Painted toilet seat

How to Paint a Toilet Seat

Toilets face a lot of wear and tear every day – there’s no doubt about that. And since we use these sanitary fixtures quite often, they definitely deserve to get a makeover every once in a while.

In this short guide on how to paint a toilet seat, we’ll be taking a quick look at the benefits of painting a toilet seat and we’ll also show you how to complete the entire process in a hassle-free manner. Read on!

Contents

The Benefits of Painting a Toilet Seat

Here are the main reasons why you should consider giving the seat on your trusty porcelain throne some DIY attention:

Getting a Full Deposit Refund

Those moving to a new home always want to get a full deposit refund from their old places of living. Due to harsh cleaning and frequent use, toilet seats can look quite bad, which can be easily taken care of by giving them a fresh coat of paint.

Saving Money

You can always simply buy a completely new toilet seat. But why would you want to do that? You can take care of the issue with just a couple of cheap products and a bit of elbow grease – it’s a great way to save money. This is one of the cheapest and simplest bathroom upgrades.

Reducing Environmental Impact

Most toilet seats – whether they’re made out of wood or plastic – are not recyclable. If you care about the environment, painting your old toilet seat instead of replacing it with a brand new one is a much better choice.

Unleashing Your Creativity

Colorful toilet seats

Do you want a combination of several vibrant colors on your toilet seat? Or maybe a funny message on the lid? Unleash your creativity and give the seat a crazy makeover you’ve always wanted to give it.

8 Easy Steps of Painting a Toilet Seat

Here’s how to give your old toilet seat a fresh new look in just 8 easy steps:

Step #1 – Remove the Toilet Seat

Man removes toilet seat

The first thing you’ll need to do is open the bolt housing – just pry it up with your fingers or a screwdriver. After that, simply unscrew the bolts with a screwdriver while holding the nuts or wingnuts with a wrench or pliers.

Once all the bolts are completely detached, you should be able to easily remove the toilet seat.

Step #2 – Clean the Toilet Seat

Woman cleans a toilet seat

Once you’ve removed the seat, clean it up. Do it as thoroughly as possible and don’t forget to clean the hinge area as well. Later, rinse the cleaning solution from the seat and leave it to dry.

This part of the process is not as nearly as gross as you may think. Believe it or not, most keyboards host a lot more germs than toilet seats do.

Step #3 – Protect The Areas You Won’t Paint

The areas of the toilet seat you probably won’t be painting are the hinges and their covers. To protect them from the paint, simply mask them off with some painter’s tape.

Some folks want to paint just the seat and nothing else, i.e. they want the lid to stay as it is. If the same goes for you, simply cover the lid with some newspaper.

Step #4 – Sand the Areas You Will Paint

The paint adheres better to the surfaces that have been made rougher by sanding. While sanding, make sure that all the areas you’ll be painting are dull and a bit rough. Also, don’t forget to remove the dust once you’re done.

A word of advice – to protect yourself from the particles caused by sanding, make sure to wear a mask.

Step #5 – Choose a Well-Ventilated Area

The paint’s toxic fumes can easily cause dizziness and nausea, so it’s very important that you have sufficient ventilation inside the room you’ll be painting your toilet seat in. Unless you have a really good bathroom exhaust fan, you should paint the toilet seat somewhere else. If you don’t have a bathroom fan at all, check out our post on how to vent a bathroom fan through the wall.

The best course of action would be to simply do the whole thing outside. Make sure to prepare a special surface you’ll be painting the seat on – the last thing you need is spots of paint all over your driveway.

Step #6 – Continue Preparing the Painting Surface

The standard method of painting a toilet seat includes the use of a primer, which allows the paint to properly bond itself to the seat’s surface. Today’s market offers different types of primers for plastic and wooden surfaces. Check out this Wood vs Plastic Toilet Seat comparison.

One of the best things you can do during this step is to use a spray that contains both paint and primer. It goes without saying, but opting for such a product is bound to save you a lot of time (and money). It will allow you to complete the toilet seat’s face-lift in a much quicker and easier way.

Step #7 – Paint the Toilet Seat

Take your spray and apply a coat of paint that is even and light. Make sure to hold the spray bottle between 7 and 10 inches away from the toilet seat and try to properly cover all the little crevices.

Do not apply more than two coats of paint in total – you do not want to overpaint your toilet seat. Before applying the second coat, make sure to wait for at least half an hour. Also, don’t forget to check the paint’s packaging for any additional instructions.

In most cases, spray paint is the best choice for a toilet seat makeover. However, if your toilet seat is used quite frequently, epoxy paint may a better option – it’s far more durable. Keep in mind that toilet seats are typically exposed to a pretty high amount of stress, so it’s no wonder that they sometimes require special paint.

Epoxy paint is often sold in two-part kits and the buyers have to mix the two components together right before painting the desired surface. You can apply epoxy paint to your toilet seat with either a fine-bristle paintbrush or with a paint sprayer.

Step #8 – Re-install the Toilet Seat

Plumber installs a toilet seat

Once your toilet seat makeover is completed and the seat is completely dry, you’ll be able to put it back into its place.

Be as careful as possible while re-installing the seat – the porcelain could easily crack if you apply too much force while tightening the bolts.

If you have decided to get a completely new seat after all, check out my best heated toilet seat reviews.

The Conclusion

And there you have it – a freshly painted, beautiful-looking toilet seat. As you can see, giving it a face-lift is not as nearly as difficult as it may sound and it costs a lot less than buying a completely new toilet seat.

Even if there’s nothing wrong with your old seat, giving it a fresh coat of paint anyway is bound to change the appearance of your bathroom for the better.

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