Do you like the clean appearance of blue toilet water when you open your toilet bowl? Many people find the look more appealing than traditional-looking toilet water. Learn how to create blue color water for both residential and commercial toilets.
In this PlumbingNav guide, we will cover:
Blue toilet water 101
What makes blue toilet water?
How long does blue toilet water last?
What's In This Guide?
Blue Toilet Water 101
Your toilet water enters your home from a supply line. The water is of similar quality to the rest of the water that enters your home when it enters your toilet tank, but the water becomes contaminated quickly once it comes into contact with your toilet.
Instead of the typical water you see throughout the rest of your home, many homeowners prefer blue water. Blue water typically indicates that you have cleansers in the water, meaning it’s as clean as it can get.
We will be discussing how to make your toilet water blue. Read our other guide if you have questions regarding why your toilet water is blue.
What Makes Toilet Water Blue? Natural Causes
Usually, toilet water turns blue when you add the appropriate chemicals to it.
Toilet water can also turn blue naturally thanks to the reaction to copper or hard water minerals in the water.
Copper Piping
For example, copper piping may turn water blue when the water comes into contact with the copper material. The water literally absorbs the copper. While many of us consider copper a gold or rustic color, the material enhances the blue appearance of the water.
Copper pipes tend to turn water blue when they are new (under a year old).
See the following video for a demonstration of how copper can turn water blue:
You don’t necessarily have a cause for concern when you notice blue water due to your copper pipes. As copper pipes can last upwards of 100 years, you should wait to replace them until the time comes.
However, you may experience rust stains from time to time. You should be able to remove the rust stains with vinegar and baking soda.
Hard Water
Hard water not only contains high levels of minerals but also tends to have a lower ph rating. When your water turns blue thanks to hard water, it will happen after years.
Furthermore, If the blue coloring comes from hard water, it will have a more rustic appearance than water that turned blue from copper or cleaning chemicals.
Hard water stains are notoriously tough stains, especially when you develop the dreaded toilet ring inside your toilet bowls. Get to work right away using scrubbing bubbles and a toilet brush to clean the stubborn stains.
If you must use products with Clorox bleach since your initial efforts didn’t work, use gloves to avoid skin irritation.
How to Get Blue Toilet Water & How to Make Toilet Water Blue (On Purpose!)
You can make your toilet water blue with the use of different cleaners, in particular blue toilet water cleaner and blue toilet cleaning tablets.
To get the desired results, you will follow the instructions of your product. Don’t forget to use gloves to prevent getting a blue stain on your hands or your clothing.
Blue toilet water cleaner
Blue toilet water cleaner is a liquid cleanser that looks like a blue liquid in the toilet.
One popular cleaner is the Ty-D-Bol Blue In-Tank Liquid Toilet Cleaner. It’s easy to use and cost-effective. The bowl water also stays blue, indicating that the product is doing its job of cleaning in between cleanings.
Ingredients include:
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Glycolate
Sodium Hydroxide
Trisodium NTA
C6-12 Alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated
C10-C16 alcohols Ethoxylated Propoxylated
Poly(ethylene oxide)
Acid Blue 9
Limonene
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Methylisothiazolinone
Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium Nitrate
Copper (II) Nitrate
Blue toilet water tablets
Easy to use and effective, many people use blue toilet water tablets to clean the toilet in between regular cleanings.
The toilet bowl cleaner tablets simply go into the toilet tank and work every time you flush (beware that you don’t get your hands blue when you apply them).
Not only does the blue tablet turn the water blue, but it can also prevent toilet rings and provide a rain-clean scent.
A blue tablet often uses Clorox bleach as the main ingredient, but may also contain citric acid.
How long does blue toilet water last?
The blue water lasts for as long as the product works, which depends on the product.
Some products may work for one application.
Other products will work for hundreds of flushes. For example, the blue tablets can last for up to 300 flushes at room temperature conditions, as they slowly dissolve. Heat can make the tablet melt faster.
Is blue toilet water bad for the environment?
While helpful for cleaning your toilet, blue toilet tablets may not be great for the environment. The chemicals get into the water supply, and the chemicals can also create corrosion.
It’s up to you if you think a clean toilet bowl is worth it. Most of the time, you won’t make your carbon footprint too much larger as long as you use them sparingly.
For people who want to stick to natural cleaning solutions, the EPA suggests using white vinegar and baking soda for most bathroom purposes.
Blue Toilet Water FAQ’s
How to make your toilet water blue?
Most homeowners can make their toilet water blue with the help of a bleach tablet.
Which toilet bowl cleaner that turns water blue?
There are a couple of toilet bowl cleaners that turn water blue, including blue toilet tablets.
Is blue toilet water toxic?
Yes. Blue toilet water from cleaning products is toxic. It’s important not to allow children or pets to drink blue toilet water.
Is blue toilet water bad for the environment?
Yes. Blue toilet water is bad for the environment thanks to the chemicals inside of it. The chemicals can potentially get into the natural ground and water around us.
Is blue toilet water good?
Depending on the cause, blue water can be either good or bad. It can be good if you want blue coloring to provide a sense of cleanliness. However, blue water can also mean that you have a significant amount of minerals or chemicals in the water naturally.
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We write about "all things plumbing," helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
About Plumbing Navigator
We write about “all things plumbing,” helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
