Removing the cap exposes the hinge mechanism. Rusty hinges and screws result in considerable play, causing the once stable seat to shift under your weight. Wooden Toilet Seat. The metal bolts are part of the toilet seat hinge hardware. I would love to take a scrub brush to it, but don't know what is safe to use on the plastic. Use your flat head screwdriver to remove these protective caps (this may be harder for older seats which have sat there for some time). Then, you need to give the toilet seat a thorough wash once every week and a deep cleaning once every month. I've tried cleaner with bleach and that takes care of most of it, but not All of it. Try placing some materials on the screw for added traction. Some ways to remove scratches from a plastic screen include: wiping with a Magic Eraser, using a specifically designed commercial scratch remover, rubbing with a pencil eraser or polishing with car headlight cream. How to Clean Stains on Plastic Toilet Seats Step 1. 3. The exposure of metallic hinges to water and urine speeds up the rusting process. Make sure wipe down the entire toilet; including the seat, tank sides and even base. How to Remove Toilet Seat with Hidden Fixings: A Detailed Guide, hinges are always at the back of the toilet seat, Penetrating oil (only if you spot rust on metal nuts and bolts), KOHLER K-4734-96 Rutledge Elongated Toilet Seat Review, Toilet Seat Hinge Replacement: A Complete Guide. Others might be a tad complicated and might call on you to use a socket wrench to loosen the nuts and bolts. I've visited Thetford's website and it's very likely that C200 seat/cover removal is covered somewhere there, but I couldn't find the information quickly and, as I'm in an idle mood, I thought I'd ask the forum. It also lets you get the toilet seat out of the way. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Insert a screwdriver into the head of the bolt to hold it in place, then loosen the nut with your socket wrench. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Keep reading to learn how to remove a stubborn toilet seat! Most toilet seats are attached to the toilet with fittings held together by two bolts, which are usually hidden by 2 plastic caps at the back of the loo seat itself. Drilled metal may have burrs or jagged edges that can cut you. This will prevent the seat from sliding around. Corroded bolts and nuts are harder to detach. Allow it to soak for several minutes. Your toilet should now be sparkly clean! Most toilet seats come with a quick-release mechanism which allows for quick removal from their hinges. Have you ever sat down on your toilet and almost froze your butt off? This guide will take you through removing your old toilet seat and installing a new one. The toilet tank has two major components: the toilet flush valve, which enables water to enter the bowl to flush, and the fill valve, which lets water enter the tank after the flush. It’s definitely uncomfortable when you come out of a toasty warm bed, and sit down on what amounts to a block of ice. Vinegar and Baking Soda #2. With such toilet seats, you need to remove the protective coverings to get to the hinges. Cant remove toilet seat. If the screw heads are too rusted or too stripped, you might have to take drastic action to remove the seat bolts. wikiHow's. Repeat this process until the entire seat is rinsed with the foamy paste. If you need to remove a toilet seat, use your fingers or a screwdriver to pry off the plastic covers at the back of the seat. Alternatively, you can apply clear silicone to the areas where the seat attaches to the bowl. Older toilet seats are held in place with metal hardware and screws. To remove the nut from the seat hinge bolt, use a long socket and socket wrench to unscrew the nut. want to put on a new toilet seat but can't get bolts to loosen. What’s more, each flush of the handle unleashes a mini tsunami to sweep away the waste, sending plumes of microbes flying in the air. Open the bolt caps to gain access to the seat fasteners, if necessary. If the toilet seat is colored, test a small area first to ensure there are no adverse effects to the color from the bleach or other cleaners. Then, you can cut through the bolts. Removing the cap exposes the hinge mechanism. Mix ¼ cup of baking soda with ½ cup of warm water in a small bowl. 2. How To Paint A Toilet Seat. STEP 4: Wet sand for deeper scratches. Typically, the nut is located beneath the toilet seat, or even beneath the back of the bowl. Bleach, Lime, and Toilet Cleaner; In Short Once you’ve exposed the screw that holds the seat in place, use your fingers or a pair of pliers to hold the nut in place, and unscrew the bolt with a screwdriver. In respect to this, how do you get scratches out of a plastic toilet seat? When it comes to removing toilet seats, the big gun is a drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit. STEP 1: Scrutinize the scratches. Last Updated: February 21, 2020 Put on goggles to protect your eyes; then insert the bit into the bottom of a stuck metal nut that you can't turn at the point at which it meets the bolt. I have plastic toilet seats. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Protect your hands by wearing protective gloves. If you don’t have penetrating oil on hand, you can mix together a solution that is 90% vegetable oil and 10% acetone to make your own. Toilet Seat Cleaning with Vinegar. So, what’s the better choice to go with in terms of warmth, wh… wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. It’s a good thing most toilet seats can be removed easily by unfastening their connecting nuts and bolts. STEP 3: First buff using a mild abrasive, like toothpaste or baking soda. That loosens the nut and bolt rust, making it easy to remove the screws. Use light pressure when opening the bolt covers. Research estimates that there are 50 disease-causing microbes per square inch of a toilet seat. Tape the toilet seat to the cover using duct tape. A solution of 1-part acetone and 9-part cooking oil can suffice if you don’t have any WD40 handy. If that doesn’t work, try gripping the screw with a pair of pliers and turning it. Use light to moderate pressure when removing plastic hardware to keep it from breaking or deforming. That means the bathroom is always at risk of turning into a germ-infested mess if you don’t take quick and effective corrective measures. Taking the screws with you to the hardware store lets you get an exact replacement set. Check cleaners before using them on toilet porcelain or the seat itself. Give your bathroom a quick refresh with a new toilet seat. Slide the plastic bolts into the slots on the back of the new seat. The typically narrow space around your toilet can make working on it a chore. Remove the regular plastic caps, ease the flathead screwdriver beneath the cap and pop it up. It keeps the seat from falling over or slamming on your fingers or getting in the way as you work. STEP 5: Go for a finer grit. http://www.toiletseats.com/customer-service/installation-guides/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP7KXv2ab-o, https://www.engineeringforchange.org/how-to-make-penetrating-oil/, https://www.thisoldhouse.com/more/removing-old-toilet-seats, https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/toilet-repair/toilet-seat-replacement/view-all, http://bobmay.astronomy.net/misc/drillchart.htm, https://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/toilet-repair/toilet-seat-repair-keep-your-seat-tight/view-all, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. If you live by yourself, you can get by with cleaning the toilet seat every so often. toilet seat at old house was stained through using bleach I use the same cleaner all over the toilet so it's either a reaction to any splashback urine or the plastic isn't as 'finished' underneath and has reacted/stained more easily Spray a germ-killing cleaner, such as Clorox Clean-up, on the toilet seat stains. How To: Remove Scratches from Plastic. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates. It's best to read the manufacturer's instructions before you start this project as installation and fixings can vary. Dip it in the vinegar and baking soda mix and then rinse the toilet seat with the brush. Continue enlarging the hole as necessary and pulling at the nut with pliers until it comes free. Hidden Fixing Toilet SeatTOTO SS113#01 Transitional SoftClose. The Thetford instruction leaflet that accompanied the vehicle states that the toilet's seat and cover are removable but doesn't reveal how to remove them. These are usually attached to the toilet bowl using a bolt that is secured by a nut on the underside. Unscrew the screws, applying gentle pressure as you twist the screwdriver anti-clockwise. The toilet seat is made up of several movable and immovable parts. Plastic Toilet Seat #2. I know, it sounds way more complicated than it actually is. Some toilets may not have plastic covers for the bolts. A flathead works for the slot head, but you’ll need a Philips screwdriver for the Philips’ head. Use light pressure when opening the bolt covers. References. One thing to consider when trying to choose between a wooden and plastic toilet seat is warmth. However, that shouldn’t cast a dark cloud on your efforts to keep your bathroom clean and sparkling. Installing a Toilet. Insert the head of each bolt into the holes at each side of the flange, and fit the stems at the ends of the slots. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. That increases the likelihood of suffering an injury and drastically reduces the lifespan of your toilet seat. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes for the penetrating oil to seep into the narrow spaces of the hardware and break up corrosion. Open the closet-bolt package. Step 3 Spray penetrating lubricant in the threads of the plastic bolt If the nut does not unthread easily. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Your Care Need To Depend On The Materials Of Your Toilet Seat #1. Copyright © 2019 Project for Home | All Rights Reserved. These are usually attached to the toilet bowl using a bolt that is secured by a nut on the underside. Simply unscrew the nut from the attached bolt. Remove the toilet seat from the toilet and submerge it into the bleach solution. Most toilet seats are attached to the toilet with fittings. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7d\/Remove-a-Toilet-Seat-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Remove-a-Toilet-Seat-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7d\/Remove-a-Toilet-Seat-Step-1.jpg\/aid8687873-v4-728px-Remove-a-Toilet-Seat-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"