How to Loosen a Toilet Seat
“Lefty-loosey, righty-tighty” is fine and dandy when you want to open a bottle of juice or screw in a light bulb, but it can become a bit more involved when it comes to toilet seats.
That’s because the design of your toilet bowl hasn’t changed much since its invention. With this design, the nuts holding the toilet seat in place are often located underneath the bowl. So if your toilet is wedged in a corner or is a next door neighbor to the vanity, tricky maneuvering is required to unscrew the seat. There’s also the issue of rusty bolts or nuts that stubbornly refuse to budge.
But it can be done!
Tackling the job with the right tools helps.
- Screwdriver
- Wrench (5/8” or ½” socket or combination)
- Penetrating lubricant
- Gloves
- Plastic bag
We urge caution when using metal tools, which can easily chip the porcelain of the toilet
First, put on the gloves. Next, open the hinge caps and find the bolts. Look underneath the bowl to see if a wing nut is securing the bolt. If it is, hold the wing nut in place and use a screwdriver to unscrew the bolt, using lefty-loosey as your guide. Repeat on the second bolt. Remove the seat. Last, place all the unwanted hardware and the toilet seat in the plastic bag, seal it, and dispose of properly.
If you have a Bemis seat featuring the STAY-TITE® Seat Fastening System™, removing the seat is easy. First, open the hinge caps. Next, reach beneath the bowl and use a wrench to loosen the STAY-TITE nuts. After a few turns, you should be able to finish loosening them by hand. After they are free, set them aside and remove the bolts, then lift the seat off the bowl. Last, place all the unwanted hardware and the toilet seat in the plastic bag, seal it, and dispose of properly.
If you have a Bemis seat featuring the TOP-TITE ® STAY-TITE® Seat Fastening System™, first open the hinge caps. Next, use the wrench to loosen the bolts, reaching below the bowl to hold the wing nuts in place as you do this. Remove all the bolts and nuts and then lift the seat off the bowl. Place all of this in the plastic bag, seal it, and dispose of properly.
If the seat is attached with a traditional metal bolt and metal nut, grab your socket wrench and fit it over the long bolt that grips the nut. Turn the nut counterclockwise to unscrew. If it won’t budge, spray with rust penetrant and wait five or ten minutes for the spray to work. Repeat the process on the bolt, remove the toilet seat, and place all the hardware and the seat in the plastic bag for disposal.
After all this work, you deserve a new toilet seat!
Installing a Bemis toilet seat with STAY-TITE is a breeze! In a few simple steps, your toilet seat will be securely attached to the bowl, no "lefty-loosey" needed! You can feel confident knowing that our Never Loosens™ technology guarantees that the seat will never loosen with use.
Need more inspo? Be sure to visit The Reading Room. You'll find all kinds of helpful articles about design inspiration, tightening and loosening your toilet seat, and cleaning tips.
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