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How many clean their toilet tank? How often? What products do you use. I'm noticing that the bowl gets what I think is a ring of mildew around the water line. I can clean it, but it seems to happen twice a week. Maybe I should clean the tank? I don't like drop in cleaners because I think they are hard on the parts.

I just use oxy clean in the powder .But when it has rust stains from hard water i use vinegar and backing soda it fizzies up and great for toilets and sink drains and garbage disposals

I use about 1/2 cup cloryx in the toilet bowl twice a week and swish it around. If you can see the waterline, then get a pumic stone and use it to get the discoloration off the bowl. Mother used to put a blue tablet like thing in her toilet tank and when you flushed you had "blue" water. Always teased her about the "blue" water. Since the water in your toilet tank changes with each flush, I would think you need to clean your toilet bowl rather than the tank. IMHO.

I have never heard of anyone cleaning a toilet tank. Sounds a little like cleaning out the gasoline tank of your car or cleaning out your oil tank that holds heating oil

Yes, sounds like the toilet bowl needs a good scrub, not the tank. Only time that has happened here was if we left for a week or so and didn't clean the bowl before leaving. Then a ring would appear.

You have to be careful with in tank cleaners. The bleach ones (2000 flushes for example) will eat the rubber parts inside the tank. The blue ones can cause the blue goo problem. http://www.toiletology.com/blue-goo.shtml

You could occasionally put some bleach in the tank to get rid of the gunk that can grow in the tank. I wouldn't leave it in there for too long though. Bleach is really hard on the rubber parts like the tank bolt gaskets and the flap valve.

I have been using the tablets in the tank for years with no problems a plumber recomended them not the blue ones and don't think it is the 2000 ones, I had been getting the black mildew during the spring and when the humidity is high....I had used the 1/2 cup clorox in the tank but had to use it to offten...

Cleaning very thoroughly under the rim of toilet- I ifind mold tends to collect there if I don't clean bowl and rim at least every 4 days. We're on well water and it comes In very cold.

I have the same problem sometimes. I think it has to do with what may be in our well water???
Anyway, I use my toilet brush (small round one) to scrub down what I can, then I empty the tank, spray some clorox clean up, let it set for a couple of minutes and then flush several times.
Since we have minerals in our water I do get the "ring" of minerals in the bowl & use the pumice stone on it. I also spray clorox clean up under the rim of the bowl every couple of cleanings to get any stubborn stuff there.

This is merely a suggestion: I know when I used to live in a house with many men, 6 brothers and my father, they tended to think it was a waste of water to flush after each use if it were just "water". Perhaps, maybe, and I'm not suggesting anything, but maybe you just need more frequent flushes to keep the water fresh and clean

Hi Kay,

You might try more frequent cleanings. Seems like summer/humidity/hard water deposits cause that ring.

We do the swish/swipe quick clean daily and then a weekly scrub down to keep that ring from forming. A wet pumice on the ring will remove it.

YES, I also clean the tank part too. They get grummy even though we have a softener. Sometimes I just add a splash of bleach inside the tank. Occasional won't hurt just don't use bleach as it eats the parts.

Good Luck!

I don't clean the tank.

You have to be careful with bleach if you are on a septic system. My mother cleaned her toilet with bleach. When the septic tank had to be pumped out, the pumper told her to stop with the bleach...the tank was full of thick sludge and he could hardly pump it out. No wonder the septic system failed - she was killing the bacteria.

Be CAREFUL with the drop-in cleaners. They are highly concentrated bleach. Handle according to directions which is to NEVER touch the tablet! Brother unwrapped the tablet and handled it. He had a severe reaction to the concentrated bleach which resulted in high doctor bills for the duration of treatment.

I recently had a new toilet installed. The instructions said if any cleansers were used in the tank then the warranty would be voided. I've never cleaned the tank anyway. But have, in the past, dropped those tablets in the tank to clean the bowl.

I clean the inside of our toilet tanks twice a year (Spring & Fall cleanings). I just use an old toothbrush to scrub down any gunk (rust or mildew). Also, I check out the parts for any needed replacements. I believe the chemicals put in our water system are "eating up" the parts quicker. I would never use the drop-in cleaners. That would be more chemicals to destroy the toilet guts.

I clean our toilet tanks once a year, it is quite difficult task for me but baking soda and some drops of vinegar solve my problem especially hard stains.

go to wal-mart, look for a scrubing stone, its in a white and blue box , it works great, all you have to do is scrub it, it will sound like your tearing up your toliet, but it doesnt hurt it at all, no matter how long your toliet has the ring around it . its great, it costs about 2.50 maybe less.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AlexisSalazar,

Alexis, we know you are excited about your solar panel installation video.

However if you reread the post, this one is about the toilet "TANK", not the bowl. I agree with the pumice stone as the easy way to deal with rings in the bowl.
The inside of the tank is rougher, unglazed usually. Rings are not normally the issue here...just mildew/and water discoloration if the toilet is in a damp environment.

Powder Iron Out--does a marvelous job on iron. Run through no-load clothes washer occasionally and no contents dish washer.

As for the tank, brush and vinegar.