Thinking About Putting Fabuloso In Your Toilet? Here's What Can Happen If You Do

Toilets get nasty. It's a sad, unfortunate fact, made even more regrettable by the fact that you have to clean them frequently. Because few of us want to stomp off to the bathroom and spend time with our hands so near the toilet bowl, it makes sense to seek out the most important bathroom cleaning supplies and ways to stretch out time between cleanings. One popular method we've seen suggested all across social media is adding a bottle full of Fabuloso, a popular cleaner and disinfectant known for its delightfully strong fragrances such as lavender and lemon, directly into the tank.

The hack is meant to work like this: Before placing the bottle in the tank, you're supposed to puncture a small hole in the bottle, which allows a small amount to leak out every time the tank empties and refills. As a result, a blast of fresh-smelling Fabuloso rushes into the toilet bowl every time you flush. This allegedly prevents bacterial growth and leaves a pleasant aroma in the room. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, we do not recommend this hack, as it can damage components of your toilet tank. In the end, the nice smell isn't worth the risk or inconvenience. So, what should you do instead?

Fabuloso is a corrosive cleaner, which means over time, it can eat away at the mechanisms in your toilet tank, such as the rubber gasket and seal. When these pieces become damaged, you can end up with a running toilet, leading to expensive water bills and inconvenient repairs. Luckily, you can still use Fabuloso the right way to clean your toilet, which starts with avoiding the tank altogether. Instead, add Fabuloso directly to the bowl on cleaning days. It works as a cleaner and disinfectant, so it's ideal for scrubbing down any grime, as well as removing any trace amounts of nasty germs. 

To extend time between cleaning your toilet, consider getting a bowl-safe product, like toilet cleaning gel stickers, which stick directly onto the walls of the toilet and distribute a small amount of product with each flush. There are also toilet deodorizing balls that hook on the side of the seat and empty slowly. Neither of these go in the tank and are perfectly safe on the porcelain, all while helping to keep your toilet fresh between cleanings. If you have a septic tank, be sure to find a septic-safe toilet cleaner before using in your bathroom.