Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

How to get rid of stains on the underside of my toilet seat?

38 replies

iwillcallhimgeorge · 17/07/2025 08:58

Help! My toilet s not dirty, but there’s discolouration on the underside of the seat that I’d love to try and get rid off. I know I need to replace it but that’s not an option in the next couple of days and my MIL is coming to stay! Is there anything I can use to scrub these away? Usual toilet cleaner has not worked…

OP posts:
Rainbows41 · 17/07/2025 09:18

I had this problem and it's annoying as the toilet seat is clean, but looked unsightly. The seat is wooden underneath. Every time I poured bleach onto it, it just left drip marks where I poured it.
I ended up getting a silver scourer, pouring bleach onto it and scrubbing the seat. Unfortunately, pretty much instantly the white paint started coming away revealing the wood underneath, making the seat even more unsightly.
I have given up and left it. I will buy a new seat

ThisWorthyDog · 17/07/2025 09:20

Try pink stuff and a good scrub. Usually it’s urine stains. Your mil will have no need to lift the seat.

ForHeartyPoet · 17/07/2025 09:20

Douse toilet paper with bleach (or a bleach based cleaner), place on discoloured area, close the lid and let it sit for a bit. Give it a scrub, repeat if needed.

user4287964265 · 17/07/2025 09:21

I’ve never come across anything barkeepers friend and a good scrub wouldn’t remove.

ThisWorthyDog · 17/07/2025 09:21

ThisWorthyDog · 17/07/2025 09:20

Try pink stuff and a good scrub. Usually it’s urine stains. Your mil will have no need to lift the seat.

Sorry not saying it’s dirty I’m a cleaner, often toilet seats have this as a spray doesn’t usually remove it.

PashaMinaMio · 17/07/2025 09:22

Is the seat white plastic?
Try Cif/Jif. Use a mild scouring pad.
A bit of neat bleach on a cloth wiped & left to do its work?
It might need consistent effort & more regular attention to detail even after MIL has departed.

Nejma · 17/07/2025 09:32

Pink stuff will remove this if you give it a good scrub
You can also steam the toilet seat as this will help bring the stains to the surface

Neat milton sterilusing fluid works wonders on stubborn stains works too. I detach my toilet seat and leave it in the back garden in the sunlight with milton soaked kitchen roll on it

Fluidwarers · 17/07/2025 09:33

PashaMinaMio · 17/07/2025 09:22

Is the seat white plastic?
Try Cif/Jif. Use a mild scouring pad.
A bit of neat bleach on a cloth wiped & left to do its work?
It might need consistent effort & more regular attention to detail even after MIL has departed.

This - Cif cream is what you need

statetrooperstacey · 17/07/2025 09:55

cif and or a magic eraser

MaturingCheeseball · 17/07/2025 10:02

I have tried EVERYTHING. The only thing which worked on plastic seat is scrubbing with screwed-up kitchen foil and bleach.

Nesbi · 17/07/2025 10:04

Bicarb and elbow grease when I do it.

anyzee · 17/07/2025 10:09

I am not judging anyone, but I wipe the underseat every day (mostly!) with a dab of diluted bleach. If I don't do this at regular intervals, the yellow staining comes back with a vengeance!

I wish someone would invent a toilet seat that is self cleaning 😊

jay55 · 17/07/2025 10:10

domestos foam

stayathomer · 17/07/2025 10:10

Another for pink stuff (or change toilet seat, it only takes a half hour- I hope!!!)

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 17/07/2025 10:13

I have a wooden seat which, if it has stains, doesn't show them! Sometimes it gets little marks from the rubber 'stoppers' but bleach gets rid of those.

However, new plastic toilet seats are quite cheap and they are easy to change, so it might just be easier to do this and start again.

thenightsky · 17/07/2025 10:15

When I got a new bathroom fitted, the plumber/fitter guy told me that bleach yellows toilet seats, so don't use bleach. I've been using that Pink Stuff for years now and there is no yellowing.

aeroplaneoverthesea · 17/07/2025 10:18

If it’s plastic then use a magic eraser

Davros · 17/07/2025 19:19

I second or third magic eraser

snughugs · 17/07/2025 19:22

Remove the toilet seat and stick in dishwasher. I promise you it will come out sparkling white!

SandrenaIsMyBloodType · 17/07/2025 19:25

snughugs · 17/07/2025 19:22

Remove the toilet seat and stick in dishwasher. I promise you it will come out sparkling white!

Christ on a bike! No!

snughugs · 17/07/2025 19:27

SandrenaIsMyBloodType · 17/07/2025 19:25

Christ on a bike! No!

I get that, but it does come out gleaming! Besides it’s been cleaned and put it on a hygiene cycle.

GenerousGardener · 17/07/2025 19:28

Pink Stuff will get rid of it.

Mindymomo · 17/07/2025 19:31

My white plastic wc seat is over 25 years old, still looks new, but does get the off colour brownish marks underside of wc seat. Small amount of bleach gets rid of it, just needs doing once a week.

Noideawhatiam · 17/07/2025 19:33

I used Vikal spray on the one in my daughter's rented house, worked a treat.

TheHallouminati · 17/07/2025 19:35

I think the more you scrub plastic surfaces like toilet seats, baths etc, the more damage you do. It will create tiny abrasions you can't see that makes the surface harbour or cling on to bacteria and more likely to stain. Plastic seats are shiny and designed for things to wipe off easily - when they're over cleaned with scourers/magic erasers or cleaners containing fine gritsmor powders like cif cream cleaner they become dull.

I've been over zealous in the past when cleaning and it's created more problems than it solves, I now have the underside of my toilet seat going yellow because of it. I don't use CIF cream cleaner anymore because it dulled a bath in a property I rented and I felt really guilty.

I would buy a new seat if possible.