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Septic owners: keeping toilet bowl clean?

robo (z6a)
7 years ago

Hi! We have a septic system and well water. I know just enough about septic to avoid chlorine bleach but my toilet bowls never seem to get sparkly clean no matter how much I scrub! What do you use?

I'm considering getting 2000 flushes and some oxygen bleach to supplement my green toilet bowl cleaner. Any thoughts?

Comments (56)

  • Olychick
    7 years ago

    I'm on septic and have used chlorine bleach in the toilets for many years. I don't use much, I clean weekly, pour a little into the bowl, swish it around and let it be as long as possible. I figure the amount I use weekly is probably comparable to the amount of chlorine that would be in chlorinated water, if I didn't have well water. I also use it in my front load washer for whites a couple times a week. If I don't, they sour quickly and I cannot stand the smell. Again, a tablespoon or so per load.

    I have my tank pumped every 8 years or so and it's always been in good shape, so it's not harming anything in the system.

  • tibbrix
    7 years ago

    You can also put white vinegar and baking soda in there.


    loonlakelaborcamp's idea seems like a good one, but I think he/she maybe meant to ad that after flushing, turn the water to the bowl off so that the bowl doesn't refill? Hone put the tp down and spray with white vinegar.

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  • tibbrix
    7 years ago

    Re: septics: my septic guys have told me - and I've heard it from others as well - never ever ever flush Kleenex/tissue and any kind of wipe, that they are deadly for septic systems.

    robo (z6a) thanked tibbrix
  • tinam61
    7 years ago

    Shee, as someone mentioned above, bleach will "eat" up the good bacteria. You need the bacteria to dissolve. Some septic specialists (I don't know what to call them LOL) will sell you stuff to use in your system and you can buy stuff on your own. Pouring your (old) dairy products down the drain will help with the good bacteria also.

    Thanks Dianna! I am really getting into essential oils and try to use "green" cleaners as much as I can, so I am going to look up those BOMBS! LOL

    Oly, your whites sour that quickly? And why would white sour more quickly than anything else? LOL I'm getting laundry/cleaning overload . . .

    robo (z6a) thanked tinam61
  • OutsidePlaying
    7 years ago

    Another septic system here. We never have had a problem with staining though. I never use bleach in the toilet or cleaners containing bleach. Just the regular cleaner that is bleach-free, and Rid-X every 6-months that adds beneficial bacteria to the septic tank. I would use the vinegar as described if you have a calcium deposit problem or the baking soda mixture.

    robo (z6a) thanked OutsidePlaying
  • robo (z6a)
    Original Author
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yes my well water is clean, never needs to be chlorinated, which is awesome for everything except the toilet bowls! Maybe I will step up from a green toilet cleaner to a regular (but bleach free) cleaner.

  • tinam61
    7 years ago

    Make a toilet bomb Robo!! And report back to us. :-)

  • aok27502
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    If what you're seeing is a buildup of minerals from the water, you can use a pumice stone. At least I can in my ordinary porcelain bowls. Empty the bowl, then scrape lightly with the stone. It takes off that ring that forms at the water line and other deposits. I tried it first on a piece of shower tile, and mine didn't scratch at all. We've been here for 22 years, and I do it a few times per year. No problems!

    You might want to dedicate a pumice stone for the purpose. Don't put it back in the shower to use on your feet. :*)

  • Olychick
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    "Oly, your whites sour that quickly? And why would white sour more
    quickly than anything else? LOL I'm getting laundry/cleaning overload"

    Whites, meaning towels, washcloths, kitchen towels, sponges, etc. Things that get/stay wet. The dry whites don't sour, but I usually wash them with the wet whites, just to make as full a load as possible, so they get bleached, too. I don't use colored towels too much because of the problem.

  • tibbrix
    7 years ago

    olychick, get some of that White Brite stuff and soak the "soured" whites in it for 20 minutes or so, then launder. amazing stuff.

  • robo (z6a)
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Toilet bomb just sounds so wrong!!

  • CindyMac
    7 years ago

    Dh has taken over toilet cleaning duties since retiring. I love it! He uses a wet/dry very fine grit sandpaper. As long as
    the porcelain is wet the sandpaper won't scratch.

    robo (z6a) thanked CindyMac
  • chispa
    7 years ago

    Pumice stone will get rid of the stained ring in the toilet bowl. When we bought our previous house, all 6 toilets had really bad rings.

    I cleaned and cleaned and could not get them off. I thought I was going to have to replace all the toilets ... I was embarassed when people came over and would tell them that the toilets were clean, but stained.

    Finally tried the pumice stone and all the rings came off. It was hard work and I probably had to spend about an hour on each toilet to get them completely clean. Never had a problem with normal cleaning for the rest of the time we lived in the house.

    Get a pumice stone and rubber gloves. Flush toilet and shut off water. Scrub away till the ring comes off or your arm falls off!!

    robo (z6a) thanked chispa
  • schoolhouse_gw
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I've used Bar Keeper's Friend in my sinks for a long time but never thought to use it in the toilet bowl until a neighbor mentioned that it was the only thing that worked on the hard water stains in hers. And it does! I flush the toilet, then turn off the water at the valve on the water line to the tank. My toilet double flushes so when flushed the water rises, then goes back down, rises again, but with the water shut off the second flush doesn't fill the bowl. Then I apply the BKF and scrub with a brush, let the whole thing sit without flushing for up to 30 min.(or when I suddenly remember to go flush it). BKF comes in a bottle in a creamy formula of the powder. I use the cream.

    Re the bleach. I was told that bleach in the tank, not the bowl, will harm the rubber bits inside.

    OT: I also found out that BKF makes a great cleaner for my fiberglass shower surround, which yellows from hard water. For this I use the spray bottle variety of BKF, in the same creamy formula mentioned above.

    robo (z6a) thanked schoolhouse_gw
  • msmeow
    7 years ago

    BKF gets scale off my shower glass, too. Takes a bit of elbow grease as well. :)

    Chispa, does the pumice take the finish off the inside of the toilet? Our newer one (Gerber) has seemingly permanent gray marks where the water flows. The other one (American Standard) doesn't have any marks, so I don't know why the newer Gerber toilet has marks.

    Donna

  • tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM
    7 years ago

    I do use bleach on occasion. I figure with 6 people depositing fresh material, that the amount of bleach I use is not negatively affecting the bacteria in the septic. However, my water is extremely hard so vinegar is something I use regularly for cleaning. If the toilets are really bad (or bad spots in the sink, etc), I find that hot vinegar works best. I have warmed it in a saucepan on the stove and poured it into the empty toilet bowl. If there are deposits high in the bowl, I soak paper towels with the hot vinegar and shove them under the ring and let them sit a bit. Also, when I clean my coffee pot with vinegar, I have been known to pour it around a drain with some baking soda ti help clean things out a bit.

  • bossyvossy
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I use cleaner with Clorox and I use riddex periodically to replenish bacteria. so far, so good. It seems that when we are away for a while, some sediment will form at the toilet water line. I keep a pumice stone for that purpose. it works and it has not damaged bowl. For pet bowls I fill them with vinegar for a few hours and calcium or whatever is gone.

  • chispa
    7 years ago

    msmeow, the toilets were not damaged with the pumice stone, but even if they did end up with slight scratches that were not visible, it is a much better alternative than having toilets that looked dirty.

  • Olychick
    7 years ago

    I meant to write earlier a caution about pumice. I tried it once on my toilets and it worked great on the stains, however, they both now (after just one pumice treatment) do not as effectively flush "debris" off the sides that may have missed the waterline. That was not a problem, ever, before I used the pumice. It seems to have taken some bit of finish off, not noticeable visually, but definitely in their operation.

  • patriceny
    7 years ago

    Olychick, I've heard the same thing about the pumice. I think they function just like those magic erasers do. They're basically fine sandpaper, and you are ridding the stains with mechanical abrasion. Some finishes may be able to withstand that better than others, so if you use either, just be very gentle. Too much rubbing is definitely going to impact the finish sooner or later.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    7 years ago

    patriceny, I wonder about products like Bar Keepers Friend and Zud too. Well, Zud seems way harsher so I'm more suspect about that one. My old porcelain kitchen sink seems to be losing its finish, i.e. shades of gray showing through, black specks from missing finish. Plus it seems to stain much more than usual. This all since I began using the BKF, just thinking. I guess one really doesn't know the consequences of a product until it's too late.

  • Oakley
    7 years ago

    Try these two things which I use on my kitchen sink about once a month. If the bowl is clean below the water line, then I doubt you'd need to flush and turn the water off.

    Anyway, use a wet Magic Eraser and see if that works. If not, the big gun is Clorox Bathroom Bleach Foamer, original. Now that stuff is potent! So wear a mask or lift your tee shirt above your nose, if you're wearing one, lol, and let it sit for a while. Keep going back and spray some more as it drips in the bowl. Then scrub and flush.

    I discovered the Clorox foamer by accident. I bought it to clean the tile around the shower that I kind of let get dirty. Lots of hard water too. The tile looked spic and span.

    I have not used it on the toilet, but it works on my other cast iron sinks/tubs.

  • arcy_gw
    7 years ago

    I tried the vinegar soak--no change. Forgot the baking soda part....

    Before we got the new toilet DH discussed the issue with a professional at the factory where he works, who does a lot of recycling/flipper. He suggested the pumice BUT not for the average home owner's use..they can do damage if used improperly. AND it has to be the "cleaning" pumice not just one you might buy for your feet.

  • graywings123
    7 years ago

    I don't get the idea of using bleach on porcelain, which is what a toilet is made of. You are trying to remove stuff stuck to it, and bleach is not going to do that - is it? It can lighten the color of what is stuck to the porcelain, but it's not going to remove it.


  • Olychick
    7 years ago

    graywings, I think it might matter what is staining the bowl. In my case, it's the waterline and stains where the water flows in; our water isn't too hard, but is untreated well water and very "live". I use bleach and brush it around, let it set, then brush again. I think the brushing removes any residue and the bleach kills the algae or whatever that stuff is. I doubt it works on rusty iron stains.

  • Oakley
    7 years ago

    We have a very old sink which has iron stains around the drain. Today I sprayed the Clorox foamer on it and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I can barely see it now.

    Do you all ever get a "growth" problem in the bowl? Every spring when it gets humid and stays humid through summer, stuff starts growing in the bowl if I don't clean it more than once a week. Putting clorox drops in the tank gets rid of it completely.

    The growth goes away once it starts to get cold. Strange.

    We have a septic tank also and have no problems using bleach. But we also have a lot of lateral lines too, so I don't know if that makes a difference or not. Do they even use lateral lines anymore?

  • robo (z6a)
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Yes I believe there is stuff in the bowl because the well water is untreated and that little bit of chlorine in central/city water seems to really help with the bacterial situation.

  • ILoveRed
    7 years ago

    If it's hard water stains, what about CLR?

  • pippiep
    7 years ago

    If you want your bowl mostly empty without having it refill, fill a bucket with water and pout it into the toilet. The water will go down and not refill until you flush. Makes it easier to clean.

  • Oakley
    7 years ago

    Robo, at this point I think bleach is your only hope. This is what I read:

    "If using bleach in your home, consider purchasing bacterial additives for the septic tank. Typically, the product is sold in a pouch and when flushed down the toilet, the bacteria go into the septic tank and replace any bacteria killed by the bleach. In addition to killing useful bacteria, bleach also is very corrosive and can cause serious damage to the pipes, septic lines and septic tank."

    Our system was built in 1980. It's been emptied only once, about 20 years later, and that's when I was raising kids.

    Since it's just you and DH (right?), you won't need to use bleach all that much to cause damage.

    Try the Clorox foamer with the empty bowl as pippiep suggested, let it sit but keep spraying it as it drips down. If that doesn't work, then I don't know what will.

    That stuff shines my sinks. I was so upset because my nice white kitchen sink, relatively new, started to dull on one side. I used everything and the foamer did the trick!

    The clorox drops is what keeps the bacteria out of the bowl. Maybe they make something else that will do it so you won't have to use bleach?

    But for the bowl, I'd try the foamer first. That's not enough to damage your system.




  • tinam61
    7 years ago

    Yep, that's pretty much what I said about bleach - somewhere up this chain. LOL What we get from the septic place comes in a jug, but someone else on here mentioned using Riddex I believe. I've told before of being advised to pour dairy products (outdated stuff you are not going to use) down the drain for the same purpose. You've got to have the GOOD bacteria to eat the stuff up. Bleach kills the good stuff (bacteria).

    Robo, did you get one of those pumice stones? Curious to see how it works. We are no longer on well water, but I grew up with well water and also had it the first 15 years or so of married life. Don't remember any problems, but I do remember that we had our washer water that drained out run through separate pipes, not through our septic system. (We had nothing behind us except a bank and railroad track! We had the pipes ran to where they came out the bank and the water ran out there.) Probably more info than you ever needed. LOL I try to use "green" cleaners and besides that I hate the fumes/smell of bleach or ammonia.

  • User
    7 years ago

    We have both well and septic too. After moving in, we got the tank cleaned out. The old guys who did it were brothers (and total hoots) who'd been in the business for over 50 years. We had never had a septic tank before and asked a lot of quesitons. They told us to stay clear of Riddex as they'd seen it ruin many a tank. Not sure why or if it's a local thing, but we took their advise, I tossed it that day. They also said to keep chemicals at a minimum, but a little bleach here or there wouldn't hurt anything.. They said the biggest mistake people make is they just don't get it pumped often enough and that's what distroys the tank. Ours was installed in 1988, we have it pumped every other year like clock work and haven't had a problem yet. (knocking on wood). Another piece of advise they offered was to try to keep from using the garbage disposal too much. Something about how long garbage takes to breakdown vs. human waste.

  • llitm
    7 years ago

    Our septic guys have said the same thing, basically everything in moderation. Bleach o.k. in moderate amounts, use the disposal in moderate amounts. My parents had well and septic and were not at all discerning about either. Used all kind of chemicals and the disposal constantly and never had any issues in the 28 years they lived there..

  • User
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    These guys were so hilarious too...their company modo: Number one in the number two business.. Ha

    ETA, they were brothers and unfortunately both passed a couple of years ago.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    7 years ago

    One of the area septic tank cleaners has a truck that's labeled "stool bus".

    We've been on septic all our lives and have never used a garbage disposer as I always understood them to be too tough for septic tanks. We compost instead.

    We get our tank pumped every other year. It's not only the pumping, but the filters that get clogged and need cleaning which protect what's downstream from the tank.


  • patriceny
    7 years ago

    Pumping a septic tank is cheap insurance. I can't fathom not pumping the tank every couple years. If those solids get in your laterals....you are in for a nasty, smelly, HUGE mess. And you won't know the septic has failed until it's too late.

  • pippiep
    7 years ago
    We play mp every 1-2 years. I wouldn't go longer than that!
  • llitm
    7 years ago

    mp?


  • arcy_gw
    7 years ago

    This all depends on your system and its use.

    To respond to the topic on hand, No CLR doesn't work. The issue is a need to SOAK..my next attempt will be the toilet paper lining the toilet sprayed with CLR...I have actually had bleach discolor the stains and only make the stain worse.

  • Oakley
    7 years ago

    We built here in 1981, first time ever we've had a septic tank. We have a ton of lateral lines though. Never had a problem until about 20 years later when the toilet seemed to be stopped up. There is a little outside box with a lid and if the septic tank is full, it will spill out of the lid onto the grass. We found a nice little puddle there, nothing big. It cost a $1,000 to have it pumped. Whoa! Country living culture shock!

    We also don't put toilet paper in the toilet either. Long time locals gave us that suggestion when we moved here and I think that's helped.

    I keep one of those mesh strainers in the kitchen sink that catches tiny crumbs and I never put food in the sink just for the disposal to break it up.

    Our plumber said to always run the disposal before using the dishwasher because food from previous washings can get trapped there. But I'm the type who gets every crumb off the plate before it goes in, so I still do as he said.


  • Al Otto
    5 years ago

    I learned this trick from a guy on you tube and it works! My toilet was getting hard water rings, we have well/septic. The ring was impossible to remove. This guy said to pour white vinegar into the bowl, put on some rubber gloves, and make "spit balls" with toilet paper. You dip the TP into the vinegar in the bowl and then apply the soaking TP to the ring. Let is sit over night...sparkling clean in the morning. Just flush!

  • daisychain Zn3b
    5 years ago

    CLR is very abrasive. We put it on our cast iron tub and it ate right through the finish.

  • Aaron Harless
    5 years ago
    you can clean your toilet with bleach or what ever you want just flush it a few times adding vinegar an baking soda when water is back clean add ur bleach or any chemicals scrub an clean to ur liking when done take an old white towel an soak all dirty water or bleach out until bowl is dry you may have to turn water shut off off to do this
  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    5 years ago

    Try using several denture tablets. Get them from the dollar store they are much cheaper. Add a few to the toilet bowl and let them foam up, let it set, scrub. You may need to add water to get the water level high enough for the foam to cover the water line.

  • arcy_gw
    5 years ago

    This was suggested up line and I tried it, it was a huge FAIL. i.e. denture tablets.

  • maddielee
    5 years ago

    Supposedly bleach loses its power after 10 minutes. If you use a toilet cleaner (with bleach) and let it set in the bowl for awhile before flushing there should be no problem with the septic system.

    When we leave our lake cabin, the last thing we do is swish the toilet bowl cleaner in the toilets and do not flush. When we come back after days (or weeks) the bowl is clean.

  • Springroz
    5 years ago

    A normal septic tank is about 500 gallons.....how much bleach would it take to kill bacteria in that much volume?


  • robo (z6a)
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Some people seem to really baby their septic systems, I don’t really know much about their upkeep and maintenance still to be honest. In big news, in an effort to simplify life and save some money we are selling our cottage! So I don’t have to worry about this for much longer!

  • yeonassky
    5 years ago

    Congratulations on the impending sale of your cottage.

    Does this mean that you bought a house? If so congratulations about that as well!

  • robo (z6a)
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    We already have a house, but with a young child, keeping up both is way too much for our lazy butts. Plus we do not visit often enough to justify the expense.

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