One of the big questions we had when we bought our bidet toilet seat was how hard it was going to be to clean the thing. They are definitely more nooks and crannies on a bidet seat than a normal seat.

How do you clean a bidet toilet seat? For the most part, cleaning a bidet toilet seat is similar to cleaning a normal toilet seat. Most bidet seats have a quick release mechanism for cleaning between the bowl and the seat. There is also a way to expose the nozzles for deep cleaning.

There’s more to the story however and this article will try and outline the basic steps to cleaning a bidet toilet seat. Keep in mind that every manufacturer will have their own custom controls and features for cleaning a bidet seat, but the general principles I describe below should apply to most seat. You may just have to look at your owners manual to see how these features work for your seat.

Sit or Stand

First of all, what your going to find when you get a bidet toilet seat with a heated seat is that the men/boys in your home are going to be sitting more than standing. This alone is going to reduce the amount of cleaning you’ll have to do.

Look, as a man I have always stood up when I pea. And I know sometimes that leads to messes around the toilet. For whatever reason things don’t always go in the direction you intended. But once I got a feel of that heated seat, I started sitting whether I was going number 1 or number 2. It’s just too comfortable. This is one of the perks of the bidet toilet seat.

Mostly the same old story

For the most part, cleaning a bidet toilet seat is just like cleaning any other toilet seat. You’ll want to clean all the exposed surfaces just as you would normally. There are just a few things you’ll need to do with the bidet seat that will take a few extra minutes.

Nozzles

The first thing that’s different with cleaning a bidet toilet seat is cleaning the nozzles. You’ll want to keep these clean since they are the most important part of the bidet. In order to clean them you’ll need an old toothbrush that you have absolutely no intention of ever using again.

Most bidets have a way of exposing the nozzles without spraying water. Check your user manual for your specific model. Mine requires me to press and hold a button on the remote for 2 seconds. The first nozzle slides out and stays there for me to clean it.

Once that first nozzle is clean I push that same button on the remote, the first nozzle slides back in, and the second nozzle slides out for cleaning.

You want to be gentle while you clean these nozzles. They are extended quite a ways and it wouldn’t take much pressure to bust them off. Start by spraying them with some kind of hard surface cleaner. Then get your old toothbrush wet in the toilet water and gently scrub the extended nozzle.

It shouldn’t be hard to get it clean. Remember to get the underside of the nozzle clean. You can’t see it so it’s easy to forget about that part of the nozzle. Once the first nozzle is clean, press whatever button your user guide says to expose the second nozzle and repeat the cleaning process.

That’s pretty much all there is to cleaning the nozzles. It shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes once you learn the buttons to push to expose the nozzles.

I would recommend doing this as often as you clean your toilet. If you’ve had a bout of diarrhea you might consider cleaning your toilet and bidet seat as soon as you are feeling better. That can be a bit messy as you know.

Cleaning under the seat

Probably the trickiest part of the bidet seat to clean is under the back of the bidet. I’m talking about the big bulky part that the seat and lid pivot on. Don’t be intimidated, it’s not that hard, it just takes some time and a little more effort.

My unit allows for quickly releasing the entire bidet seat from the bracket that attaches it to the toilet bowl. I have to grab the seat, lift up slightly on the front and then pull towards the front of the bowl to release the seat from the bracket.

Don’t yank on the seat, just give it firm pressure and it should slide right off. Most bidet seats have a similar release mechanism. Consult your user guide for directions specific to your model.

You shouldn’t have to unplug or disconnect your seat from the power outlet or the water supply in order to release it from the bracket holding it to the toilet bowl. Although there’s nothing wrong with unplugging the power cord.

Once the seat is released, you can clean on and around the bracket. Use whatever cleaner you normally would. Once you’ve cleaned to your satisfaction, you’ll need to reverse the process.

This can be a little tricky. I’ve found that its easier to get the seat off than it is to get it back on. But basically you’re going to put the seat back down in front of the bracket and slide it towards the back of the toilet. You should here or feel a click as the seat re-engages with the bracket. Give it a few tries and it should go right on. You’ll get better at it the more you practice.

I wouldn’t say this step has to be done very often. As I was writing this post I went and removed my seat just to make sure I describe the process correctly. It’s been months since we’ve removed this seat. There really wasn’t much around the bracket. I would suggest doing this maybe once every couple months. It might get dusty around the bracket but it shouldn’t be getting urine and poop on it. It’s pretty well covered back around the bracket.

The Bottom Line

Cleaning a bidet seat is pretty similar to cleaning any other toilet seat. Every time you clean your toilet you should also clean the nozzles on the bidet. These are fairly fragile and you should be careful to not put too much pressure on them. It’s also advisable to clean around the bracket that holds the seat to the toilet bowl at least every couple months.

Additional Questions

Does a dirty bidet spread disease and infection: A clean bidet in your home will not spread disease or infections. Using a bidet in a public restroom should be used with good judgement. You’re chances of getting a disease from proper use of a public bidet is very low.

Are bidet’s sanitary: Well maintained bidets promote a very sanitary toilet experience. Especially since you will be using water to clean your rump instead of lots of toilet paper. This means your hand is less likely to become contaminated with fecal material.