You Probably Didn't Know The Toilet Seat In Your Home Could Do This

Sanitizing the bathroom is an important part of cleaning the house — and that especially rings true for cleaning the toilet seat. Let's be honest: No one particularly loves to clean the toilet, but it makes a massive difference when you walk into the powder room or master suite and the toilet is in pristine condition. But, there's a catch. While you might be wiping down the seat with bleach, you might not be cleaning the toilet as effectively as you think you are. There is one toilet cleaning hack in particular that not many people know about, and it shows just how many spots we likely miss when sanitizing the toilet seat.

When it comes to scrubbing the toilet, missing key areas on the seat will only make the grime compound over the weeks, and your toilet will never truly feel clean. But people don't miss these spots because they're lazy; instead, they just don't know these dirty areas exist! Well, we are here to change that. If your level of cleanliness rivals Monica Geller's from "Friends," then this is a toilet cleaning trick you need in your life ASAP. You can thank us later.

Not many people know this, but the hinges of the toilet seat pop up. They're located in the rear of the seat, and they need to be lifted in order to properly clean the area. While most people clean around the hinges, this doesn't allow the sponge or product to get in between the area where the hinge meets the actual toilet. That's why you'll often see a ring of grime around the mechanism when you flip open the hinge.

A TikToker shared a viral toilet cleaning video you really need to watch: They showed how to properly sanitize a toilet by snapping back the hinges, which released the toilet seat from the bowl. "The seat completely unclips for you to clean," the TikToker shared in the video. They then effortlessly cleaned the entire seat with Clorox, and snapped the hinges back into place.

Followers in the comments pointed out that not all toilets seats are made the same, so you should carefully test the hinges of your toilet when attempting this cleaning hack for the first time. Some hinges flip up, but don't allow you to take off the toilet seat completely, while others will need a screwdriver to come off. Just as long as you try it carefully, this TikTok-approved cleaning hack will make your bathroom feel much more sanitary.

When watching the TikTok video with the toilet seat hack, the process seems simple enough. But just in case you don't want to queue the video while cleaning your toilet or re-watch it several times over before starting on this chore, we've broken down the steps for you. First you make sure the lid is closed since this provides easy access to the hinges. Then grab the hinges from the top and carefully pull up on the coverings. They should fold back, revealing the openings where the hinges attach to the toilet. Next, pull the seat away from the back of the toilet to allow enough space for cleaning. Then you'll spray the area with your disinfecting cleaner of choice and wipe completely until all stains are gone. You might also take this opportunity to give the hinges a good wipe-down as well. 

From there, you'll need to reattach the seat back onto the toilet by scooting the seat back to where you can line the hinges up to the holes. Once the hinges are correctly lined up, then you'll snap them back down. You should hear a click. Just to be sure the seat is attached properly, you might give it a slight push sideways, but the clicking of the hinges should signal a secure fit. 

As mentioned, not all seats have the same snap-off and snap-on feature like the one in the TikTok video. If you run into that obstacle, you might need to carefully troubleshoot. For starters, you can look underneath the toilet to see if the seat's hinges are attached by two winged nuts. If that's the case, as outlined by the blog on Beamis you'll hold the nut in place while you loosen the bolt with a screwdriver. 

Some toilet seats have bolts that require a 5/8-inch or socket wrench to loosen them. In that situation, you'll remove the covering from each side, and by turning the wrench to the left, you'll unscrew the bolt. If you have an older toilet seat that has the traditional nut-and-bolt combination, then you might have to apply a bit more elbow grease as you're turning the wrench. If all else fails, you can spray the nut and bolt with a rust penetrant to make the turning easier. This may seem like a lot of work for just sanitizing the toilet, but remember Monica Geller and the value of a germ-free restroom on "Friends."