Urinal Blocks or Urinal Cake and Their Purpose

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Urinal blocks or urinal cakes, as many call them, are small round blocks that look similar to a hockey puck, and lay in the bottom of a urinal to help control odors in restrooms.

Urinal blocks are air activated and are place above the drain in the urinal. When in contact with the air, they will dissolve providing the deodorizing properties controlling the odors. They do not dissolve in water and therefore they do not deodorize the flushing water or the urine.

The chemicals composing the urinal blocks will vary with the most common base chemical being Para dichlorobenzene, which is a paraffin, type chemical. However, this chemical has been recognized to have carcinogenic risks and now urinal blocks are available in a “free” version.

Each block is enhanced by saturating it with a scenting compound of fragrances such as cherry, which is the most common. A urinal cake comes in either 3 ounce or 4 ounce sizes, though other sizes are available. Each urinal block will last approximately 30 to 60 days.

The Odors: If you have ever walked into a restroom and the urine odor is so fowl that it will knock you down, then using urinal blocks will help control those odors. This is not to say that you do not have to clean the restroom. The cleaning process is to rid the area of germs and bacteria that will cause the odors in the first place. Once the restroom is cleaned placing urinal blocks in the urinals will do their job keeping the room filled with a pleasant fragrance. There are other deodorizing products that can also be used to help fight odors.

For a selection of urinal blocks and other deodorizing products, click here.