How To Clean Your Toilet Tank In 8 Easy Steps

Cleaning your toilet tank is one of those things you (unfortunately) need to do—but it isn’t nearly as daunting as you might suspect.

It happens to all of us: one day, a strange odor or the appearance of rust or a need to repair something (or maybe just sheer curiosity) leads you to remove your toilet tank lid. You take a look inside and … oh my.

4. Take a good look at your tank to figure out your plan of attack. If it’s actually in pretty good shape (meaning just your run-of-the-mill dirt, etc.), you can probably handle this with some basic all-purpose cleaner ... which means you can skip ahead to Step 6 (hooray!).

On the other hand, if you notice rust or a significant amount of built-up residue or mineral deposits—or if you know that your area has hard water—you’re probably going to want to take a multistep approach and start with good old white vinegar.

5. Go to town with a whole lotta vinegar. Vinegar’s good for a lot more than salad dressing. Distilled white vinegar is truly an all-star when it comes to household cleaning. It’s natural, strong, and incredibly versatile—and it really shines when you’re dealing with mold, mildew and stubborn buildup. Why? Vinegar helps break down and dissolve what would take way (and we mean way) more elbow grease if you started straight in with many regular store-bought cleaners. Seriously, get yourself some family-sized bottles of vinegar, and keep them handy; vinegar is one of the best cleaning hacks there is.

For the task at hand, you want to make sure you have enough vinegar to completely fill up your toilet tank. This means you might need up to three gallons for this step. (Before your jaw hits the floor, don’t worry: white vinegar is pretty darn inexpensive.)

With your tank emptied, pour the vinegar in. Keep going until you fill the tank, stopping about an inch from the top. Now, let it be. Walk away. Don’t flush. Don’t do anything except go about your business. Let the vinegar sit for up to 12 hours. We often start this step in the evening and just let it sit overnight. (See, we told you this would be easy!)

When a sufficient amount of time has passed, flush the tank until it's empty. Again, this might take a few flushes. Now take a look at what should hopefully be a much cleaner tank. Wowzers.

6. With your all-purpose cleaner, go after any remaining dirt, stains or buildup. It’s finally time to scrub! Put on a pair of rubber gloves (if you have them), and spray an all-purpose cleaner all over the inside of your toilet tank. It’s not a bad idea to let the cleaner sit for 5–10 minutes to give it a chance to really work its magic on all that gunk (but pay attention to any instructions that come with the cleaner you’re using—the manufacturer will be able to give you the best intel about their specific product).

When those 5–10 minutes have passed, grab a scrub brush, and thoroughly scrub the inside of the tank. A sponge will work, too. You might even consider switching off between the two to ensure you’ve got your bases covered. When you feel good about how your tank is looking, take a step back, and examine your work. If it’s not quite there, don’t be discouraged: spray and repeat as needed. You’ll get there!

7. Turn the water valve back on when you’re finally done. You don’t want to forget this step!

8. Give the outside of your toilet a good once-over, too, while you’re at it. You just spent all that time cleaning your toilet tank; you might as well give the outside some attention, too! And luckily, the outside of your toilet requires much less time or energy. Simply spray a bathroom cleaner that’s safe to use on your toilet’s surface, let it sit and then scrub away any dirt or grime with a sponge or rag.

There you have it: a fresh, clean toilet tank that will help keep your toilet in tip-top shape and make sure unwanted bacteria, odors and rust stay far away! The only step left may be to get rid of the vinegar smell—and we can help you with that, too.

Maintaining your toilet tank

Now that you’ve cleaned your toilet tank, you’ve bought yourself 6 months until you have to even think about anything toilet tank related again, right?

Well ... yes, but sticking to a schedule will help you maintain your clean, functioning toilet tank in the long run. This isn’t a one-and-done deal.

When we say twice a year, we mean it. Trust us, taking the time to deep clean your toilet tank every 6 months will help keep your toilet in working order and your bathroom sparkling clean and odor free. And again, if you live in an area with hard water, or you notice that twice a year just isn’t quite cutting it, consider making cleaning your tank a somewhat more frequent activity.

That’s it! 8 steps to a clean toilet tank, plus everything you need to know to keep it that way!

Happy cleaning.