5 harmful bathroom cleaning trends to avoid this Spring

Angela’s 5 viral social media cleaning hacks that should definitely be avoided,

Bathroom expert reveals five harmful bathroom cleaning trends to avoid this spring

As spring gets underway, Brits will be pulling out their rubber gloves ready for the big spring clean. One of the most difficult rooms to clean is the bathroom, which is why so many people are turning to influencers for tips on how to make the job a little easier.

Whilst it can be a good place to find inspiration, following advice from social media can be risky, especially when cleaning rooms such as the bathroom, which often requires the use of strong chemicals. Human health can be put at risk from toxins, harmful bacteria allowed to multiply, fire hazards created, and there could be costly damage to your bathroom suit and cleaning equipment too!

That’s why expert Angela Evennett, Senior Bathroom Designer at More Bathrooms has weighed in, highlighting 5 viral social media cleaning hacks to avoid this spring.

1. Never ‘overload’ your toilet with cleaning products

(View cleaning product overloading post)

“One of the most popular cleaning videos on TikTok, and also one of the most concerning, is ‘product overload ‘. This is the process of putting a huge amount of different chemicals in the toilet, all of which have different colours and textures, often used by cleaning creators to create an ‘aesthetic’ toilet cleaning video. However, combining these products is incredibly dangerous because mixing specific types of chemicals found in these products can create toxic gases.

“For example, combining bleach and vinegar can create chlorine gas, or mixing bleach and ammonia creates chloramine gases. The side-effects of these include coughing, nausea, shortness of breath, and chest pain.”

A report found that over a third (36%) of house dwellers try to limit their use of harsh chemicals and that this figure is only predicted to grow – so it is interesting to see that so many people are willing to try these potentially harmful trends.

2. Don’t leave a tube of toothpaste in your toilet tank

(View toothpaste cleaning hack)

“A growing trend on Instagram is leaving a tube of toothpaste in your toilet tank for extra freshness. However, placing toothpaste in the tank for a prolonged period of time can change the pH level of your toilet tank, leading to long-term damage of your pipes and rubber degradation. This can lead to leaks, which are expensive to fix.”

It might be tempting to look for cleaning hacks with low-value products, however, the cost of an emergency plumber or a new toilet will be much more costly in the long run.

3. Don’t use denture tablets for your toilet bowl

(View denture tablet cleaning post)

“Found frequently across both Instagram and Tiktok, using alka-seltzer or denture tablets as a toilet cleaner alternative can help for minor levels of grime in the toilet bowl. However, it only works lightly, and it won’t get rid of huge amounts of bacteria and stains. If you do have a large build-up of grime, you should also use heavy-duty cleaning solutions to aid it along.”

It makes sense that cleaning products designed to be used for items which go into a person’s mouth, won’t be suitable or strong enough for tough bathroom dirt. It is wise to use products for their intended purpose, even if it is tempting to try and find short cuts.

4. Don’t keep your toilet brush soaking in toilet cleaner

(View toilet brush hack)

This is a very common cleaning hack for home dwellers, however, there are drawbacks, Angela commented,

“Many popular Instagram posts discuss pouring toilet cleaner at the bottom of a toilet brush holder as an effective way of keeping the brush clean in between uses. However, this can actually end up deteriorating the bristles and plastic on the brush, which will in turn reduce the effectiveness of the brush more than help it.”

5. Essential oils can be dangerous when left in the bathroom

(View essential oils hack)

“Putting essential oils at the bottom of a bathroom bin to reduce smells has become more commonplace, especially across videos on TikTok and Instagram. However, they should be used with care as essential oils are incredibly flammable and will also erode the bin’s plastic. Please use them with extreme caution, especially if you light candles when you have a bath!”

For further guidance on how to clean your bathroom this spring, visit this handy guide.