Beware of this TikTok toilet-cleaning hack — experts reveal why you’ll pay for it later
Dangerous but fabulous.
Cleaning experts warn people about the latest TikTok trend where users are infusing “Fabuloso” cleaning products inside their toilet tanks.
In clips on TikTok with over 30 million views, people pour the cleaner into the tank or place the bottle inside.
The product starts to work once you flush the toilet bowl, and it will be filled with bubbles and the fresh scents of lavender, lemon, watermelon or sparkling citrus.
Many people were flushed with the easy hack to keep their bathrooms smelling fabulous, which led to its popularity. But just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you should, warns a cleaning expert.
“It may be tempting to produce content that visually pops, but ‘hacks’ like this one can potentially cause more problems than the content creator realizes or admits to,” Mary Gagliardi, Clorox’s in-house scientist and cleaning expert, told Better Homes and Gardens.
The cleaning hack can damage your toilet, irritate your eyes and skin, and create excessive waste in your drains, which could be a major expense later on.
“We don’t recommend placing Fabuloso or any other all-purpose cleaner in the back of the toilet tank. Such cleaners can be corrosive and may degrade the rubber gasket and seal in your tank,” wrote experts at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. “This can lead to leaks and cause your toilet to run, which can spike your water bill.”
Gagliardi also noted that since most bathrooms have poor circulation, infusing the cleaning product, which contains potent chemicals, inside the toilets can make the enclosed space dangerous to breathe in.
However, the warnings didn’t stop one content creator, who goes by @mommapeaches5 online, from testing out the hack for herself.
In a resurfaced clip, she demonstrates the process, which excites tons of plumbers online, but for the wrong reason.
Underneath her viral video, craftsmen are advocating for more people to use the Fabuloso cleaning hack because it will keep their business running.
“As a plumber I ask that everyone does this so that I have work for the rest of my life,” joked one plumber.
“The fact that the search is ‘do not put fabuloso in toilet,'” admitted another.
“The way you summoned the plumbers and they’re openly praying on your downfall. I love the Internet,” laughed a TikToker.
“Fabuloso! Keeping plumbers employed since 2019!” commented one person.
Instead of relying on your local plumber to fix a preventable issue, Gagliardi suggests using products that are designed to clean your toilets.
“At the end of the day, only products specifically designed for use in a toilet bowl or a toilet tank should be used to clean them,” Gagliardi told Better Homes & Gardens. “Following instructions is important to make sure the product performs as promised and to make sure you are using it safely.”
