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Eco-friendly toilet bowl cleaner: tablets, gels and what the label means
Updated · By the RipePrice team
When you compare toilet bowl cleaners, find out whether the label describes a cleaner or a disinfectant, never mix products, and compare by cost per use rather than price per bottle.
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At a glance
Cleaner or disinfectant
A cleaner removes stains and deposits.
Forms
Liquid and gel: poured around the bowl.
Safety rules
Never mix toilet bowl cleaners with other cleaning products.
Quick picks
Eco-friendly toilet bowl cleaner
Check whether it is a cleaner or a disinfectant, and compare the cost per use.
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Unit price calculator
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Cleaner or disinfectant
A cleaner removes stains and deposits. A disinfectant makes claims about germs, and in the United States these claims are regulated by the EPA, so the label shows an EPA registration number and directions such as a required contact time. A toilet cleaner without that registration is not making a disinfecting claim. Neither is better in every case, because they do different jobs. Read the label to see which one you are buying.
Forms
Liquid and gel: poured around the bowl. Easy to dose by eye, and the bottle often runs out sooner than people expect.
Tablets and drop-ins: dissolve in the bowl. Check the directions, since some are meant for the tank and some for the bowl. Tank products can affect parts of a toilet, so read the label.
Powders and pastes: used with a brush. Small packaging and long use.
Concentrates and refills: diluted at home, and can cost less per use.
Safety rules
Never mix toilet bowl cleaners with other cleaning products. Some combinations release dangerous gas, in particular chlorine bleach with acidic products.
Ventilate the bathroom, and wear gloves if the label says to.
Keep products out of reach of children and pets, and keep the lid down if pets drink from the toilet.
Septic systems: some products say they are septic safe. That is a maker's claim, and ask your septic service if you are unsure.
Our angle: cost per use, and how you use the brush
A toilet cleaner is used a little at a time, so work out the cost per use. For liquids, divide the bottle's ounces by the dose in the directions, then divide the price by that number. For tablets, divide the price by the tablet count. Remember that a good brush and a regular schedule can make a smaller amount of cleaner enough, and that using more than the label says is wasteful and not necessarily more effective. Compare a few products at the same schedule, such as one use per week.
Find the dose per use in the directions.
Divide the container size by the dose.
Divide the price by the number of uses and compare.