Just another example of being my ultra-stingy self, but this is what I do to get the most out of the already-cheap blue toilet bombs that are sold at dollar stores.
WHY
First, let’s discuss what toilet bombs are. So I found out that a toilet bomb will often consist of the following ingredients:
- bleaching agents (hopefully oxygen-based since chlorine based agents are apparently bad for the rubber parts of our flushing mechanisms and our septic tanks)
- anionic surfactants
- non-ionic surfactants
- perfume
- dye
So surfactants are substances that help break the barriers (actually the surface tension) between a liquid and either another liquid, solid or gas. Surfactants are common in a lot of cleaning products basically because dirt or waste adheres to surfaces, and you sort of want to break the “barrier” that this dirt or waste forms. So you can imagine that human waste often ends up sticking to the inside of the toilet bowl. It forms a barrier against the water, and hence waste remains despite multiple flushes. The water just can’t get to it. While we can mechanically remove the waste (read: brushing), the use of surfactants is another option. Enter toilet bombs.
Toilet bombs most definitely work for me. Usually, waste leaves a yellow residue, but none of that happens when I use toilet bombs. Each flush leaves a white bowl. Psychologically, the blue dye that the water gets also gives me the sense of a clean toilet. My biggest issue with toilet bombs is that they don’t last long. They’re effective but they a maximum of 3 days, usually 2 days. I just noticed that you have really overly thick blue water for flushing. And then the next flushes get less and less thick.
HOW
So here’s where we can get stingy. Yes, I know each toilet bombs cost less than ₱4, but hey, I don’t mind that I can make it last longer. Basically, just cut up the toilet bombs into 6. Specifically, get a knife and cut it like a pizza. Then, wrap each piece in a VERY THIN layer of tissue (use the tissue to avoid touching the toilet bomb itself). You’ll drop one in the tank, and then keep the rest in a Ziplock bag. This is important because you want to keep moisture out of the bombs during storage.
The rest of the usual tips for toilet bombs follow:
- drop them in the tank so that they are the farthest from the drain, you don’t want the still-solid bombs to get drained while these are still dissolving
- give at least 10 minutes for the bombs to partially dissolve and for the agents to spread through the water.
Divided by six, one toilet bomb will last me 12 days with a change every 2 days, and I still get the same cleaning effect. That is, they prevent waste from even adhering to the surface of the bowl, so that flushes are clean. And, they also have perfume or essential oils that do clean negate any smells.
Just one last thing to consider: bleach in general should be used in moderation with toilets connected to septic tanks. Chlorine-based bleaches tend to also harm the bacteria in septic tanks, you basically end up killing the agents that break down the waste. This is one reason to cut up the bombs, so that you end up using less bleach in total. This is also a friendly reminder to pump your septic tanks, use single ply toilet paper that breaks down really quickly, and to avoid flushing down anything that does not decompose (read: no paper towels, sanitary napkins and cigarette butts down there).