Cleaning Mold from your Toilet Tank

This video shows the longer version of the short I uploaded showing how to clean the mold out of your toilet tank. If you found this video helpful, it would definitely help out the channel if you liked, shared, subscribed or commented. Good luck on your next home or automotive project! Thanks for Watching and see more of Pebbles on Instagram at / shiba_inu_pebbles #diy #home #howto #tipsandtricks #cleaningtips #cleaning

[@somethintru1]

Thank you - very helpful

[@jwillow4]

I like the video! I have tried completely soaking the tank in a gallon of vinegar overnight and scrubbing everything. The mold just came back. The mold pours through the openings that go through the bowl from the tank. Now, my apartment manager wants to charge me for the mold. Which was here when I moved in. I can't just clean the bowl. The tank was invaded years ago and has set up shop. I did inspect the apt before moving in but didn't inspect the inside of the tank. What a fummh. Thank you for your help!!! Bless you. Oh my gosh, please help!

[@mikesdoityourself]

Apt manager or apt. maintenance should be able to replace the toilet tank or the whole toilet. This may be your only option. Your water quality could be an issue, also. You could try bleach by it itself, but if the mold is coming right back, it's probably in-bedded into the tank. If you're handy with the tools, swapping the toilet out may cost around $100, depending on where you get it. I had someone tell me they swapped one out by apt. maintenance, in an apartment, because they wanted an elongated toilet/seat instead of the small circular seat. That could be an option. Good luck with your project!- Mike

[@jwillow4]

@@mikesdoityourself Tank you. Haha

[@nmap-p-]

Tank you!

[@Maliceless100]

Like a lot of city apartment people, I'm looking to remedy the problem in an old-fashioned tankless and wonder if I'm SOL or if treating outside jets eventually kills mold inside(?)

[@mikesdoityourself]

Well, anywhere there is sitting water in a damp area, there is a potential for mold to grow, either from the air surrounding it or from the water quality itself. Tankless can be beneficial, depending on the frequency of use. Cleaning the area, once in a while, is probably unavoidable. - Mike

[@jaye7679]

Seems like the mould is sourced from within the upper tank right? Those blue toilet tank dissolver things you drop into the tank dont seem to work very well, they just seem to make the water blue.. so how about having a dripper above the tank that slowly drops in vinegar every day or every flush based on the water level. I think the trick is to make the tank itself mould-proof so the mould cannot flush down below to begin with.. :wink:

[@horatio_]

Does scrubbing like that “spread” the black mold spores? Always been made afraid of dealing with it due to homeowner horror stories

[@mikesdoityourself]

The vinegar will kill the mold, thus preventing any spread of mold spores. Good luck with your project!- Mike

[@horatio_]

I had dropped a cleaning tablet in there and it sat for over and hour. It was easy to toothbrush away I was afraid to combine vinegar with the already blue cleaning solution

[@mikesdoityourself]

@horatio_ I would never recommend mixing any cleaning products, so spraying a hydrogen peroxide solution or bleach solution are good products to get rid of mold and, of course, rinsing with clean water afterwards.- Mike

[@horatio_]

@@mikesdoityourself agreed. I had dropped one of those blue tablets in same day (reason why I opened the tank) and saw the mold. It has an active cleaning agent which I’m hoping did a good job impacting the mold. When I cleaned with the toothbrush I dipped in the blue tank water.

[@PrisonbreakSPNheroes]

My problem is, there is years of mold inside the tanks in my building. The manager/maintenance have known about the problem and never properly cleaned them or replaced them. I live in a building for seniors and people on disability.

[@mikesdoityourself]

I would replace the whole toilet myself or have someone replace it for me if you're not able to. All you'll need is to be able to shut the water off at the wall next to the toilet, then you're able to replace it. The tools needed are sockets, socket wrench, or an adjustable wrench, and a flat head screwdriver. You might need a new hose or fill tube leading from the water supply going to the toilet. There are many videos showing how to replace a toilet. Good luck with your project!- Mike

[@Horsewoman-pt2ku]

I wonder if pouring some vinegar down my bathroom sink as the previous person left this disgusting black goup down there and every time I use a hair trap catcher in there it pulls it up. It makes me want to gag

[@mikesdoityourself]

Vinegar would help sanitize and eliminate some of the mess, also- Mike

[@marybedore899]

You are releasing mold spores into the air when you scrub it with a toothbrush!! Mold spores are toxic and cause mold illness, which is no picnic, take it from me. You need to set up a containment area with plastic to seal up the bathroom so the mold spores don’t spread into the rest of the house and have HEPA fans in the bathroom. Also, you should be wearing some kind of a mask or ventilator, so you are not breathing in the spores that you are scrubbing out of the toilet tank.

[@mikesdoityourself]

Definitely! That's why I made sure to wet down the toilet tank walls with the vinegar solution before starting. That way, the scrubbed mold would fall down into the tank easier. Good advice on the PPE to wear and use. Thanks!- Mike

[@kaneofnod]

Tip: wear gloves - gross...

[@lavieenasmr1817]

The water in the tank is clean. Not gross or dirty

[@Tess-he3qg]

How do you stop it from happening?

[@mikesdoityourself]

I would suggest adding a cup of vinegar to your tank about once a week. Make sure you regularly flush your toilet. I would scrub your toilet tank and bowl using bleach or vinegar once a week. All this should keep the mold from reappearing. Good luck with your project!- Mike

[@Tess-he3qg]

@@mikesdoityourself Thank you!! It’s funny because it doesn’t happen to our other 2 toilets.

[@mikesdoityourself]

@Tess-he3qg If regular cleaning doesn't help, a last resort could be replacing the toilet with a new one, especially since your other two toilets are not experiencing any issues.- Mike

[@kurtfischback8453]

@@Tess-he3qgI’ve got the same problem. It only happens in one of our toilets. Very strange. I still want to find out why it’s happening because I’ve never had this issue before.

[@strawberryjackson3]

What causes this?

[@mikesdoityourself]

Mold spores are in the air, which when introduced into a dark, damp environment is the perfect place for mold growth. - Mike

[@strawberryjackson3]

Thanks

[@DeafGypsy]

I'm puzzled due to the fact that my bathroom door is always open and I just have a curtain with ample space on the bottom for air to circulate & my air filter runs 24/7.... how can the mold continue to persist? It is an old building but i didn't have that problem in the other apartment I used to live in on the 2nd floor? @@mikesdoityourself

[@nmap-p-]

Also, when you flush the toilet a negative pressure is created in the tank so it sucks air inside. And all air inside contain mold spores in some concentration. You can't avoid that. @@mikesdoityourself