When it comes to cleaning toilets, cleaning the toilet tank often gets overlooked. However, keeping the tank clean actually helps keep the bowl cleaner and helps prevent bad smells and stains. You might be wondering if you can just pour some bleach in the tank to disinfect and clean it. Well, spoiler alert, it’s not a great idea. Fortunately, there are safer, more effective options, and we're here to tell you all about them.

Question 1 of 6:

Does bleach harm toilet tanks?

Question 2 of 6:

Should you clean the inside of your toilet tank?

Question 3 of 6:

What can I put in my toilet tank to keep the bowl clean?

  1. Vinegar is a safe, effective, and natural option. To clean the toilet tank, turn off the water supply by turning the valve behind the tank all the way to the right. Then, flush the toilet until all the water is out of the tank. Fill the tank back up to the overflow valve with white vinegar and let it sit for 12 hours, then flush it out and refill the tank with water. The vinegar kills mold, mildew, and stain-causing bacteria in the tank, which helps keep your toilet bowl clean.[3]
    • The overflow valve is the tube with an opening near the top of the tank, which drains into the toilet bowl in order to prevent overfilling the tank and making a big mess!
    • You can also pour a cupful of vinegar directly into your toilet bowl every month and let it sit to kill bacteria and help keep it clean.
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Question 4 of 6:

What can I put in my toilet tank to make it smell better?

Question 5 of 6:

How can I whiten my toilet bowl?

  1. You can use a bleach solution to clean it, just don’t pour bleach into the tank. Make a dilute bleach solution.[5] Mix about 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of bleach with 1 gallon (3.78 L) of water in a spray bottle. Spritz the solution all over the inside of the toilet bowl, scrub the bowl with a toilet brush, and let the solution sit for 5 minutes. Finally, flush the toilet once or twice to rinse all the solution out of the bowl.[6]
    Expert Answer
    Q

    Can I use store-bought bleach directly?

    Chris Willatt

    Chris Willatt

    House Cleaning Professional
    Chris Willatt is the owner and founder of Alpine Maids, a cleaning agency in Denver, Colorado started in 2015. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018.
    Chris Willatt
    EXPERT ADVICE
    Answer from Chris Willatt:

    The bleach that you buy from the store may be a concentrated product. You should add water to it and make a dilute solution.

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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    What precautions should I take while using bleach?
    Chris Willatt
    Chris Willatt
    House Cleaning Professional
    Chris Willatt is the owner and founder of Alpine Maids, a cleaning agency in Denver, Colorado started in 2015. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018.
    Chris Willatt
    House Cleaning Professional
    Expert Answer
    Work in a ventilated area and open the windows. Wear clothes that you do not mind spoiling while using bleach.
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About This Article

Chris Willatt
Co-authored by:
House Cleaning Professional
This article was co-authored by Chris Willatt. Chris Willatt is the owner and founder of Alpine Maids, a cleaning agency in Denver, Colorado started in 2015. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018. This article has been viewed 25,413 times.
35 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 4
Updated: November 29, 2022
Views: 25,413
Categories: Cleaning Toilets
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