Can You Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner In The Shower?

Emily Carr
by Emily Carr

Toilet bowl cleaner is a powerful disinfectant that leaves your entire bathroom smelling fresh. With such great results in your loo, it’s impossible not to wonder if using toilet bowl cleaner in the shower is appropriate, too (my apologies for the cheesy rhyme!)

You cannot use toilet bowl cleaner in the shower because it contains harmful corrosives like hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite. These chemicals wreak havoc on grout, tile, and metal components inside of the shower, as well as our skin. Instead, opt for a homemade solution, such as dish soap and vinegar, to keep your shower clean.

Follow along to learn if it’s okay to use toilet bowl cleaner in the shower, what else you can use to clean your shower with, and if toilet bowl cleaner has other applications.

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Is It OK to Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner in the Shower?

Using toilet bowl cleaner in more places than just your toilet seems like a good idea, but is it safe?

Unfortunately, you can’t use toilet bowl cleaner in the shower because it is inherently corrosive and will damage the interior. Toilet bowl cleaner contains harmful chemicals like hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite that harm grout, metal, and the human body. Additionally, discoloration and degradation of the tiles or other shower materials can occur.

Not only is it dangerous to use toilet bowl cleaner, but it’s ineffective too. Soap scum and hard water stains build up over time and require a special solution to be removed. That said, the best way to tackle that grimy shower is by using a multifunctional cleaner like vinegar or baking soda.

We’ll discuss the best cleaners to use in more detail below!

What Can I Use to Clean My Shower With?

Showers contain a variety of materials, including but not limited to tiling, metal fixtures, and various waterproof sealants. Because of this, it’s important to use cleaners that are effective and safe on all surface types.

After careful research, we’ve compiled a list of the 3 best cleaning solutions to use for your shower. They are:

  • A vinegar and dish soap mixture
  • Store-bought cleaner
  • Baking soda and water
  • Kosher salt and lemon

Each of these liquids has unique advantages when it comes to getting your shower squeaky clean.

Option 1: Vinegar and Dish Soap Mixture

Let’s start out with the vinegar and dish soap mixture choice. Not only is it cost-effective, but it’s fairly easy to make with the ingredients you have in your kitchen.

To use a vinegar and dish soap cleaning solution:

  • Make a concoction that is 2 parts vinegar, 1 part dish soap, and stir well.
  • Spray this on your shower surfaces.
  • Wait 5 minutes, then wipe down with a clean towel.
  • Wash the mixture off with warm water.
  • Use a squeegee to eliminate water stains.

Dish soap, like Dawn or Palmolive, is effective at breaking down grease and body oil residue that’s left on shower surfaces.

Vinegar, on the other hand, contains acetic acid, which cuts through soap scum and hard water stains. Additionally, it leaves glass surfaces shiny.

Mixing the two is one of the best and safest ways to clean your shower every couple of weeks!

Option 2: Store-Bought Cleaner

Store-bought cleaner is a rather broad term. There is an abundance of cleaners on the market, some effective, others not so much, at cleaning your shower.

The 5 top-rated store-bought shower cleaners include:

  • CLR Brilliant Bath Foaming Action Cleaner
  • Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber
  • Method Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner
  • Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Grime Fighter
  • Kaboom Foam-Tastic Bathroom Cleaner with Oxi Clean

The CLR Brilliant Bath Foaming Action Cleaner has been a fan-favorite for years. It’s tough on dirty grout, and the foamy texture is able to clean tiled surfaces more efficiently.

One wouldn’t expect a Magic Eraser to be useful in your bathtub, but the brand actually makes a bathroom-specific material. It’s great for dissolving soap scum!

Method is known for prioritizing using environmentally-friendly ingredients in their products, and the Antibacterial Bathroom cleaner is no exception. It smells like spearmint and is especially useful at combating hard water stains.

Scrubbing Bubbles has been around since the dawn of time; its Bathroom Grime Fighter is a household cleaning staple. The bubbly solution kills over 99% of viruses and bacteria and cleans grease with ease.

Last but not least, Kaboom Foam-Tastic Bathroom Cleaner with Oxi Clean is a mouthful but worth the buy. Its one-of-a-kind technology allows you to spray it on blue and wipe it when it turns completely white. Calcium and lime deposits, be gone!

Option 3: Baking Soda and Water

Sometimes your bathroom needs a serious deep clean that requires a physical exfoliant.

The baking soda plus water combo is a gritty solution, great for use on shower fixtures or tough stains. Not only is it safe for a variety of finishes, but it’s also a non-toxic combo that gets the job done.

Most people have baking soda lurking in their pantries. Combine it with equal parts water, and you have the perfect mixture!

Option 4: Kosher Salt and Lemon

Both of these cooking elements make for a powerful duo when joined.

One of the most effective ways to clean years of caked-on shower residue is by using lemon and kosher salt. The best way to do this is to cut a lemon in half and sprinkle the salt on top. You can use the lemon half directly on the tile, like a sponge.

Sometimes, the simplest of ingredients can make the best cleaning solutions.

What Else Can You Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner For?

Since the shower is a no-go, are there any other ways to put your toilet bowl cleaner to good use?

The short answer to this is no- stick to using toilet bowl cleaner for your toilet ONLY. Due to its harsh nature, spraying it on your floors, in your sink, or in the shower is a recipe for disaster. There are plenty of alternatives to typical household cleaners you can whip up if you’re in a bind.

In most situations that deal with toxic chemicals, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Always read the ‘Instructions for Use’ if you’re unsure of appropriate applications.


Related Questions

Can you use bleach to clean your shower?

You can use bleach to clean your shower, but it’s best to use it sparingly and dilute it with water.Bleach is a powerful solution and should never be used for cleaning by itself, as it can damage skin and corrode materials.


Can you use toilet bowl cleaner in the sink?

As we mentioned above, toilet bowl cleaners should only be used inside of your toilet.Because it contains harmful chemical compounds that can ruin metal fixtures, it cannot be used in the sink.

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The Bottom Line

Ultimately, you cannot use toilet bowl cleaner in the shower.

Additionally, it is too harsh for surfaces like your floor and sink (among other things) that are more porous than a tub or tile. There are plenty of substitutes for traditional cleaners if you’re looking to avoid store-bought options.

Using a mixture of dish soap and vinegar or baking soda and water is a great alternative to harmful chemicals!

Emily Carr
Emily Carr

Emily is a copywriter with over five years of experience in crafting content for the home renovation and remodeling industry. She loves house projects, whether it be painting a room or tweaking small design elements to transform a space. Her favorite aesthetic is french modern because of its clean lines and airy feeling! When not writing, Emily loves to travel and check out architectural details all over the world.

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