How To Clean A Toilet Tank | Natural Cleaning Solutions
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We all may need some simple ideas to clean a toilet tank using household products. The hard water stains and the rust stains create a thick layer inside of the tank, which is usually quite tough to remove.
Though there are many commercial toilet tank cleaners available on the market, they are not entirely safe because most of them contain caustic chemicals. Even they can be dangerous if they come in contact with small children. That is why it is essential to know how to clean the toilet tank using household, natural and safe products.
6 best ways to clean a toilet tank
Some very common ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, and bleach can help you to clean the toilet tank. They are safe and very much capable to remove any tough stain along with the mineral deposits left from hard water.
1. How to clean a toilet tank with baking soda
Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent widely used in household cleaning. You can easily purchase it from any supermarket at a very affordable price and enjoy the home remedies to thousands of problems using it.
As baking soda is an effective bleaching and descaling agent, it works excellently in toilet tank cleaning. The deodorizing action of baking soda helps remove bad smells that can grow into the tank water.
To effectively remove dirt, gunk, and hard water stains from the toilet tank, and have a shiny, dust-free tank just make a solution of baking soda and water.
Ingredients
- One small bowl
- Baking soda
- Water
- Rubber gloves
- A piece of sponge
- Brush
Remove all water from the tank and let it dry. Take a small bowl and pour two or three tablespoons of baking soda. Add some water to make a thick and creamy texture. Use a piece of sponge to apply the creamy solution onto the stains inside of the tank.
Gently rub with a brush to remove stains. Now fill the tank with water and flash out all stains and get a shiny and stain-free new-looking toilet tank.
This cleaning method is also very effective in eliminating mold. You can repeat the process if required.
2. How to clean a toilet tank with vinegar
Vinegar is another popular, most common, and one of the better natural cleaners in our kitchen. It contains a mild acid that is able to remove any hard water stains, rust stains, and mold. So you can easily use it to clean a toilet tank. Give a vinegar try if the previous cleaning method does not work.
Ingredients
- One pair of rubber gloves
- Three to seven gallons of vinegar
- One toilet brush
- One bucket of warm water
Drain the tank and let it dry completely. Pour vinegar into the tank and continue pouring until it overflow. Leave the tank for at least 12 hours. Remove vinegar from the tank and take a brush to scrub the stains. Now the dirt and stain will remove easily. Rinse the tank with warm water and get a clean, shiny toilet tank.
3. How to clean a toilet tank with bleach
Bleach is another standard cleaning product that is also quite available in the market. If your toilet tank contains plenty of gunk and mildew, then bleach can be an easy solution for cleaning.
Ingredients
- Bleach
- Hand gloves
- Brush
Wear hand gloves to protect your skin from any unwanted irritation. Pour bleach into the toilet tank. Make sure it can cover the infected areas completely. Especially target the sides and the bottom of the tank where the dirt and mildew can build up. Let it sit for a few hours. Take a brush and scrub the infected areas. Fill the tank with water and flush it out.
Read next: How to get rid of mold in a toilet tank
4. How to clean a toilet tank with vinegar and baking soda
If you are still facing a dirty toilet tank after trying the above straightforward methods, you may need to kick things up a bit. Baking soda and vinegar both are individually very effective to clean stains. But combine of them is simply amazing to kick out all gunk and hard water deposits. Here’s how to clean the toilet tank with baking soda and vinegar.
Ingredients
- One pair of safety gloves
- One cup of baking soda
- Two cups of distilled white vinegar
- One bucket of warm water
- One empty spray bottle
Pour some vinegar into the empty spray bottle and spray on the infected areas of the tank. Leave it for a few minutes to soak. Now take some baking soda and sprinkle it on all the sprayed surfaces. Use a toilet brush to scrub the stains. Rinse the tank with warm water and finally flush away all the stains.
Cleaning the toilet tank with baking soda and vinegar is a completely safe and effective method. It not only remove stains but removes bad smell also and leave a fresh scent behind.
5. How to clean toilet tank with liquid detergent
Regular use of liquid detergent is a versatile agent that is great to clean, not only dishes, countertops, and clothes. It is a non-toxic cleaning agent; it also perfectly deals with the stain of the toilet tank and is effective in cleaning the toilet bowl.
Ingredients
- One pair of rubber gloves
- Two to three tablespoons of liquid dish soap
- One toilet brash
- One large bowl of warm water
You will need a full tank of water, so do not drain the tank. Pour some liquid dish soap into the tank and stir to mix well. Take the toilet brush and scrub the inside area of the tank. Let the soapy water soak for a few hours. Leave it for at least three hours or, if possible, then leave overnight.
While the hard water stains and the deposits are loose flushes away them with water, give a final check, and if still there is any satin left, scrub again. You may need to go for several flashes to remove all soap from the toilet tank.
6. How to clean a toilet tank with homemade tank tablets
The homemade toilet tank cleaning tablet also can be an easy solution to clean a toilet tank. It will keep your toilet tank clean without any damage. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
- Half cup of baking soda
- Half a tablespoon of liquid dish soap
- One-fourth cup of citric acid
- Ten to fifteen drops of essential oil
- One pair of rubber gloves
- One large bowl of warm water
Take a plastic or ceramic container and mix baking soda with citric acid into it. Add essential oil into it and stir until the ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Now pour some liquid dish soap and slowly stir until they are combined. The form of the mixture should be clumpy. If the texture does not get clumps, then add some more dish soap to hold the mixture together.
Take an ice-making tray and pour the mixture using a tablespoon into it. This tray will help you to make plenty of tablets at the same time. Let the tablets dry for a few days. After dried correctly, store them in a dry container and sealed them.
When you need to clean the tank, drop one piece of the table into the tank and let it dissolve for at least fifteen minutes. After a certain period, check if there any stains remain, then scrub them with a brush and flush them out.
You may be interested in: Why does your toilet flush slow
How often should you clean your toilet tank?
The frequency of your toilet tank cleaning will depend on the type of water. If it is soft water, then you can go for a long time without cleaning the tank. On the other hand, if it is hard water, then you have to go for thorough cleaning frequently.
Keep checking your toilet tank regularly and inspect the actual situation. Run any suitable cleaning method when required.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are you supposed to clean the toilet tank?
We often think the water tank does not require cleaning, but that’s wrong. You have to clean the water tank as there can be mineral and bacterial build-ups. Make sure to clean the toilet tank at least twice a year to keep everything fine.
Can you put bleach in the toilet tank?
No, it can cause corrosion inside the tank. As the toilet tank is a hard-to-clean place, you have to be very careful about what you put in there. So if you want to remove tough stains, you can use vinegar and water instead of bleach.
Is it OK to put vinegar in the toilet tank?
Yes, vinegar can work great when it comes to cleaning your toilet tank. It won’t create any bacterial growth or corrosion. Just pour the vinegar with water into the water and wait for an hour, then scrub and flush to rinse the vinegar. It will be magically clean.
How long can you leave the vinegar in the toilet?
When using vinegar to clean the toilet bowl, it might not be the strongest ingredient out there. So for it to work properly, you have to let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Also, pour baking soda to make it more effective. Once the baking soda bubbles up, you have to scrub the toilet and rinse it using water.
Wrapping up
We hope the above-listed homemade remedies for cleaning the toilet tank will be helpful for you. Cleaning a toilet tank is not an easy task at all. You may have to deal with rust stains and mineral deposits, which can be a miserable experience for you.
For your convenience, we have tried to explain the cleaning method as naturally as possible. Follow any method that suits you the best and get a clean and dirt-free toilet tank.
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