I’m pretty sure part of my problem is not doing anything to the tank, just repeatedly cleaning the bowl.
I used chlorine tablets in the tank for years. It slowed down mold growth, but sure didn’t stop it. I also heard from some plumbers that chlorine tablets will shorten the life of the hardware in the tank. It slowly eats through rubber making it hard and brittle. I stopped using those tablets after that.
I’ve heard the same. One trick that is recommended though is some distilled vinegar in the tank about once a month. I’ve yet to try that.
How do you guys avoid breathing the toxic fumes? I use Kaboom on the shower glass, but it burns when I inhale. (Same thing when using bleach.)
Toxic fumes from what? I now use some clorox cleaning gel and I scrub it a bit. The mold is greatly reduced but not gone. Now I also have a bunch of blue crud under the rim. I am pretty sure that this is the cleaning gel that hardened because it was not rinsed well.
For bleach specifically, the smell of it lingers because it’s absorbed into your skin, including your nasal passages. Though not toxic in that kind of concentration, it’s just annoying that you smell it for a long time after use.
I’m not sure what’s in Kaboom. I use this stuff, it works pretty well:
I’ve seen older people recoil in fear when they learn I am cleaning stuff with bleach. I’m the one touching it… I think they may have mistaken knowledge because people STILL mix bleach with dawn ultra even thought I tell them not to. Maybe they’ve heard rumors of people making their mustard gas with ammonia/bleach and poisoning their lungs and all they remember is BLEACH = BAD.
That black gunk? I can get chunks of it dug out from under the rim where you cannot see it unless your head’s there. I don’t believe its mold but not sure. Think it’s the water where I am - pretty nasty and from aquafers. It comes back regularly but this time it was pretty thick. Scary though. Near filled up the bottom of the bowl…lol., Truly. It the minerals.
Kitchen gun might be worth a go.