How to Clean Your Toilet Tank

There are limitless products promising to deliver a fresh, sanitized toilet bowl. But no one ever tells you how to clean your toilet tank, or even why you should.

Your toilet tank is the silent partner. It doesn’t stare us in the face, like the bowl, which gets most of our attention. The tank, however, does need regular maintenance and cleaning. And, like the thousands of other tasks homeowners take on daily, there are ways to do it that work well using simple products and a little scheduling.

Let’s start with the why, and then deal with the how.

Why You Need to Clean the Tank, Too

Your toilet tank should be a cleaning target on your house keeping to-do list. Why is that?

The tank has working parts that rely on ease of movement to flush your bowl completely. Over time, these parts accumulate a buildup of minerals and even rust, which prevents easy operation and can lead to annoying and often expensive fixes in your future.

The tank interior also harbors mold, mildew, and bacteria — just like any other bathroom surface. So, it’s a good idea to give it a thorough cleaning.

When to Clean Your Toilet Tank

To prevent parts becoming crusted with buildup, clean your toilet tank every six months. We suggest setting a repeat reminder in your calendar app that coincides with your usual deep cleaning in the spring and fall. 

If you notice issues with water flow, flush volume, or a sticky valve it’s fine to check and clean it more often. People with very hard water in their homes, like many in Port St. Lucie, Florida, may have a more difficult time keeping the tank clean and operational. You may want to talk to a professional about a water softener system to treat your water and prevent limescale, or calcium buildup,  if you have those issues.

Other reasons to clean outside of your schedule are if it emits bad odors, or you notice a change in the water color that is not due to adding a cleaner to your tank.

How to Clean Your Toilet Tank Safely

A safe way to clean your toilet tank is by using household white vinegar. Its mild acidity breaks down mineral deposits and removes rust without dangerous fumes or harsh chemicals. 

Another safe cleaner for your tank is baking soda, which works as a mild abrasive to remove dirt. 

Please Note: Don’t add a large amount of both at once, as baking soda and vinegar react together with some surprising, foamily expansive results (like the volcanos from middle school science fairs).

How to Clean Your Toilet Tank Efficiently

We’ve broken down this 10-step cleaning process down into Light Cleaning and Assessment, the first step, Heavier Lime and Calcium Buildup, and Extensive Cleaning: Mold and Mildew Removal. If you are just doing a light clean, check out Light Cleaning and Assessment, and Final Steps and Maintenance, below.

Light Cleaning and Assessment: 

1. Turn off the supply valve on the wall near the toilet.

2. Remove the tank lid and place it in a safe location.

3. Flush your toilet until the water drains out of the tank.

4. Examine the tank to assess the nature of any staining. Light dirt without much mineral build up can be managed with a spray bottle of white vinegar and a good scrub with baking soda. Go to Final Seps and Maintenance, Step 8, if there isn’t heavier cleaning needed. 

If this is more than a light cleaning, proceed below. 

Heavier Lime & Calcium Buildup

5. A heavy buildup of lime and calcium may require a complete soak in white vinegar. If this is the case, fill the tank with white vinegar (about 3 gallons) and allow it to sit for 8 to 12 hours. After soaking is done, flush the vinegar away and proceed to the next step.

Extensive Cleaning: Mold & Mildew Removal 

6. To remove mold and mildew, spray the interior of the tank wall with a disinfectant cleaner and allow to soak in for 10 minutes. Avoid using cleaners with bleach to prevent corroding any metal parts.

7. Put on protective gloves and scrub the walls and bottom of the tank. Don’t use the same brush you use for the toilet bowl, however.

Final Steps & Maintenance

8. Once you’ve scrubbed the tank, it’s an excellent opportunity to replace flappers, floats, and other parts.

9. Wipe down the working parts with a disinfectant. Then, turn the supply back on so the tank fills.

10. Flush your toilet to help rinse the cleaning products from the parts and ensure it’s back to normal operation.

Fresh as a Daisy

Learning how to clean your toilet tank is an easy way to keep tabs on the operation of your toilet and other bathroom fixtures. It helps to prevent costly fixes later on, and can catch leaky valves and other issues that can cause elevated water expense and waste, as well as increased hard water buildup in your tank due to constantly trickling water from the tank to the bowl.

For more complicated maintenance tasks and repairs, make an appointment with the plumbing pros at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Port St. Lucie.