Pour a cup of bleach into the tank (usually one cup for every gallon), then scrub the walls to get rid of mold. Once you've eliminated the source mold, flush the toilet several times, and you're good to go. The most straightforward approach to mold removal from growing back is preventing mold growth in the first place.
Mold thrives in damp, dark environments, making your toilet bowl an ideal breeding ground. Factors such as infrequent cleaning, high humidity, or a leak can contribute to mold growth.
Mold and mildew thrive in dark and humid areas (in this case, your toilet bowl and tank). Black mold can be found in your toilet bowl or tank when you have been away for even a few short days on vacation. It can also happen if there has been waste left in the bowl for a while.
The wax band that seals your toilet at the bottom is leaking. Since black mold thrives in damp environments, a broken wax seal seeps out water from your toilet which fosters its growth. Even if you don't see puddles on the floor, the small quantities of water escaping through the wax ring is all it takes.
These varieties of mold mostly look dark brown or green with Stachybotrys — the most dangerous kind common to bathrooms — appearing so dark that it's almost black and Penicillium sometimes having a blue, green or yellowish tint to it.
Vinegar is safe and milder than caustic cleaners designed for the toilet, and those commercial cleaning agents can eat away the good bacteria in your septic system. To safely and inexpensively clean your toilet bowls, pour a generous glug of vinegar, followed by a heavy sprinkling of baking soda, into the bowl.
Whether you become an industrious shower cleaner-upper or not, Tierno says mold isn't likely to pose any major health risk to the average person. “Any fungus can be allergenic,” he says. “You can develop an allergy or exacerbate an allergy if you expose yourself long enough to a fungus.
"The biggest don't when it comes to toilet tanks is bleach—do not use bleach or products containing bleach inside the tank, as it can corrode the internal parts of your toilet. If you are aiming to remove tough stains from the tank, I also recommend white vinegar diluted with water."
Grey 'sewage fungus' (below) may also be visible in any sewage wastewater, caused by a grey feathery build up of filamentous bacteria. Again, this is often caused by pipe misconnections or farm waste running into the watercourse.
If you want to really get your toilet tank clean, then you need to make sure you have the right cleaning products for the job. Vinegar is a great toilet cleaning solution.
Use a bathroom-specific disinfectant: Forte recommends Lysol's Power Bathroom Cleaner because it clearly states how long you'll need to leave the surface wet in order to neutralize common viruses and bacteria: 10 minutes.
No studies show that toilet seats are culprits in transmitting this infection. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that contact with a contaminated toilet seat or even a locker room bench might spread the fungus from person to person. Using a toilet seat cover might be a reasonable precaution.
Cleaning with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in the bathroom can work really well. To clean your toilet with vinegar, pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet bowl and let sit overnight. The next morning, sprinkle a little baking soda into the bowl, scrub, and then flush clean.
If the clog still seems to be intact, start over at step 1 and repeat the process a couple of times. For extra-stubborn clogs, you can let the fizz mixture sit overnight or combine this method with plunging.
In this case, a basic toilet cleaning product may not be enough, and you will need to use undiluted bleach. As a one-stop cleaning solution, pour one cup of bleach around the bowl. Then tackle every inch with a toilet brush or a handheld scrub brush. Let it sit for five minutes, then flush.
Use undiluted white vinegar on hard surfaces in kitchens and baths. A bleach solution also works to kill mold. Mix one cup of bleach in a gallon of water, apply to the surface and don't rinse. Mix a 50/50 solution of ammonia and water.
Black toilet mold is the most common color that forms a “ring” in your toilet. This ring can also be from green mold or grey mold. Orange or pinkish slimy mold can develop around the toilet bowl at the spot where the top of the water sits in the bowl.
Mold will appear fuzzier and darker than mildew, but it can grow in a variety of colors, from bright reds to dark, swampy greens. Because it can look like nothing more than a small patch of dirt, it's easy to ignore mold problems until it's too late.
However, the pink ring that develops at the water line in the toilet, around drains, in the tub/shower area, in bathroom drinking cups, and even dog bowls is actually caused by airborne bacteria known as Serratia Marcescens.
It may have nothing to do with the toilet design, but may actually be a tip that someone in your house may have undiagnosed diabetes or diabetes that is not under good control. People with diabetes cannot process glucose properly, causing urine to have excess sugar — an ideal food for mildew.
In order to distinguish mold from dirt, you can do a test using household bleach. Pour a few drops of the bleach in the dark spots along the grout lines. If the dark areas lighten after a few minutes, then you certainly have mold. If it remains completely dark, then you have dirt and not mold.