You’re here to know the absolute procedure of using vinegar and baking soda for cleaning your toilet tank? Well, it’s easy to reach and use these ingredients. But a perfect job only can be done with the right guidelines. And we’re here to help!
So how to clean toilet tank with vinegar and baking soda?
First, drain all the water out of the tank and pour 1 cup of baking soda, ½ cup of vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of dish soap into the toilet tank. Remove the sediment, rust, and mold by scrubbing with a brush. Let it rest for 1 hour and lastly, rinse the tank well.
That’s not all. You’ll need further knowledge in this area to complete the task. That’s why I’m going to explain each component in detail.
Are you ready? Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
- How To Clean Toilet Tank With Vinegar And Baking Soda
- Method 1: Vinegar And Baking Soda (For stubborn stains, and sediment)
- Method 2: Vinegar And Baking Soda Scrub (For lighter algae and instant result )
- Method 3: Vinegar And Borax (Method 2 Alternative)
- Method 4: Baking Soda, Vinegar, And Tea Tree Oil (Robust Cleaner)
- Toilet Tank Cleaning Hacks (Must Follow)
- How To Make A DIY Baking Soda Tank Tablet
- How Often Should You Clean The Toilet Tank?
- Related Questions
- Bottom Line
How To Clean Toilet Tank With Vinegar And Baking Soda
Best Ways To Clean Toilet Tank With Vinegar And Baking Soda
We know how amazing baking soda and vinegar are for cleaning the toilet bowl. But they’re useful for toilet tanks too. Today we’ll walk through the different methods of cleaning the toilet tank with vinegar and baking soda. So let’s make your toilet tank sparkling clean without delay!
Method 1: Vinegar And Baking Soda (For stubborn stains, and sediment)
The best way to clean your toilet tank’s inside stubborn stains is soaking the tank with vinegar. But this method requires another available bathroom in your home as you can’t use the toilet overnight.
Items You Need
- ½ cup baking soda
- White Vinegar (3-7 Gallons)
- Bristle brush
Project Overview
- Estimated cost- $50-$60
- Required Total time- 11-12 hours
- Required Total time- 30 minutes
- Skill Level- Beginner.
Step 1: Empty The Toilet Tank Water
To empty the toilet, you have to first shut off the tank’s main water supply from its valve. Follow the waterline below the tank until you reach the valve. Keep turning the valve clockwise. Once the valve can’t be turned anymore you can assure the water is off. Now, flush the tank to drain water from the toilet rim. Flush several times until it is empty and once it gets empty, it’s time to take action.
Step 2: Pour Vinegar Into The Tank
The second step is to pour vinegar into the tank. Vinegar is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to harsh toilet cleaners. Nevertheless, it helps to break down any buildup.
Pour vinegar into the tank until it reaches the overflow tube. Make sure the vinegar covers all algae, grime, rust, and mold available in the tank. Now, leave the vinegar there for 12-13 hours to have the best result.
Step 3: Flush And Scrub The Toilet Tank
After overnight soaking, flush the vinegar to drain. Take a bristle brush and start scrubbing to remove stubborn left-over debris and stains.
Step 4: Add Baking Soda
For a perfect touch, add ½ cup of baking soda that enhances effectiveness in scrubbing. It provides extra scrubbing power to your scrubber. In fact, using baking soda you’ll be able to break down the hard-to-reach gunk inside the tank.
Step 5: Rinse And Flush The Toilet
Reach the valve again and turn the valve counterclockwise. Finally, the water is ready to get into the tank.
Now, fill the tank with water and flush the toilet tank a few times repeatedly. So that any leftover debris is washed off and it becomes ultimately neat and clean.
Step 6: Repeat the steps (If needed)
If the tank needs more scrubbing, repeat the process. Or you can add some baking soda again. Once done, clean up the tank with water and a paper towel to remove any residue left behind.
Note:
If you mix vinegar with the water it will give you nothing but a failure.
If you don’t have that much vinegar at home, before starting your job, you should buy them. You can buy from your nearest grocery store or online.
Method 2: Vinegar And Baking Soda Scrub (For lighter algae and instant result )
If you’re a busy person seeking an instant way to clean the tank or if you have one bathroom available. Then here I have another amazing vinegar and baking soda method for your convenience.
Items You Need
- One cup vinegar
- ½ cup baking soda
- 2 tablespoon dishwasher
- Bristle brush
Project Overview
- Estimated cost- $0
- Required Total time- 1 hour
- Required Total time- 30 minutes
- Skill Level- Beginner
Steps To Follow
- Drain the entire water from the tank.
- Put one cup of vinegar, ½ cup of baking soda, and 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in the tank.
- Spread the ingredients with a toilet bristle brush.
- Scrub the sides, and bottom well with the brush.
- Allow it to sit for an hour.
- Scrub the tank again so that you can remove the stuck algae, sediment, rust, and mold.
- Turn on the water valve and flush the tank a few times to ensure cleaning. Afterward, enjoy fresh water and smell from your newly clean toilet tank.
Method 3: Vinegar And Borax (Method 2 Alternative)
Don’t find baking soda in your kitchen? Worry not. You can use borax instead of baking soda to make your tank fresh. For this procedure, you don’t need to entirely blank the tank. Rather leave a few inches of water there.
Items You Need
- A small bucket
- 4 cups vinegar
- 1 cup borax
- Toilet brush
Project Overview
- Estimated cost- $0
- Required Total time- 1-2 hours
- Required Total time- 20 minutes
- Skill Level- Beginner
Steps To Follow
- Take a small bucket and mix 4 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of borax.
- Pour the mixture in the toilet tank that you drain.
- Take a toilet brush and start scrubbing inside the tank.
- Focus on the tank’s corner and hard-to-reach places.
- Leave the mixture to sit for an hour or two.
- Afterward, give a good scrub to the tank again, especially where the water stain is still visible.
- Turn on the water and rinse thoroughly by flushing down the tank a few times.
Pro Tips
Borax can be corrosive to your hands so be careful while using it. You better put on plastic gloves during the procedure.
Method 4: Baking Soda, Vinegar, And Tea Tree Oil (Robust Cleaner)
Indeed baking soda and vinegar act for cleaning the toilet tank. But you may wonder, what’s the use of tea tree oil? Well, this essential oil will increase the effectiveness of cleaning ingredients as well as leave a fresh scent behind in your toilet tank.
Items You Need
- Safety hand gloves
- 1 tsp of tree tea oil
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 2 cups distilled white vinegar
- 1 bucket of warm water
Project Overview
- Estimated cost- $0
- Required Total time- 5-10 minutes
- Required Total time- 20 minutes
- Skill Level- Beginner
Steps To Follow
- Combine white vinegar and tree tea oil in a spray bottle.
- Spray the mixture inside the toilet tank, especially the dirty areas
- Allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes
- Now, sprinkle the baking soda above the sprayed areas
- Scrub the stains with a toilet brush and rinse the tank with warm water.
- Repeat the procedure if needed.
Toilet Tank Cleaning Hacks (Must Follow)
Enlighten your mind with some exclusive tips to keep your toilet tank always neat and clean.
- Drop a baking soda tablet in your toilet tank to keep it naturally clean. You might hear some frizzing but don’t worry, it means the tablet is working. One tablet is enough for 3 to 4 months. It will slowly dissolve in the water, disinfect and keep the tank clean over time.
- If you’re short of time, commercial toilet tank tablet cleaners are the quick solution for you. Dropping one tablet in your toilet tank helps to prevent mold and bacteria. However, make sure you’re using the tablets following manufacturing instructions and settle the ones not containing much bleach or reactive chemicals.
- Unused toilet tanks tend to be much dirtier than regular ones. That’s because if the water stands for too long it becomes dirty, smelly, and causes water stains. So make sure you flush every unused toilet 1-2 times a week.
- Clean your toilet tank per month following any methods we discussed for you.
- Drain the toilet and fill it with white vinegar overnight once a month. Next morning, flush and drain the vinegar before using it.
How To Make A DIY Baking Soda Tank Tablet
If you want a safe way to keep your toilet tank clean, then make some homemade cleaning tablets. To make these tablets you’ll need
- Citric Acid
- Baking Soda
- Mixing bowl
- Warm water
- Liquid Soap
- Essential Oils
- Muffin Tin Mold/ Ice Cube tray
Citric acid fights against the tough stains and the abrasiveness of baking soda work as a natural scrubbing agent. You can easily find citric acid in supermarkets or grocery stores which comes in a powdered form.
- Take a medium size bowl and put there 1 cup of baking soda, ½ cup of Citric acid, and warm water.
- Mix the ingredients very well till you notice a clamp in the mixture.
- Combine 40 to 60 drops of different essential oils (lavender oil, tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and so on) in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle to mix the oils and spritz it into the mixing bowl.
- Stir the mixture to make them packable. The mixture should not be too wet or dry so that it becomes difficult to give shape.
- Scoop out the mixture with a spoon and press it on an ice cube tray or muffin tin mold. Fill the entire mold and let it dry overnight.
- Finally, store the tablets in a dry airtight container and keep them in a cool place so they don’t dry out. And your DIY baking soda tablets are ready for use!
How Often Should You Clean The Toilet Tank?
In general, you should clean the toilet tank at least twice a year. If you don’t maintain this cleaning regulation, there is a high chance of building up hard materials inside the toilet tank and sometimes deteriorating the seals and working parts. Otherwise, the toilet that you hardly use, like the bathroom in the guest room, basement, or powder room should be cleaned more often, like 5-6 times a year. Because the standing water causes more bacterial and molds growth.
Related Questions
Can I Mix Bleach With Vinegar?
No, you can’t mix vinegar with bleach. Vinegar is a natural antifungal and antibacterial ingredient. It is efficient to clean the tank. But when you mix it with bleach it creates a toxic vapor like chlorine gas that is dangerous to breathe in, even deadly. So don’t mix them.
Why Should I Clean The Toilet Tank?
Even though you clean your toilet bowls regularly, the necessity of cleaning the toilet tanks is out of mind for many of you. But you should clean the tank once or twice a year (If possible once in a month) to prevent building up mineral deposits, bacteria, and molds.
Are Baking Soda and Vinegar Good Cleaners?
Yes, baking soda and vinegar are good cleaners for the toilet tank. Even they’re less corrosive and harsh than the other commercial cleaners.
Toilet cleaning is a regular purpose and if you don’t want to deal with harsh chemicals daily, you can certainly reach the safe cleaning items like baking soda and vinegar.
Should I Use Commercial Tank Cleaners?
If your tank is very dirty and doesn’t get the expected result using vinegar, you might use some commercial toilet tank cleaner. However, toilets have different parts with different materials. So you have to be careful while using cleaners. You should use some dedicated toilet tank cleaners such as Hurriclean Tank Cleaner or Instant Power Toilet Tank Cleaner. If the natural ingredients fail in cutting the stains, the commercial tank cleaner will help you out impressively.
Can You Clean Toilet With Vinegar And Baking Soda?
Yes, you can clean your toilet with vinegar and baking soda. Vinegar is a great cleaning solution that effectively removes stains, grime, and calcium deposits in the toilet bowl. Otherwise, baking soda is also widely and happily used for cleaning and removing stains from your toilet.
Bottom Line
That’s all I wanted to discuss about cleaning the toilet tank with baking soda and vinegar. I believe you already realized which methods would be greatly applicable to you. All these are the best ways for cleaning your toilet tank. But make sure you’re concerned about the pros and cons of each option before applying.
A little time and patience will help you to get the best result. But if you find this situation is not for you, get a proper assistant soon.
Best of luck!
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