Toilet seats are the most used pieces of furniture in your home. You may not notice it, but they surely do. As such, after years or even decades of use, most toilet seats tend to get a bit wobbly. But thanks to a few tools and DIY tricks, almost all of them can get back on their feet.
What Is the Cause of Wobbly Toilet Seat?
Usually, toilet seats are pinned in place using securing bolts. But after some wear and tear, those bolts tend to either break down or simply get loose. The result is a wobbly, moving toilet seat.
Another common cause of a toilet seat moving is damage to the hinges. Depending on the type of material used (most commonly it’s metal), hinges can get rusty. Household detergents can also accelerate the process, as most contain bleach, which is a no-no for metal.
Last but not least, slamming the toilet seat can break it pretty easily. Not only can it damage the plastic cover, but slams can also tear off the bumpers underneath the seat. While sometimes nature is the culprit, it’s better to avoid leaving a toilet seat at the mercy of gravity.
Time for a Closer Look
Before you start doing any type of repairs, it’s important to know what you are dealing with. First of all, take a look at the seat for any obvious damage. Look for broken plastic or lift the seat and check if the bumper pads are all good.
Next up, you should check what kind of toilet seat you have. Most seats use metal screws that require removing the seat first before you can have a look at them. You can also have plastic bolts that have a nut that prevents the bolt from moving.
Lastly, you should look underneath the toilet bowl, to check the bolts. Move them around a bit, see if they seem loose. Look out for broken or compressed washers, as they may be at fault too. And don’t forget to check the hinges for any rust or cracks.
Fixing a Wobbly Toilet Seat
Depending on the type of damage it has sustained, there are a couple of ways to fix a wobbly toilet seat. First, however, you should have at least a screwdriver and some WD40 around to help in removing any broken or loose screws. You can also bring a wrench as you may need to tighten some bolts.
In case you are lacking proper tools, you can always get a screwdriver set. The CREMAX Professional Magnetic screwdriver set, for example, is one of the best choices for any household needs. With a full range of tips, the CREMAX set provides any type of screwdriver you could need when repairing the toilet seat.
1. Tightening the Screws
If you are among the lucky ones, fixing your toilet seat is as easy as tightening some screws. Simply remove the lid protecting the bolts and tighten them up. However, you might need to remove the toilet cover itself to access them. Sometimes you may also need to grip the nuts that hold the screws down for a more secure tightening.
Screw Tightening Kits
Even though using a screwdriver is the go-to option, tightening kits are getting more and more popular. For example, the simple to use Ginsley All-in-One Kit includes everything you might need at an affordable price. It even comes with a pair of new screws in case the old ones are broken beyond repair. If you want a hassle-free screw tightening, you can always go for the Ginsley All-in-One Kit.
2. Bolt Repair
Sometimes, no matter how hard or how much pressure you put into screwing, the bolts just rotate senselessly. That may be a sign of a worn-out screw. The solution is to buy another set of bolts but if that’s not possible you can always try a DIY trick. All you need is a bit of tape, preferably plumbing tape.
Simply wrap the tape around the bolt, but don’t go all the way. You don’t need to wrap all the way down the bolt, just the part that gets hooked into the nuts. You can follow this tutorial, as it goes in-depth into fixing a broken bolt.
Toilet Seat Bolt Recommendations
Although a broken bolt can be fixed, there are times when it’s too broken to be repaired. When choosing replacement screws, the best option out there are the FOCCTS 4 Pack Toilet Screws. Durable and sturdy, the FOCCTS screws can fit most toilet seats thanks to the expanding rubber cover of them.
3. Changing the Hinge
While fiddling with the screws can usually solve most problems, other times the hinges are at fault. If the hinges are cracked or broken, there is no other way than to change them. Remove the old ones by unscrewing the bolts from both the toilet seat and the toilet itself. Most toilet seat models allow for hinge changing, but other models might need to be replaced entirely.
Toilet Seat Hinge Recommendation
The hinge type you need depends on the material used in the toilet seat. If you are using a common plastic seat, Qualihome provides some of the most durable hinges available on the market. Easy to install and easy to clean, choosing Qualihome hinges means choosing quality.
4. Toilet Seat Bumpers
The next common problem toilet seats may face is broken or damaged bumpers. If you checked the toilet seat earlier you might have already noticed if everything is alright below. If not, now is a good time to see if any bumper seems like it’s about to fall or already fell.
Fixing bumpers is quite easy as you just unscrew the old ones and replace them. You can also opt for T shaped bumpers that will give your toilet seat more stability. Another option is to use toilet seat stops, which are similar to bumpers but much easier to install.
Toilet Seat Stoppers
If you want to go the easier route and don’t want to handle screws anymore, you can choose the SteadySeat Stoppers. Thanks to their durable sticky pads, this product requires no tools and no screws. You don’t have to replace the old bumpers either as the SteadySeat Stoppers can be placed between them.
5. Toilet Seat Replacement
Seats that are broken, cracked, or simply too old are much better replaced than fixed. Before choosing a replacement, you need to think about what kind of seat you prefer — wood or plastic. Luckily, you don’t need to make this choice alone as you can follow our Plastic vs. Wood guide.
Toilet Seat Recommendation
No matter what kind of seat you prefer, the Kohler K-4636-0 Toilet Seat is one of the best choices. The grip-tight bumpers are specially designed to avoid any future wobbliness. Take advantage of its quick-attach feature for a simple install fit for almost any toilet type. As far as reviews are concerned, it’s clear that the K in K-4636-0 stands for King of the bathroom.
Let’s Have a Seat
Overall, dealing with a wobbly toilet seat is not as hard as it seems. Even though most people have never changed or fixed a toilet seat before, it’s never too late to learn. Thanks to a plethora of online tutorials and tips, anyone can become their own fixer.
However, without proper care, sooner or later the problems will return. Cleaning and not slamming a toilet seat will go a long way into lowering the chance of future wobbliness. Treat your toilet seat like a throne and you will always feel like true royalty when using it.
