Gross Take, but Here’s How Often You Should Actually Replace Your Toilet Seat
Some home repair tasks give you a bit of wiggle room. Stained carpet is a bummer, but it doesn’t require an immediate renovation. Dulled paint could benefit from a fresh coat, but no one will be hurt if you don’t get the roller out right away. And the same laid-back attitude applies to a necessary (but often overlooked) detail in your bathroom: the toilet seat. Unless it’s broken, how often you plan on replacing your toilet seat is entirely up to you.
“Sure, they can become worn or discolored over time,” says Charley Pugh, the head of local services at Matriarchy Build. “There are also some purely aesthetic reasons to replace them — maybe you have one of the old wooden toilet seats and you want something that looks more modern.”
Judaline Cassidy, plumber and CEO of Tools and Tiaras, agrees that replacing a toilet seat is mostly done to upgrade it rather than replace it, as it’s more likely to become outdated than break completely. “In the past, bidets used to be a separate feature,” she says as one example. “But now you can get it attached to the seat. And while it might not be required to replace, I always recommend doing so for those old seats with built-in padding. Those pads are not sanitary!”
If you fall into one of these categories — or if you’re in the unfortunate position of replacing a broken toilet seat — the good news is that it’s not a difficult task to accomplish. Here’s what you should do if you want to replace your toilet seat, according to the professionals.
The Tools You’ll Need
Before you touch any part of your toilet, gather the tools you’ll need for the job. “You’ll need a flat- or Phillips-head screwdriver,” says master plumber Kelly Ireland. “You’ll also want to have a pair of adjustable pliers.”
Those two tools are the most important ones for this task, but Cassidy recommends one more, just in case: a hacksaw. “If your toilet seat has plastic screws, then there’s a chance that someone could’ve cross-threaded them, which basically means that the tread pattern doesn’t line up nicely with the bolt and screw, so you can’t pull off the seat,” she notes. “That’s why you might need a hacksaw.”
How to Remove the Old Toilet Seat
When you’re ready to replace your toilet seat, removing the old one is relatively easy, especially considering how labor-intensive other bathroom projects can be. Start by flipping the top cover of the seat up, then seek out the screws you’ll need to remove. “Usually you can hold the nut underneath the bowl with a pair of adjustable pliers,” Pugh says. “Then unscrew the bolt from the top with a screwdriver.”
Pugh notes that some toilet bowl lids have the bolts attached to them directly, and in that case, you have to loosen the nut from underneath. “Most seats have little plastic covers that you have to flip up or remove to access the screw from on top,” they say. If the plastic is tough to lift because of the aforementioned “cross-threading,” that’s when Cassidy recommends using a hacksaw.
Installing the New Toilet Seat
While there are a range of toilet seats to choose from, most are sold in just two sizes. “Your options are ‘round,’ which is about 16 1/2 inches, or ‘elongated,’ which is around 18 1/2 inches,” Ireland says. The elongated toilet bowl has a more pointed front, and is best if you’re looking for more space to sit. “You want to try to have the same toilet and toilet seat cover, so shop within the same brand,” Cassidy adds. This will ensure that there’s no misalignment when you’re installing a new seat.
To finish the job, Pugh suggests pausing at this point to clean the area. “This spot can be tough to get to, so it’s always a good idea to give it a deep clean while you can,” they say. “From there, simply set the seat in place so that the bolt holes align with the bolt holes in the toilet. Put the bolts through both sets of holes, then reach underneath and start the nut on the bolt. To get them fully tightened, you may want to give the bolts a final couple of turns with a screwdriver while holding the nuts in place underneath. You don’t want your seat sliding around.”
Cassidy recommends taking your time — just to be sure that everything is where it should be. At this point, your new toilet seat is ready to be used. “This is a simple project, and I like projects that empower people,” Cassidy says. “You could ask professionals like me to do it for you, but these are easy changes you can do yourself.” You have her (and our) blessing to go for it.
Further Reading
I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
