Toilets are one of the hardest household appliances to clean due to the nature of them having a lot of grime and bacteria. Although we try to stay on top of everything, there are times when the grime may build up, and a deep clean becomes necessary. We all know bleach is one of the most effective cleaners out there — but is it safe to leave it in your toilet overnight?
For the most part, you can leave bleach in your toilet overnight, and it’s an effective way to get rid of stains and built-up bacteria. However, longer than overnight probably isn’t necessary and will create fumes, so you should make sure to flush the toilet and rinse it out in the morning.
Let’s take a closer look at leaving bleach in your toilet overnight, as well as the necessary precautions to take when handling this chemical.
Is It Safe to Leave Bleach in the Toilet Overnight?
Yes, it’s safe to leave bleach in the toilet overnight, because it’ll be mixed with water. Just be sure to get rid of the bleach in the morning.
Nonetheless, you should still take the proper precautions to make sure no one is adversely affected by the bleach.
How Long Can You Leave Bleach in a Toilet Bowl?
Overnight is the maximum amount of time bleach should be left in the toilet. Any longer and all of the chlorine will end up in the air instead of in the water, which can be very dangerous.
The porcelain in your toilet bowl might also stain yellow, making it even look even dirtier than before — and that’s very hard to fix.
Why Leave Bleach in the Toilet Bowl?
You might be wondering when it would be a good idea to do this in the first place. If you’ve kept up with maintenance cleaning and are very on top of your routine, this likely won’t be necessary for you — however, for others who’ve fallen behind, this is a quick reset of the bowl, since bleach is very effective at killing off bacteria and mold.
There may be times when your regular toilet cleaner just isn’t doing the job (or even a spritz of bleach, not left to sit, isn’t doing the job either).
You should certainly try other methods to clean the bowl before you use bleach, but when all else fails, it will get your toilet bowl spick and span again.
Bleach is also easy to get, making it the convenient choice for a more serious clean. We recommend Clorox Splash-Less Liquid Bleach (on Amazon), or something similar.
What to Do Before Putting Bleach in the Toilet Bowl
There are a few steps you should take before putting bleach in the toilet bowl. This will ensure that your toilet is taken care of but, more importantly, it will keep everyone in the house safe.
Make Sure There’s an Alternative
If you’re going to leave bleach in the toilet bowl all night, that’ll render the toilet unusable. Make sure there’s an alternative for people who may need the bathroom — having a second functioning toilet in the house is ideal when using this method.
Let Everyone Know
Make sure to tell everyone in the house that you’re leaving bleach in the toilet overnight. This will prevent them from flushing the toilet, and it’ll also keep them away from the bathroom. If you have forgetful family members or roommates, putting a sign on the door can help keep them away from the area.
Urine mixing with bleach isn’t ideal, and waste dropping into the bowl may cause some bleach to splash out of the bowl. This can burn human skin, so it’s best to stay well away.
Secure the Room
As well as telling everyone, make sure that no one can enter the room accidentally — including children and pets, who might not understand the situation! Keep them away from the bathroom by closing the door and ensuring you keep an eye on them at all times.
Ventilate the Room
You’ll also need to ventilate the room, since you don’t want a buildup of chemicals in the air. Make sure the vents are open and there’s plenty of air circulating through the room, which will prevent it from being dangerous when you revisit it in the morning.
Although you do need air to circulate, it’s not a good idea to keep the door open for the aforementioned reasons, so find other methods.
Wear Protective Gear
When entering and exiting the room, it’s also important to take care of yourself as well as everyone else in the house. Gloves and eye protection are the bare minimum, but boots to catch any splashes and long sleeves are also an excellent idea. The more covered you are when doing this job, the better.
Can Bleach Be Mixed With Other Cleaners?
You might also wonder if it’s a good idea to mix bleach with other cleaners to double or triple the efficacy. This, however, is the last thing you should do. Mixing bleach with other chemicals can be very dangerous.
For example, mixing bleach and vinegar produces chlorine. In low amounts, you may find this irritating to the skin and your airways. At high concentrations, it can cause serious injury to your insides.
If you mix bleach with ammonia, things can be much worse. People die from ammonia poisoning and, at best, you’re going to end up with some serious respiratory issues.
When using bleach, use it on its own. You don’t want to risk irritation to your skin and lungs or the far worse things that can happen with high concentrations and a lot of exposure. Adding other chemicals won’t make the job better, it’ll just put you in more danger.
Other Considerations
If you’re going to leave bleach in the toilet bowl overnight, set a reminder to get rid of it in the morning. The last thing you want is to rush out to work and leave it there all day, as it could stain your toilet bowl and cause a dangerous buildup of gas in the room.
Make sure you prepare well for the job by having the correct protective gear in place and a night available when no one will need to use that toilet. As long as you do all of this, using bleach is an effective way to clean your toilet and there’s no harm in leaving it there overnight to work away at the bacteria and grime.