Cleaning the toilet is not a pleasant task but an unavoidable one.

Bacteria easily build up inside the bowl making the whole bathroom reek.

If not cleaned properly, the toilet can also develop a brown ring of dirt that makes it unsightly.

Luckily , you can make your toilet sparkle around the clock with the right products and tools.

The Zep acidic toilet bowl cleaner is a great product to have if you want a fresh and clean toilet bowl.

It is specifically made to remove bacteria and scum buildup from toilet bowls.

The manufacturer promises that the cleaner solves all your toilet cleaning needs.

It quickly gets rid of rust, eliminates hard water residue from urinals and toilets, and dissolves organic stains.

But, how safe is it for your septic system?

Let’s find out.

What Are The Ingredients In The Zep Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner?

As an acidic toilet bowl cleaner, the Zep cleaner uses hydrochloric acid as its main ingredient.

The acid is at a concentration of 5-10%.

Other ingredients include the following:

• Water

• C9-11 Pareth-3 – this is a synthetic alcohol used as an emulsifier and surfactant to break the surface tension of water.

• Methyl salicylate – is used as a fragrance and odor-masking agent.

• Xanthan gum – this is a natural thickener used to make the cleaner luxuriously thick without using harsh chemicals.

• Alkyl (C13-16) dimethylbenzylammonium chloride – used as a cleaning agent and disinfectant.

• C.I. Acid Blue 93 – used as a dye

Zep Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Vs Your Septic Systems Safety

The Zep acidic toilet bowl cleaner is marketed as a septic-safe product.

The likes of Lowe’s, New System, and Staples claim that the cleaner is okay for use in septic systems, wastewater systems, and drain lines.

However, the list of ingredients seems to give a totally different story.

For one, the bowl cleaner uses hydrochloric acid in its formulation. This is necessary to boost its cleaning efficacy. It dissolves calcium carbonate deposits in hard water.

The unfortunate thing is that the acid will kill bacteria in your septic tank.

As mentioned, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the Zep acidic toilet cleaner is 5-10%. This is quite substantial.

Even in small concentrations, hydrochloric acid will offset the bacterial action in your septic tank.

It is simply hostile and should be avoided at all costs. Frequent use of the cleaner will do harm to your septic system.

Besides the ability to kill septic tank bacteria, hydrochloric acid can also corrode pipes.

Well, using hydrochloric acid directly is riskier than if it makes part of a toilet bowl cleaner.

But why risk when there are safer alternatives out there?

The Alkyl (C13-16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride is also a chemical of concern.

The cleaning agent and disinfectant can negatively affect bacterial action in a septic tank as well.

It is an ammonia-based chemical and can kill bacteria as well.

Plus, it can soak your leach field hence contaminating your clean water.

The Verdict

Zep acidic toilet bowl cleaner removes tough stains on toilet bowls and kills bacteria in them.

Sadly, it falls under the category of unsafe septic cleaners.

Even if it is marketed as septic-safe, it contains ingredients that suggest otherwise.

Avoid the cleaner or at the very least, don’t make it your everyday cleaner.

There are safer alternatives out there. Try them instead.