Your toilet seat may have started to lose its color. The main causes of the discoloration are urine stains and an accumulation of limescale from the water.
Other elements that can affect the color of the seat are bleach that hasn’t been properly diluted, and sunlight.
Before you consider having to replace the toilet seat, there are ways in which you can treat the discoloration.
Some of the items you already have in your home such as baking soda or vinegar.
Ready, to get your toilet seat looking great again? Here’s how…
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below may be affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Time and time again you will come across the combination of baking soda and vinegar to tackle a variety of household issues.
They make a mighty team and can lift stains from your toilet seat.
- Mix an equal part of baking soda and vinegar until you have a paste.
- Apply the paste to the discolored areas of the toilet seat. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
- Wipe away the paste, then clean the seat.
The stain should be gone. Repeat the process if necessary.
Use Oven Cleaner
Oven cleaner contains chemicals that are created to eat away tough dirt and grime, so some people use it on their toilet seats.
To restore the color of your seat with oven cleaner, follow these steps:
- Allow ventilation into the room by opening a window. If there are no windows then have the door wide open.
- Spray the oven cleaner over the stained areas. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Wash the seat.
Restore The Color With Lemon Juice
Lemon juice acts as a natural bleaching agent. So you could use it to bring the whiteness back to your toilet seat.
- Squeeze the juice from a couple of lemons into a spray bottle.
- Give the affected areas of the toilet seat a thorough coating of lemon juice.
- Let the juice eat away at the stains for around 10 minutes.
- Wipe down the seat.
Harpic Toilet Cleaner Stains
Cleaning the toilet isn’t one of the most enjoyable tasks around the home. Understandably, you want to get the job done as quickly as possible.
If you use Harpic toilet cleaner, you may accidentally get some on your toilet seat. Now you have a stain.
It’s easy to deal with Harpic stains.
- Apply some rubbing alcohol to a cloth and rub at the stain.
- Wipe over the seat once you have removed the marks.
Remove The Discoloration With A Magic Sponge
Magic sponges are amazing things. You can use them throughout the house to shine and clean a range of surfaces. Even your toilet seat.
- Wet your sponge with water.
- Scrub away at the stains in small, circular motions. Watch the whiteness of your toilet seat return.
- Wring out any excess water from the sponge when you have finished.
Use Bleach To Bring The Color Back
You have to be careful when using bleach on your toilet seat. You don’t want to add to the discoloration.
Undiluted bleach can cause yellowing on the plastic. So, use this procedure with caution.
- Dilute your bleach in water (Use more water than recommended in the bleach’s directions). You want to have the bleach weaker rather than stronger.
- Apply the bleach to the stains. Give the bleach time to work, but no longer than an hour.
- Give the seat a good scrub.
- Rinse to remove all traces of the bleach.
Apply WD40 To The Toilet Seat Stain
WD40 may not be something you have considered using on your toilet, but you can. It is an effective stain remover, so give it a try.
- Give the stains a couple of squirts of WD40.
- Allow the WD40 to attack the stains for between 8 to 10 minutes.
- Scrub the stains.
- Wipe the toilet seat.
Because WD40 has a potent smell to it, you need to allow for good ventilation when working with it. It can also leave an oily smell in the air.
Spray a fragrance around the room to get rid of that workshop scent.
Replace The Toilet Seat
This is a last resort measure if nothing removes the stains. Swap out the toilet seat for a new one. You have an option of either plastic, wood, or porcelain.
Porcelain is more hardy against stains and can be bleached. Yet, they are heavier which is something to consider if you are lifting the seat often.
Plastic can be a cheaper option. Wood has an aesthetic value about it.
Additionally, you can paint the wood and have it match the decor of the room.
How Can I Prevent My Toilet Seat From Being Discolored?
If you don’t want to go through the job of having to rid your toilet seat of stains, there are some things you can do.
Keeping the discoloration at bay can be achieved in several ways.
Wipe the seat regularly
Yellow stains occur as urine and other nasties accumulate on the seat. Prevent this build-up by wiping down the seat after every use.
Fill a spray bottle with a solution of white vinegar and essential oils, then have this in the room near the toilet.
Get people to clean the seat once they have finished doing their thing.
Paper toilet seat covers
Think of these as toilet paper for your toilet seat. Paper toilet seat covers are primarily for use on public toilets (scary places that they are).
However, you can use them at home to keep your toilet seat splash free from water and those “accidents”.
When you’re done, you can flush the cover down the loo.
Add white vinegar to your toilet tank
Mineral deposits from hard water make their way from the tank into the bowl. Then these can land on the toilet seat when the toilet is flushed.
You can stop the mineral deposits by adding a cup of white vinegar to the water within the tank.
Every time you flush, this vinegar water enters the bowl. Say goodbye to mineral deposit stains on your toilet seat.
Looking After Your Toilet Seat
Yellow toilet seats are commonly the result of urine not being cleaned off the seat as well as mineral deposits from the water.
Regular cleaning can minimize the chance of staining on your toilet seat. If you do notice that there are splotches of yellow, you can remove them through the methods above.
Your clean toilet, though something you may not publicly boast about, is at least an object you are proud of.
