Do we clean the gas tank when replacing sending unit?
 

Hello, so I got a strong gasoline smell coming from the inside of the car that has gotten worse over the past month. I took out the battery and tray and there is a puddle pooling on top of the s being unit which is pretty close to the cabin filter, probably why the inside smelled so strong. So I'm rolling the dice and bought a new sending unit and oring.

My question is how do I keep myself from accidentally dropping something into the tank or getting debris inside? Is it a good idea to clean the tank while I am in there? Chemicals or just use a clean rag or paper towels?

I found plenty of info of how to get the job done however I don't know if cleaning the tank is necessary or a little overkill or if it is one of those things that piggy backs with changing a pump or sending unit. I can't imagine it will hurt anything though if I just did it🤔