Step 2: Assess the Inside of the Tank For this, vinegar is the recommended cleaning agent as it helps dissolve mineral deposits and combat mould spores. All you need to do is fill the toilet tank with equal parts water and white vinegar, and allow it to sit overnight.
Vinegar and Borax
Mix 1 cup of borax with 4 cups of vinegar. Leave a couple of inches of water in the tank. Add the mixture to the tank. Take your toilet brush and scrub the inside of the tank.
Vinegar is a great toilet cleaning solution. Not only is it free of chemicals and naturally antibacterial, it's also an acid, so it will remove minor lime and calcium deposits. All you need to do is pour a couple cups of vinegar in your tank and let it sit for an hour or so, then scrub and flush to rinse.
You may like the fresh blue look of the water when using in-tank tablets, but you are actually damaging your toilet — and the long-term cost of repairs and replacements to your toilet far outweigh the short-term ease of dropping in a cleaning solution.
Vinegar can be used inside the toilet tank too
White Vinegar can also be used inside the tank of your toilet — an area that many of us neglect to clean.
"The biggest don't when it comes to toilet tanks is bleach—do not use bleach or products containing bleach inside the tank, as it can corrode the internal parts of your toilet. If you are aiming to remove tough stains from the tank, I also recommend white vinegar diluted with water."
Cleaning your toilet tank is pretty quick and easy with vinegar and baking soda. You only need to do it once or twice a year, and it can help get rid of bacteria, mold, and mineral deposits to keep you and your family healthy.
According to Abrams, an ordinary bar of soap placed inside a mask, a net, or any other porous material should be a perfectly safe way to keep a toilet bowl clean when you flush it.
How long can you leave vinegar in a toilet tank? Leave vinegar in the tank for several hours, ideally overnight. This allows the acetic acid in the vinegar to break down stains and deposits effectively.
Combined, baking soda and vinegar can sometimes clear a clogged sink, but in many cases, they can also take care of a toilet clog. However, to avoid a small eruption all over the bathroom floor, you'll want to measure them very carefully.
If there are brown stains, it is probably from iron in your water. If you discover a thick, slimy mess, it is likely from iron bacteria growing in your toilet tank. Iron bacteria is a bacteria that fixes to iron particles in the water.
Turn off the water to the toilet, flush the toilet to minimize the water in the bowl, and pour in a gallon of vinegar to remove scale and mineral deposits. Leave the vinegar in the toilet for 24-48 hours. This may improve the flushing.
Chances are these issues are caused from a mineral in your water called manganese. Seeing manganese stains from your water isn't an emergency, but at high levels, it can have an effect on the quality of your drinking water, laundry, appliances and plumbing.
Pour a half-cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet and let it sit for 30 minutes. Use your toilet brush to scrub the stains. Add a sprinkle of baking soda and scrub again if the stains persist. Turn on the water and flush away stains and germs.
But you can use more natural solutions that you probably already have at home: Vinegar and baking soda: Add 1 or 2 cups of vinegar to the toilet bowl along with a few sprinkles of baking soda. Swish the solution around the bowl with your brush for a few minutes and then let it sit for about 15 minutes.
In this case, a basic toilet cleaning product may not be enough, and you will need to use undiluted bleach. As a one-stop cleaning solution, pour one cup of bleach around the bowl. Then tackle every inch with a toilet brush or a handheld scrub brush. Let it sit for five minutes, then flush.
A popular TikTok video promises your bathroom will smell like clean laundry every time you flush the toilet if you pour a cup of fabric softener into the toilet tank. However, like many social media hacks, this one is too good to be true, and plumbing experts warn that you'll actually be ruining your septic system.