DIY Toilet Do’s and Don’ts 

 It’s never a good idea to put any foreign objects into the tank of your toilet. There are many myths surrounding toilets about water conservation, cleaning, and performance. By adding various devices and chemicals to the tank of a toilet, you not only risk voiding any warranties, but you can also end up creating more frequent and/or major repairs needed. In many cases you could end up having to replace your toilet. That’s why it’s important that you learn about some diy toilet do’s and don’ts

 

 

Do NOT Fall For it: DIY Toilet Do’s and Don’ts

 Nothing that is not already part of a toilet’s anatomy should be added to the tank. Always consult a professional when attempting to achieve any goals for water conservation, performance, or easier cleaning. There may be an option for any of these goals but often it will create more issues than not.  

Just because you saw it on you tube, TikTok, Pinterest, or other social media does not mean it will work or you should do it. Social media influencers are not going to pay to fix things when their “tips and tricks” don’t work and cause damage. 

 

Here is some recent things our Plumbers have seen in the tank of a toilet 

 

Soda Pop Cans, still full, to save water.  

They can and have got stuck on the float and caused the toilet to run until the plumber came. This can cause quite the waste of water and money on the bill if not caught quickly. Also displacing water to save water does not work. The toilet is engineered to use a certain amount of water to flush properly. Using less water causes a poor flush creating the need to often have to flush a second time.
 

Rubber bands wrapped around various internal components  

They brake and get stuck in the flapper. Once broken it won’t let the flapper seal properly. This can also cause quite the waste of water and money on the bill if not caught quickly 

Bricks in the bottom 

This was a popular one in the 90’s in our neck of the woods for water conservation. This can cause damage to the delicate porcelain when added to the tank. It will also most likely will cause a poor flush. A poor flush leads to flushing twice and now you have used more water than you would have without the brick. 

Water bottle with bleach and holes poked in it 

This is thought to continually clean the bowl, but in reality, this runs out quickly and worse it also quickly degrades the rubber components inside of the tank. 

 
Scented Cleaning products 

 full bottles flipped upside down in the tank to only let so much out at a time it smells really nice for a short period but, the cleaner is likely highly corrosive so it will be shortening the life of the components in the tank. If it’s not corrosive than chances, are it will congeal and even worse it can congeal in the water ways of the bowl which would require replacement. 

A bar of Soap, the reason was not given, but we can guess 

This is a really bad one. Soap scum builds up in the tank, even worse than the the non-corrosive cleaners. The soap scum will build up in the water ways of the bowl forcing replacement. We have also seen people stick bars of soap in the bowl. They intentionally get the soap stuck in the trap-way “so you don’t see it”. Well… that is a guaranteed stoppage. 

 

 Fabric softener to make it smell better 

 This is a VERY popular one with the social media “Influencers”. It’s one of the worse things you can do. Fabric softener will quickly ruin the components in the tank and loves to congeal in the ports and water ways of the bowl. There is no cleaning out congealed anything in the ports of the bowl. 

 

Something that may surprise you! 

 

You actually don’t want to quickly grab that plunger. You may get away with it, but you may cause more issues too. If the stoppage is past or really close to the wax seal under the toilet you run the risk of damaging that seal, which can lead to toilet water in places your really do not want it. And long-term damages to the surrounding floor and walls.  

 

Some Things you CAN do  

 

Water Quality is everything. “Let’s fix the water that broke it” We are staunch proponents of putting a QUALITY water treatment system on your home. The right water treatment system can prolong the life and performance of your toilets by preventing the internal water ways and ports from closing drastically from scale build up reducing the performance.  

Depending on your water quality you can either weekly or monthly put a cup of vinegar in the tank to help reduce scale buildup  

Use the proper cleaning products. The surface of the porcelain glaze will last longer and require less work to keep it clean. Abrasive products scratch the glaze, taking it from smooth to rough in as little as one use! If your toilet seems to let everything stick to the bowl, it may be time to replace your toilet. 

Placing cleaning products that hang from the side of the bowl of the toilet does not have the same drawbacks as placing them in the tank does but can sometimes lead to issues as well. Be VERY cautious of tis one! We’ve had to retrieve the plastic hanger after it was accidentally un-hooked and flushed. On a aside note. Those disposable cleaning wand heads are disposable NOT flushable! We have to remove those regularly.  

 

Soooo… 

It can be pleasing to present a perfectly polished potty to people visiting your home!  

But beware of the gimmicks that will make it harder and more pricey to maintain your toilet.  If you are looking for ways to conserve water, or maintain a cleaner bowl for longer between cleanings, perhaps you find yourself in need of a more powerful flush. Often a new toilet is the best option, depending on the myth you tried you may be in the market sooner than you think.  

There are many great toilets on the market today that are engineered to flush with less water. There are toilets that have a superior glaze that repels and protects from buildup better than others. Some toilets even have a glazed trap way that allows for smoother and quicker exit of solids, enhancing the performance. There are many toilets that can outperform most toilets almost if not eliminating toilet stoppages. 

 

You don’t have to settle for just one feature either. Many top brands can provide all of these features. There are other features to consider that we have not even touched on, and if you are interested, we have a blog on that too! If after consideration you find yourself thinking its time for a new “Porcelain Thrown” then please consider this as well. The average life expectancy of a quality toilet is 15-20 years, that’s a pretty long relationship, so keep in mind the features you may want to enjoy for a while.