system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What happens to all that bleach/toilet cleaning product after I flush it away? How is it removed from waste water (if it even is)?

I've always had a mildly guilty twang every time I flush after loading the toilet with chemicals to clean it as I honestly don't know for sure what happens to it. In Australia, in case we have different processes etc.

EDIT: Wow thanks for all the replies ppl, certainly some food for thought here.

EDIT2: Front Page?! Seems we're all fascinated with fluids we flush.
gpt
Soaps used in cleaning products are generally biodegradable, at least in countries that have reasonable environmental standards. This means that by the time it leaves the water treatment plant, most of it will no longer pose a threat to the environment.

In general, the danger posed by soaps varies drastically. Conventional hand washing soap is usually not very dangerous, and will either break down very quickly or easily react with calcium ions, producing a harmless solid. You can wash your hands at a river or lake without poisoning fish. 

Dumping laundry detergents however is a different affair, since they are often far more stable and won't break down as rapidly outside a water treatment plant!

Bleach is also a fairly harmless substance, since it does not harm organisms if diluted. It's also an unstable substance that will break down on its own.

Most other chemicals in cleaning products are either present in very small quantities (e.g. dyes and odorants) or are harmless (e.g. water softening agents)

In the past however, certain soaps were used that were not well biodegradable, causing huge damage to rivers and lakes. These are now outright banned in most countries or used in very small scale.