You’ve Probably Never Cleaned Your Toilet Tank—but You Really Should

Try this twice-yearly trick to keep your bathroom truly spotless.

Your bathroom is probably one of the spaces in your home you clean the most regularly; it’s important to do a deep clean at least once a month, and you should disinfect the toilet, wipe down the sink and counters, and scrub your bathroom floor about once a week.

We’ve created a handy checklist to help you get all of that done (and done well), but there’s one more thing you should be sure to keep in mind when tackling your bathroom: You should really be cleaning your toilet tank, too. While it might not be as obvious as scrubbing your shower, cleaning that toilet tank is still a very important step in the routine. Here’s a breakdown on why, plus how to do it the right way.

Your toilet tank can be a hotbed for bacteria and fungus. Toilet water can cause mold and mildew to build up, even more so if you’re not flushing the toilet often enough. You should also look out for that suspicious red ring around the waterline—that might be Serratia marcescens, a bacteria that can cause a number of unpleasant issues.

Here’s a bit of good news for you: You probably only need to clean your toilet tank twice per year, which means it won’t be an add-on to that list of every week tasks. However, there are a few exceptions to that rule. If your toilet uses water from an area with “hard water” (aka more dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water supply), you’ll want to clean it quarterly. Similarly, if your bathroom is normally warm and humid, you’ll want to bump up the cleaning to once a month to avoid mold.

BHG / Madelyn Goodnight

Conveniently, you probably already have the few products you need for this task. Vera Peterson, president of Molly Maid, recommends starting with vinegar to soak the tank.

“First, remove the lid and take a peek inside,” she told Martha Stewart Living. “If you see any mineral buildup or crud, pour four cups of vinegar into the tank. Allow this to soak for up to an hour.”

For your next step, you’ll want to locate the water valve (it’s usually on the wall) and turn it so the flow of water stops. Then flush the toilet until the tank drains. This way you can get in there with a sponge and scrub away the muck with a disinfectant.

If you want to keep the tank cleaner for longer, you can also go back in with the vinegar, adding a cup or two to the tank once a month, letting it soak, and flushing the toilet the next morning.

Though it's an extra step in your bathroom cleaning schedule, cleaning your toilet tank properly is a low-lift way to ensure things are truly staying fresh in there.

Johnson, Roxanne. "Red Substance in Tub, Toilet is Bacteria." North Dakota State University.