Cleanliness is next to godliness. I’m sure that you heard this phrase at least a couple of times. People usually refer to personal hygiene when cleanliness is the topic, but that is not the case. Cleaning a room that you visit several times a day is not only important but essential to your health. But no one ever teaches us how to clean our bathrooms, let alone raised toilet seats. So, what gives?
Well, no matter how banal it may seem at first, I’ve decided to make this short tutorial and tell the story of cleaning raised toilet seats, among other related things. A lot of people just buy super harsh, aggressive chemicals and hope for the best while they splash them all over the place. Working smart, not hard, is the way to go in this situation. Also, overcleaning is a thing. Let’s dig right in.
Before You Start
As you probably already know (I’m not judging if you don’t), cleaning a toilet requires you to use some pretty harsh chemicals. Our bodily fluids (and solids) are full of microorganisms and their waste that is potentially hazardous for our health.
For example – the infamous e coli bacteria are super useful in our intestines, they help us process waste, absorb food, and deal with vitamin K. But if this bacterium gets somewhere else, it stops being an ally and turns into a villain.
So, to eliminate the threat of getting infected often, we apply strong chemical agents while cleaning the bathroom, including the toilet seat. I would like to encourage you to clean the toilet seat in a ventilated environment and avoid the fumes and gases that come out when the agents react with the unclean parts. Urn the ventilator on, open a window, or both. Whatever you do, do not close off the airflow to your bathroom while you are in it cleaning. Now, let’s see what else you’ll need.
The Gear You Will Need to Clean a Raised Toilet Seat
So, before you get on with the whole ordeal, it’s important to gear up properly. I know that safety doesn’t always come to mind when people talk about house chores, but you’d be surprised by how many accidents happen on cleaning duty. In order to avoid mishaps while cleaning a raised toilet seat and clean properly, you should gear up first. Here are the basics:
- Rubber or latex gloves – this should be the best line of defense for your skin against the volatile nature of cleaning ingredients.
- Wear old clothes with long sleeves – splashes will happen, no matter how skillful you are at cleaning. Wear something which you are ok with throwing out in case it gets damaged by the cleaning agents.
- A bowl and access to warm water
- Pair of cloths – one for scrubbing, one for the finishing touches
- Brush to help you with sturdy stains
- Cleaning agent
- Enzyme cleaner for odors
How to Clean a Raised Toilet Seat – a Step by Step Guide
Ok, now that you’ve geared up, it is time to start cleaning. As you probably knew, raised toilet seats come in a few different styles and heights. However, no matter the height, the mounting style will change the cleaning process to a degree. So, to clean the raised toilet seat properly, it would be best to remove it beforehand. Let’s go through the process:
- Put the rubber gloves on!
- Remove the raised toilet seat. If it’s a clip-on type, just unclip it. If it’s a bolt-on, you will need a tool to remove the bolt. Just remember to clean the bolts and clips as well at some point.
- First, you should put some make a solution with a small dose of the cleaning agent and lukewarm water.
- Soak a cloth with the solution and clean as much as you can reach. Raise the lid and clean around the connectors as well. Repeat the process until you’ve reached all the accessible areas.
- If you stumble upon some stubborn stains, dip the brush into the solution and put some elbow grease into it.
- Once you covered everything, use the other (clean) cloth, and go over everything once again. You can wash this cloth a few times under running lukewarm water if needed.
- Let the raised toilet seat dry out before you put it back on the toilet.
- Again – don’t forget to clean the connector clips or bolts, depending on what you have.
*If the raised toilet seat has handlebars or some sort of assistance, you can let the bars soak up in the tub. Be careful with cleaning agents around the handlebars because some plastic materials can’t handle (pun intended) the chemicals.
Don’t Forget the Smells
After you are done cleaning, there is a chance that some smells stick around. There is no shame in this, our bodies produce all sorts of nasty stuff, and we all have to deal with it somehow. Luckily, no one is exempt from this rule, so there are quick solutions for smells and nasty odors in the bathroom. These special chemicals are called “enzyme cleaners”.
Enzyme cleaners are designed to deal with organic smells that come out of human and animal waste. Most likely, the enzyme cleaner you choose will be already dissolved and ready to use, packed in a spray bottle.
Applying an enzyme cleaner is easy, but make sure to wear protective gear. Some brands are quite pungent, so wearing a respiratory mask is also a plus. Everything you need to clean the enzyme solution is a roll of paper towels. Apply the solution, wait a few minutes, and clean the liquid with the towels. If the odors stick around repeat the process.
Wrap Up
Using expensive (and often too aggressive) chemicals is not the smartest approach to cleaning raised toilet seats. I mean, the agents certainly help, but they are hazardous to your health and, if not used properly, they can cause more harm than good. Use this guide to make your own cleaning routine, all in within the limits of safety. You don’t want to turn your bathroom into a contaminated zone, all with the intention to clean it better.
We all have to use the bathroom several times a day, so why not enjoy every visit? Smells, dirt, bacteria, and other waste are all going through your toilet, so it is only logical to learn how to clean a raised toilet seat properly. I hope you discovered something new in this little tutorial, no matter if you are new to the subject or not. Everyone should enjoy their time on the toilet!
