How to Replace a Toilet Seat

Fair warning: some of the photos in this post show a very grimy toilet. Proceed accordingly.

I had tried everything to get our toilet seats looking white again: cleaners, scrubbing, even a couple of professional housecleaners. Nothing worked. Then it finally hit me that the cheapest fix might be to stop cleaning the old seat and just swap it out.

Our toilets came with the house when it was built in 1994, which means those seats had been in service for more than 20 years. (Try not to think about that too hard.) Before heading to the store, I checked two things about the existing seat: its shape (ours was elongated/oval) and its color (white, or close enough).

Choosing a New Toilet Seat

My local Fred Meyer had a surprising number of options: padded seats, wood seats, slow-close seats, and even seats with a built-in toddler ring.

I went with an elongated Mayfair seat for about $25. Comparable seats are easy to find at any hardware store or on Amazon at a similar price. The two things that matter most:

• Shape: round or elongated. Measure from the bolt holes to the front edge if you aren't sure. Elongated bowls are roughly 18–19 inches; round bowls are about 16–17 inches.
• Color: match your toilet unless you want a two-tone look.

Removing the Old Seat

Taking the old seat off was easier than I expected, but it was also pretty gross. Rubber gloves and a disinfectant spray are your friends here.

1. Open the bolt covers

At the back of the seat are two small caps covering the bolts. Mine flipped up; others twist or pry off depending on the model.

2. Loosen the bolts and nuts

Hold the bolt steady with a screwdriver from the top, then reach underneath the bowl's rim and unscrew the nut. This hidden spot turned out to be a prime collector of grime (and probably odors, too).

3. Lift off the old seat

Once both bolts are out, the seat lifts right off.

4. Clean everything

With the seat gone, you finally have access to every surface. Give the bolt holes and the area underneath the rim a thorough scrub before the new seat goes on.

Installing the New Seat

Every seat is a little different, so skim the included instructions first. The basic process is the same for most models.

1. Insert the bolts

On my Mayfair seat, the bolts go into the mounting holes first.

2. Thread on the nuts

Screw the nuts onto the bottoms of the bolts, snug but not tight yet.

3. Tighten from the top

Tighten the bolts from above with a screwdriver (mine accepted either a Phillips or flathead). Stop once it's firm; overtightening can crack the porcelain or the hinge.

4. Attach the seat

My seat simply snapped onto the hinges, and a quarter turn locked it in place. That's it!

Quick Recap

• Replacing a seat is cheap and fast, and far less expensive than replacing the whole toilet.
• You don't need to be handy. A screwdriver is usually the only tool required.
• Match the shape (round or elongated) and the color of your toilet.
• Plan on about 10 minutes from start to finish.

The bathroom honestly smelled fresher right away. Now that I know how easy the seat is to remove, I plan to take it off every 6 to 12 months to clean the bolts and hinge area properly.

Looking for another easy bathroom upgrade? Check out how to re-grout and re-caulk a shower.