The Popular Toilet Bowl Cleaner You Might Want To Avoid Using

Few people look forward to cleaning their toilet, but considering how frequently toilets are used and what they are used for, they need regular cleaning. Toilets are among the germiest places in the home, potentially containing bacteria like Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus. It's tempting to reach for the strongest commercial products you can find to clean and disinfect your toilet, but unless you have a chemistry degree and can identify the active ingredients in toilet cleaners, there's one popular cleaner you should probably keep off your shopping list: Lysol Action Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner. It contains powerful ingredients that are proven to be health hazards. Fortunately, there are safer alternatives that can do an effective job cleaning your toilet without exposing you to harsh and potentially dangerous chemicals. Better yet, you probably already have the ingredients in your home.

Some of the chemicals in Lysol Action Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaner have received very low grades from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) because of their threats to human health. Three active ingredients received an F from EWG, seven received a D, while only two (water and ethanol) received an A. Among the worst of those ingredients is didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC). This ingredient is frequently used as a disinfectant against common pathogens like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, but it's been shown to cause skin irritation, conjunctivitis (pink eye), and asthma, among its less malign effects. More significantly, studies have found that DDAC can result in DNA damage and can cause pulmonary fibrosis (scarring and inflammation of the lungs), an incurable disease with limited treatments and an average survival rate of less than five years.

There are a number of ways to clean your toilet bowl without choosing the nuclear option. If you're a regular cleaner of your toilet, you can simply use dish soap, which will clean but not necessarily disinfect your toilet. If your toilet is just stained, you can simply clean your toilet with pumice stone or an abrasive powder like baking soda. Mold, mildew, and bacteria buildups are more serious issues. They may appear as an unsightly black or brown discoloration in or around your toilet, but these take a while to build up. For a deeper clean that attacks these germs, you'll want to use stronger stuff readily available in your home. 

Many people reach for chlorine bleach, which can remove mold and bacteria effectively. It must be used with care, however, since mixing chlorine bleach with acids like ammonia or vinegar results in the production of toxic chlorine gas. Among the many safer options, you can use vinegar and Epsom salts to clean and kill germs. Mix 1 cup of white vinegar, 1/3 cup Epsom salt, and 1 tablespoon dish soap in a container with a lid, shake thoroughly, then pour it into your toilet. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then scrub with a toilet brush. You can also use vinegar and baking soda to clean a toilet. For any of these safer methods, add a few drops of an essential oil like clove oil or lavender oil, which have their own bacteria-killing properties and also leave your toilet smelling nicer than when you started.