The TikTok Toilet Tank Cleaning Hack You Should Avoid At All Costs

There's a new hack on social media every day. Some are knowledge gold mines, making a mundane task that much doable, and others are a disaster in disguise. On this episode of "TikTok Made Me Do It," we have Pine-Sol as a toilet tank cleaner. Users are slitting the container of multipurpose cleanser and sticking the bottle into the tank. Others are emptying the entire bottle of disinfectant into their cistern. You get a fragrant flush every time, engulfing the whole bathroom in piney goodness.

It seems like a practical and unexpected way you can use Pine-Sol around the house. However, this is not a hack you want to try. The delectable scent comes with plumbing issues. You can damage your toilet and won't get a satisfying clean. Plus, placing any container into your tank can displace too much water making your toilet flushes weak and not completely sending the waste down the drain. Pine-Sol's formula, in particular, is not toilet tank-approved.

Dumping Pine-Sol in your basin might sound like the easiest way to clean your toilet tank, but it can eat away at the plumbing system. The disinfectant is acidic. The rubber pieces in the cistern will erode, causing the flushing mechanism to malfunction. The Pine-Sol loaded in your tank ends up in the bowl, and if mixed with bleach or ammonia, it creates a toxic gas. You don't want cleaning your bathroom to make you sick all because you forgot about the Pine-Sol swimming in your tank.

Besides, you might get a fresh fragrance with every flush, but the disinfecting power of the cleaner dilutes when added to the tank. Without scrubbing or using it at full strength, you're not getting the complete benefit of the sterilizer, just the drawbacks.

While you shouldn't pour Pine-Sol into the tank, you can still use the multipurpose cleaner to refresh your toilet. For the exterior, soak a sponge into the solution and scrub the seat, bottom bowl, lid, and every crevice of the outer shell. Then rinse with water and dry with a microfiber cloth. For the interior, pour half of a cup of Pine-Sol inside the bowl and scrub. Get all under the rim and in the drain. Let the solution sit in the bowl for a few minutes before a final flush washes away the suds and grime. Now your throne is sparkling clean and fresh with that pine tree scent.