Can you put Pine-Sol in your toilet tank? While you can, you probably shouldn’t. Read on to learn why.
It’s a TikTok cleaning hack – putting Pine-Sol or a similar multipurpose cleaner in the toilet tank. Posters claim that adding Pine-sol to the tank keeps the toilet bowl clean and the bathroom smelling fresh. But is it a good idea?
The truth is, while wiping down your toilet, toilet seat, and bowl with Pine-Sol is completely fine, adding it to your tank may cause adverse effects.
Why You Shouldn’t Put Pine-Sol in Your Toilet Tank
Pine-Sol has a PH level of about 3.0-4.0, making it an acidic cleaner. While the acidity is reduced depending on dilution levels, it’s not meant to sit in the back of a toilet tank. Over time, the acidity can erode rubber gaskets and hoses, preventing your toilet from properly flushing.
Other considerations include product mixing. If you have Pine-Sol in your tank, you shouldn’t use bleach or ammonia-containing toilet bowl cleaners. Doing so can create potentially toxic (and sometimes fatal) gasses. So, if you put Pine-Sol in the tank, only use Pine-Sol to clean the toilet bowl.
Plus, if you want to use Pine-Sol as a disinfectant, it won’t work in the toilet tank. For Pine-Sol to disinfect you must use it at full-strength, leaving it on the surface for at least ten minutes before washing it away.
Is There Anything I Can Put in My Toilet Tank?
Many plumbers warn against putting any type of cleaner in the toilet tank – even those made explicitly for tanks, like Clorox tablets. Pennsylvania-based plumbing company Summers & Zim’s Inc., cautions against using drop-in tablets, stating the long-term costs outweigh the short-term ease of use.
So if you’re looking for the safest bet, stick to cleaning your toilet bowl. While the Tik Tok cleaning hacks are fun to watch, not all are practical or worth the risk.