There are a range of ways to clean a toilet. Soaps like dish soap will foam around churning water that can occur when a toilet flushes. In this article, I will explain situations when it makes sense to put dish soap in your toilet.
Overall, dish soap should be used to clear a clog in your toilet. Dish soap acts like a lubricant that makes the sides of a blockage move easily along the sides of the pipe. It’s possible to put dish soap in the water tank for your toilet which creates a pleasant fragrance.
Below, I will explain if there are any drawbacks to putting dish soap in your toilet, explain how well it works for unclogging a toilet compared to other methods, and whether dish soap is effective at removing brown or colorless hard water deposits in your toilet.
Is It OK To Put Dish Soap in a Toilet
There are specialist toilet cleaners that work particularly well for deodorizing and cleaning toilets. Dish soap is generally considered to be multi-purpose. But, is it OK to put dish soap in a toilet?
It’s perfectly fine to put dish soap in your toilet. Dish soap won’t foam enough to cause any issues when your toilet flushes. Dish soap works well to clean a toilet. It’s also effective at clearing blockages.
The primary purpose of putting dish soap in a toilet is to remove a blockage. Or, to clean your toilet. Often a toilet blockage can happen. But, you may not be able to locate your plunger or you don’t have a plunger.
In these cases, dish soap can be used to clear a blockage in a toilet. The best method is to first pour hot but not boiling water into the bowl. Boiling water can cause the bowl to crack. Use the hottest water that will come out of the tap.
Doing so will soften any waste that is causing the blockage, and make it easier for the water pressure to push it through. Then add about half a cup of dish detergent into the bowl. Let it sit for about half an hour. In some cases, you can come back to your toilet and the blockage has cleared. Or, you can be within earshot and hear the gurgling sound of the bowl emptying.
If after 30 minutes it hasn’t cleared then go ahead and flush your toilet. If the bowl fills up but doesn’t clear then you need to use a plunger. Plumbers recommend first using a plunger and if that doesn’t work then use a plumbers snake. A plumbers snake is very inexpensive, and you can pick one up for under $10.
Therefore, if you’re going to go buy a plunger, you might pick up one of these as well. In case, a plunger doesn’t clear the blockage. When neither a plunger nor a plumbers snake doesn’t work, then you need to call a plumber.
Putting a quarter of a cup of dish soap and flushing your toilet once a month or so can also be a good idea. It will help thoroughly flush out the pipe that goes from the base of your toilet to the mains. Reducing the risk of a blockage occurring.
Does putting dish soap in a toilet stop hard water deposits
Putting dish soap in a toilet does not stop hard water deposits from forming. Dish soap does not react well to hard water. It reacts with soap and causes it to curdle.
Interestingly, it will actually leave a residue behind, which can increase the chances your toilet will get clogged according to The Clean Water Center.
Dish soap is not very effective at removing hard water deposits. Hard water deposits can appear as a ring where the water fills up in the bowl. And also accumulate inside the water tank. You can read the best ways to remove them in this article about how to stop the build-up of hard water stains in a toilet in a separate article.
Can You Use Dawn To Clean a Toilet
Dawn is one of the most popular dish soaps. All soaps are multiple purpose and can be used to clean a range of different things. But, can you use Dawn to clean a toilet?
As a general rule, Dawn is perfectly fine to clean a toilet. It’s also effective at clearing a blockage. The one issue with Dawn and other dish soaps is they don’t react well with hard water. If you know you have hard water, avoid using dish soap in your toilet. Instead, use a regular toilet cleaner.
There are a range of different products that can be used to clean a toilet. Ammonia, and bleach are common household cleaners. And are also ingredients used in toilet cleaners.
These products are fine to use to clean a toilet bowl. But, avoid using bleach to clean the water tank. It can weaken the components inside the water tank.
What’s the Best Thing To Use To Clean a Toilet
A toilet bowl is made completely of porcelain. Whereas, the seat is commonly made from resistant plastic. There are various types of chemicals and products that can work to clean a toilet. But, here’s what the best thing to clean a toilet is.
Generally, toilet cleaner is the best thing to use to clean the bowl. The exterior is best cleaned using a disinfectant. Some regions have hard water, that leaves orange/brown hard water deposits. These are best removed with vinegar.
Enzyme cleaner should be used on the areas around a toilet such as the walls, floor and water tank. Enzyme cleaner breaks down urine and stops a urine smell from developing. Typically, disinfectant will not remove a urine smell around a toilet.
Other cleaners such as ammonia, and clean also work well for the toilet bowl. But, toilet cleaners have a special bottle that makes them easier to apply, especially under the rim.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.