use this cleaner, you would have to replace the bathtub after a small portion of its anticipated lifespan. Apply, clean, and fully rinse it off rather than leave it on the surface.
Best Cleaners For Your Shower
You can use the following cleaners to clean your shower instead of using toilet bowl cleaner. You can also hire Helping Hands cleaning services in Addison, IL, if you want to clean your home, particularly your shower, with homemade cleaning solutions.
1. Water and Vinegar
Even though vinegar is acidic in nature, it is far milder than others. Toilet bowl cleaners may be easily and effectively replaced at home with a simple mixture of water and table vinegar that won’t harm the shower surface.
On shower tiles and grout, a water and vinegar solution may remove most stains, soap scum, and grime accumulation. In addition to being a natural deodorizer, vinegar may also assist your shower in getting rid of any unpleasant odors.
2. Vinegar and Baking Soda
When vinegar and baking soda are combined, they form a paste that will efficiently and safely clean the shower, particularly the grout. Cleaning the grout is essential for keeping your shower tile looking pristine, and this method can keep the tile grout gleaming as well.
Unlike aggressive toilet bowl cleaners, a steady mixing of these two basic components will remove stains without discoloring or removing the shiny surface of the shower tiles.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide
It is preferable to use hydrogen peroxide instead of vinegar. You can use it by following these simple steps:
- Combine one part hydrogen peroxide and two parts baking soda.
- Scrub the stain with the mixture and leave it for at least 45 minutes.
- Scrub once more and then rinse.
How to Clean Your Shower
Cleaning your shower is an easy task if done correctly. Here are several steps that will help you deal with your shower. You’ll need about 15 minutes to complete this task.
- Initially, wipe the shower walls using your preferred product.
- Distilled white vinegar and hot water are effective for getting rid of soap scum and filth. However, white vinegar should not be used on marble, only ceramic tile and fiberglass.
- Next, wipe off the floor and let it sit for a few minutes or whatever the directions specify.
- Finally, rinse it with warm water.
You may also wash the grout lines while you’re there. You could do this with a warm water and white vinegar spray bottle combo. If desired, apply an acid-free grout cleanser. Clean it once a week. You can also hire a Helping Hands cleaning service in Addison, IL, for detailed cleaning of tiles with grout.
Cleaning Your Shower Door
Because of the strong chemicals in toilet bowl cleaners, which can break glass or natural stone and pose health hazards from fumes, it is not advised to clean shower doors. To remove soap scum and hard water stains, a solution of similar parts of white vinegar and dish soap is a risk-free and efficient alternative.
Spray the agent on the door, wait 10-15 minutes, then clean with a soft sponge and rinse with warm water. To avoid wet marks, dry with a clean cloth or squeegee. Use a professional shower detergent or baking soda and water to remove stubborn stains. When cleaning, take measures and ventilate the area.
Is it Safe to Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner in Shower Grout Mold?
You may use a toilet bowl cleaner like Clorox to remove shower grout mold. These cleaners contain all the components needed to remove stubborn stains from showers, from mild acids to specifically developed abrasives.
However, remember that the concentration of any acid or abrasive should not be too high since this might result in damage. When using a toilet bowl and bathroom cleaner, read the package and follow the instructions.
Apply a dab of toilet bowl cleanser straight to the stained shower area and let it sit for around 5 minutes to keep it looking spotless. After that, remove any filth with a scrub brush or sponge before giving everything a final rinse with warm water.
Who provides expert recurring home cleaning services in Addison IL?
Outsourcing your household chores to qualified pros never goes wrong. Our Helping Hands cleaning experts in Addison are trained to use homemade solutions and keep you and your family safe. Our company offers a variety of cleaning services, including carpet cleaning, one-time house cleaning, and disinfecting.
Plus, we’re more than ready to lend a hand with tailored tips, whether you’re curious about how to properly care for various types of flooring.
You can book an appointment by clicking here OR calling (630) 530-1324.