Research estimates that there are 50 disease-causing microbes per square inch of a toilet seat. 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.
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. Despite the odds seemingly stacked against you, keeping your bathroom clean and sanitary is a cakewalk.
If you live by yourself, you can get by with cleaning the toilet seat every so often. If you have kids, you must wipe the toilet seat, handle, and bowl at least once a day with a disinfectant. Then, you need to give the toilet seat a thorough wash once every week and a deep cleaning once every month.
When deep cleaning your toilet, you should take off the toilet seat as it affords you better access to the hidden spaces. While some toilet seats are easily detached, some have the attachment mechanism hidden, making the process a tad complicated. However, that shouldn't cast a dark cloud on your efforts to keep your bathroom clean and sparkling. This guide shows you how to remove toilet seat with hidden fixings when you need to clean or replace it.
How to Remove Toilet Seat with Hidden Fixings
Most seats and bowls fall into three broad categories - round, elongated, or D-shaped - but all toilet seats are secured to the pan by a pair of hinges.
The hinges are always at the back of the toilet seat and are sometimes covered with plastic caps for both safety and beauty. With such toilet seats, you need to remove the protective coverings to get to the hinges.
Toilet Seat Fixing Types: Bottom Or Top
Bottom toilet seat fixings are fitted from the top and then tighten from the bottom sometimes using wing nuts. Top fixing toilets seats work by putting two bolts into the toilet base and then tightened from the top.
What you'll need
Removing Toilet Seats with Hidden Hinges: Steps
The first step to remove a toilet seat with hidden hinges or how to remove toilet seat with hidden fixings entails peeking behind the plastic caps. That lets you determine the kind of fastening mechanism you're dealing with.
- Protect your hands by wearing protective gloves. Gloves aren't a hard requirement, but you can never be too careful when working on a toilet.
- Tape the toilet seat to the cover using duct tape. Taping the seat and the lid together makes the unit easier to handle. It keeps the seat from falling over or slamming on your fingers or getting in the way as you work.
- Examine the cap's covering the bolt and hinges to determine their orientation. Some designs are relatively straightforward and only need a flathead screwdriver to pop them open. Others might be a tad complicated and might call on you to use a socket wrench to loosen the nuts and bolts. Use the necessary tool to pry open the hinge cover, taking care to apply gentle pressure to avoid damages.
- Remove the regular plastic caps, ease the flathead screwdriver beneath the cap and pop it up. Some caps are attached to the toilet seat while others pop right off. Removing the cap exposes the hinge mechanism. These are usually attached to the toilet bowl using a bolt that is secured by a nut on the underside. It also lets you get the toilet seat out of the way.
- Detach the toilet seat from the toilet bowl. Most toilet seats come with a quick-release mechanism which allows for quick removal from their hinges. In most cases, you only need to pop the protective cap and slide the seat right off the hinges. Detaching the seat gives you better access to the hinges.
- The shape of the screw determines the kind of screwdriver or tools you'll need to unfasten the hinge. Usually, you'll be faced with a slot or Philip's head. A flathead works for the slot head, but you'll need a Philips screwdriver for the Philips' head. Unscrew the screws, applying gentle pressure as you twist the screwdriver anti-clockwise. Using too much pressure might strip the screw head, making the task more challenging.
- If the toilet is old and the seat is attached to it using metal bolts, you might have to use a penetrating oil such as WD40 on the bolt and nut. Apply the oil around the metallic bits and leave it to sit for up to 10 minutes. A solution of 1-part acetone and 9-part cooking oil can suffice if you don't have any WD40 handy. That loosens the nut and bolt rust, making it easy to remove the screws.
- If the screws are secured by wingnuts in the lower side, you can use your hands to keep them from rotating as you work the top. Alternatively, you can use the socket wrench or a pair of pliers to hold the bolts as you tighten.
- If the screw heads are too rusted or too stripped, you might have to take drastic action to remove the seat bolts. Try placing some materials on the screw for added traction. If that doesn't work, try gripping the screw with a pair of pliers and turning it. If that fails as well, use a hacksaw to create a notch on the screw head, then use the flathead screwdriver to work the bolts loose. If it comes to this, you'll have to replace the screws to ensure that the seat fits snugly and securely on the toilet bowl. Taking the screws with you to the hardware store lets you get an exact replacement set.
Once you've worked the toilet seat and the hinge mechanism, you can go ahead and give your toilet a thorough cleaning. Removing the hinges lets you clean grime and dirt that's often hidden beneath. That is especially important when your toilet has metallic bits that are susceptible to rust. The exposure of metallic hinges to water and urine speeds up the rusting process.
Rusty hinges and screws result in considerable play, causing the once stable seat to shift under your weight. That increases the likelihood of suffering an injury and drastically reduces the lifespan of your toilet seat. Rusty metallic bits also leave ugly brown stains on your toilet bowl that are difficult to clean.
