How to Clean a Toilet Tank
Despite popular opinion, it’s not just the outside of the toilet that needs to be cleaned. Dirt can build up on the seat and at the base of the toilet, on the tank, and even inside it.
5-Minute Crafts is going to tell you how to clean a toilet tank.
Where to begin
Before cleaning a toilet tank, you should take a few simple steps.
Step № 1. Turn off the water
Find the valve that stops the water from getting into the toilet (it’s usually next to the tank or at the base of the toilet). Turn it to stop the water.
Step № 2. Flush the water
Carefully remove the water tank lid and put it aside. Flush the water.
Step № 3. Prepare the tools you need for cleaning
For all methods, you will need a brush, gloves, water, and also some detergents. Prepare all these things in advance.
❗ If you don’t have a special brush, you can use a toilet brush but it’s not very hygienic. After you’ve completed all the previous steps, choose one of the following methods.
Cleaning with a toilet brush
✅ When cleaning the tank, you won’t always have to exert a lot of effort to remove stains.
You need:
- rubber gloves
- toilet brush
- warm water
What to do:
1. Put on gloves, wet the brush, and clean off the dirt inside the tank.
2. Wash all of the areas again with water, using the brush.
3. Repeat until the tank is clean.
Cleaning with liquid soap
✅ For this method, you don’t need to flush the water, you can add the soap right into the tank.
You need:
- gloves
- a brush
- 2–3 tsp of dish soap
- warm water
What to do:
1. Add the soap to the tank filled with water and scrub the inside of the tank with a brush.
2. Keep the soapy water in there for at least 3 hours.
3. Flush the soapy water, scrub the dirt, and flush the water again.
4. Clean the soap from the tank.
Cleaning with hydrogen peroxide
You need:
- 1–3 glasses hydrogen peroxide
- rubber gloves
- a hard sponge, or a brush
- a bucket of warm water
What to do:
1. Put gloves on and use the brush to put the hydrogen peroxide on the inside of the tank.
2. Leave it there for 30 minutes and then scrub the dirt with the brush and wash with warm water.
3. Repeat until it’s clean.
✅ Hydrogen peroxide doesn’t just remove stains well but it also works as a disinfectant.
Using soda, vinegar, and tea tree oil
You need:
- gloves
- warm water
- a spray bottle
- a brush
- 2 glasses of vinegar
- 1 glass of baking soda
- 1 tsp of tea tree oil
What to do:
1. Mix the vinegar with the tea tree oil in a spray bottle and spray the mixture on the dirty areas.
2. Leave the vinegar mixture on for several minutes.
3. Put your gloves on and put some baking soda on the stains you sprayed with vinegar.
4. Scrub the stains and wash them with water.
5. Repeat if necessary.
✅ A mix of vinegar and baking soda is an effective method to fight stains. And tea tree oil helps get rid of unpleasant smells.
Using a disinfectant cleaner
You need:
- gloves
- a brush
- a soft sponge
- bathroom detergent
What to do:
1. Spray the disinfectant on the inside of the tank.
❗ Don’t spray it on the metal parts that can rust.
2. Leave the disinfectant in the tank for 10 minutes.
3. Carefully scrub all the inside surfaces with a brush.
4. Wash the parts of the tank with a sponge and a drop of detergent.
5. Fill the tank with water to wash the dirt off.
Deep cleaning with vinegar
You need:
- white vinegar (12 liters — the amount depends on the size of your tank and how dirty it is)
- gloves
- a brush
- water
- bathroom detergent (optional)
What to do:
1. Put on gloves and fill the empty tank with vinegar. If the dirt is not too serious, you can mix vinegar with water.
2. Leave the vinegar in the tank for 12 hours (it’s better to do it overnight)
3. Flush the liquid and scrub the dirt.
4. If needed, you can scrub the parts inside the tank.
5. Wash the rest of the dirt off with water.
✅ Vinegar is great with very serious stains and dirt.
How to keep the toilet tank clean
- Special toilet tablets can help you keep the minerals and mold in the tank at a minimum. Use them if you can.
❗ Be careful to not use tablets containing bleach. It can corrode metal. Don’t use liquid bleach for cleaning the tank. - Instead of tablets, you can fill the tank with vinegar and leave it overnight.
- Clean the tank regularly, at least 2 times a year. It will help you avoid very difficult stains.