When it comes to spring cleaning, deep cleaning my toilet tends to fall to the bottom of my list. It’s just not fun to clean, and it doesn’t feel as ASMR-esque as wiping down granite counters or reorganizing my refrigerator. But because of how frequently the toilet is used, it requires (and deserves) the most attention when cleaning. That’s why I set out to find a device that would do the dirty work for me and give my toilet some daily TLC without having to think about it. Enter: Fluidmaster’s Flush ’n’ Sparkle Automatic Toilet Cleaning System.
The details
For more than 60 years, Fluidmaster has been the go-to brand for repairing your toilet at home. From fill valves to tank levers and even wax-free toilet seats, they have everything you could possibly need if your toilet is on the fritz.
I was interested in testing out their Flush ’n’ Sparkle with the hopes that it would check “deep clean toilet” off my spring cleaning to-do list. On their website, they describe the Flush ’n’ Sparkle as a way to “automatically clean your toilet with every flush.” What makes it different than traditional automatic toilet cleaners—such as the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Stamp and the Lysol Automatic Toilet Cleaners—is that you actually install it into the toilet tank rather than sticking it inside the bowl. By putting it into your valve system, it automatically sanitizes your toilet with every flush, and it’s more discreet.
The setup
To be honest, I was very intimidated by this setup process because I consider myself to be the least handy person of all time. Nevertheless, I tried to hype myself up once the Flush ’n’ Sparkle Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner arrived. Along with two white cartridge holders, the package included two bleach cartridges, two blue cartridges, and a one-page easy instruction sheet.
Before installing, the instructions advise thoroughly cleaning your toilet bowl, so I took out my handy plastic toilet bowl scrub and Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner and got scrubbing. Once I felt like my toilet was clean and sparkly, I took off the lid to my toilet tank and did my best to determine if I had a “float cup valve” or a “rod-and-float valve” based on the images provided on the instruction sheet.
I started feeling nervous at this point and phoned a friend’s dad, who let me know I had a rod-and-float system. He stayed on FaceTime with me throughout the rest of the installation process, which only took about five minutes. After understanding what system I had, I mounted the cartridge holder on the back of my toilet tank and removed the existing tube from the valve port. Because my toilet is on the older side, I had to use a little bit of force to jiggle the tube off the valve port. Once I got it, it was easy for me to replace it with the white tube attached to the cartridge holder. Next, I attached the clip fastening to the top of the overflow pipe and screwed in the actual cleaning cartridge. I chose to install the blue cartridge over the bleach cartridge because I thought it’d be easier to tell if the device is actually working.
How it works
After installation, the product is pretty low-maintenance. Every time I flush the toilet, the water turns a light shade of blue as a reminder that it’s cleaning the toilet bowl behind the scenes. Per the instructions, you’re supposed to change the cartridge every six months, so I haven’t gotten to that step yet. But I imagine it’ll be just as simple as the first time.
My thoughts
The Flush ’n’ Sparkle is one of those products you didn’t know you needed, but are super happy you have. I’ve had the contraption installed for a little over a month and haven’t felt the need to do a deep clean of my toilet since installation. My toilet bowl is sparkly and there hasn’t been any grime or build-up around the rim or the base since I started using it. I still have to wipe the actual toilet seat and lid with Clorox wipes every once in a while, but that only takes about a minute because I don’t have to worry about the inside of the toilet. The best part? I feel super fancy with blue toilet water.