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The dangers of using a toilet with bleach in its bowl

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toilet bleach

We assume you’ve seen, smelt, or used bleach in the past. In the first instance, its smell is too strong to ignore for many. 

What is bleach?

For explanatory reasons, household bleach is a combination of different chemicals. It consists of 3-6% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCI). A mixture of small amounts of sodium hydroxide, calcium hypochlorite, and hydrogen peroxide. The making of bleach goes through an in-depth chemical process. We will briefly look at its use case in a toilet scenario.

 

What is bleach commonly used for in everyday life?

Bleach is often used to remove the natural colour of yarns, fibres, paper, and other forms of textiles. The actual bleaching process in the textile world is used to produce white clothes before a complete finish takes place. You can safely say it is used primarily for discoloration in the stationary and fashion world. It is also used in the cleaning space as it acts as a disinfectant. In public areas like toilets, bacteria, viruses, and fungus can quickly build up, and bleach is considered an effective substance to mitigate and kill these organisms. This use case is why you would easily find bleach in private and public toilets. Would you consider it a safe substance to use in public restrooms? Are there any dangers in handling your business with bleach in the bowl? Let’s address some of these questions. 

 

The dangers of using bleach in a toilet 

Most things in life have both positive and negative effects. Although, some tend to have more bad than good. We’ve touched on some of the used cases and essence of bleach in the fashion and hygiene world. Regardless, there are some impending negatives to using this substance. Let’s look at a few. 

1) corroding the internal parts of the toilets: Applying bleach or products containing bleach to a toilet tank can easily lead to the corroding of its inner parts. Corroded surfaces can irritate the respiratory tract, human digestive tract, skin, and other sensitive aspects of the human body. 

2) Chlorine gas is released when mixed with bleach: Some people prefer cleaning the toilet bowl with bleach for various reasons. You are likely to find remnants of bleach substances in the toilet bowl. Did you know Chlorine is released when urine and bleach come together? Chloramine and Chlorine gases are immediately released when you’ve done a pee in a bleach-cleaned toilet. These unpleasant gasses lead to runny noses, coughing, and watery eyes. Wonder why you tend to have teary eyes when using the bathroom? It could be down to Chlorine or just a condition you are experiencing.  

We cannot deny the importance of bleach in the cleaning and textile industry. It plays a significant role in combating bacteria and viruses, but we need to understand it may not be suitable for most toilet scenarios. Irritation of key organs is a major aspect of its side effects

Written by Wayne Clarke, owner of WC Portables with 25+ years experience in portable toilets for construction sites, home renovations and diverse events such as weddings, parties, sporting events and festivals.

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