Plumbers react in horror to trendy hack which will make your bathroom smell amazing – and ruin your pipes
ARE you always looking for ways to make your bathroom smell fresh and fragrant?
One hack that claims to do exactly that has divided the internet after plumbers waded in and warned home owners that while it might create a lovely odour, it will completely ruin your pipes.
Social media users flocked to TikTok to spread the word about a fabric softener trick they’d heard about and encouraged others to give it a go.
One such user, called @hyper_kelz, went as far as saying that the method was “amazing” for a “clean and fresh bathroom” and that people could “thank him later.”
He then showed the hack in action, as he explained: “I’m always asked why my bathroom is so fragrant, so here’s the secret.”
The footage then cuts to him putting some fabric softener in a scent of his choice into a plastic bottle.
Next, he topped the plastic bottle up with one tablespoon of baking soda, the juice from one fresh lime and one glass of water.
After all elements of the DIY bathroom cleaner were inside the semi-full bottle, he closed it and turned it upside down, before placing a small hole at the bottom with a heated screwdriver.
He then showed that he simply places the bottle – this time the right way up – into the tank of his toilet and allows it to drip into the tank.
He said: “When you put it inside the toilet tank like this, the liquid will only come out whenever you flush it.
“So, everytime you flush, the lime together with the baking soda is going to clean your toilet.
“It’s also helping to kill bacteria and germs, which are usually responsible for bad odours like urine smell, for instance, and the fabric softener will also leave a fresh smell in the bathroom.
“Now, just put the lid back on and every time you flush it, you will have all these benefits.”
However, the online trend has been met with several critics – including plumbing professionals who slammed the idea.
One saw the videos previously circulating on social media and took to Facebook group Mrs Hinch Made Me Do It to discourage people from implementing it in their home.
She said: “I’m a plumber and would never recommend this to people. It can have the same effect as pouring cooking grease down your drain!”
“In truth, the reason softener helps our clothes feel softer is that it leaves a film of chemicals on our clothing.
“That’s what we’re putting down our drains! Even if it’s labelled as ‘safe’ it may be okay for one use, but not excessive use over time.”
Meanwhile, another plumber decided to put an end to the debate once and for all when they spoke to Ideal Home.
Lifting the lid on why it’s a terrible idea, Izzy Shulman, director at Plumbers4U, said: “We’ve all seen the mess fabric softener can leave in a washing machine drawer.
“Over time it leaves a sticky film, which can coagulate and block your washing machine.“If added to a toilet this means it may build-up and stick somewhere in your drainage.”
Izzy went on to clarify that flushing fabric conditioner through your toilet would also have a negative impact on the environment, and therefore, in her expert opinion, should be banned.
She pointed to the publication: “Some fabric conditioners may even contain toxic ingredients like benzyl acetate and ethanol.
“So from an environmental perspective, putting these directly into a toilet tank isn’t going to be good for the water ecosystem.”
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