Toilet seat covers are increasingly becoming popular in the market. You will often find them in home and public toilets. Given their uses, are they flushable? Will they dissolve and break down in water? And will they cause problems to your septic system?
Toilet seat covers can be flushable or not. They are labeled either as flushable or not on their packaging. If flushable, use it then simply flush it down the toilet. If not, throw them in the trash bin since they’ll likely clog up the sewer.
Can You Flush Toilet Seat Covers?
Yes and no. There are some toilet seat covers that you can comfortably flush without clogging your drainage system. Also, some brands of toilet seat covers will clog your drainage system after flushing them, resulting in the need for plumbing services.
The most common flushable toilet seat covers are often provided in public restrooms. Also, non-flushable toilet seat covers are mainly decorative and are made from faux materials or cotton and other styles.
Are Toilet Seat Covers Septic Safe?
Although toilet seat covers are easily broken down at a commercial plant, they cannot be broken down anywhere else. Most people living in a house with a septic system prefer throwing them into the trash bin after use.
There are many reasons for throwing them into the trash bin, but mainly to prevent clogging the septic system. You should be using septic-safe toilet paper that will quickly dissolve in water. Notably, you need to be cautious only to select toilet seat covers that will be easily broken down in septic systems.
Mainly, septic systems work by spreading waste over a septic field since they don’t have commercial features to break down items even those labeled as flushable.
You need to be careful about septic systems since building drains or sewer piping in old buildings may seem clear and free-flowing but may clog when flushed with something large. This mainly occurs when the toilet uses gravity to flush objects sent to the septic system.
If you use too many non-flushable items in your toilet, the clog might be so bad that it may damage the pets of the toilet. You may even require a fresh toilet installation if you damage the toilet seat during the unclogging process.
What Are Toilet Seat Covers?
A toilet seat cover is a small piece of thin paper folded into a toilet seat shape and has adhesive on one side. It’s placed on the porcelain toilet seat to prevent you from catching an illness from those who used the bathroom before you.
Toilet seat covers are often found in public bathrooms, but they’re also available for personal use at home. They can be purchased online or at local stores, supermarkets, and even convenience stores.
How Do You Use Toilet Seat Covers?
You use toilet seat covers as follows:
- Lay down the seat cover: Gently pull the seat cover straight from its container, enter the seat and search for the plastic container that the toilet seat covers. Grip it and smoothly pull it to separate it from the rest on the outside of one. The cover will come out quickly with less effort.
- Squeeze the 3 joints inside to loosen the center flag section: There are 3 small attachments of paper holding the flap to the outer ring and the bowl. Before sitting the cover down, smoothly tear off the joints using your hands to allow them to flag down inside the bowl. You will have one joint in the middle, right and left sides. To smoothly tear off the joints, pinch the paper. Also, ensure you don’t tear off all the flaps.
- Place the seat cover on the toilet to allow the flap to go inside the bowl: The toilet seat cover’s flap is on the middle, circular section. Place the flap well such that it falls into the bowl and the outer ring entirely covers the toilet. The cover part where the connected flag must meet the toilet front edge opposite the flushing mechanism. It is okay to pull the seat backward as long as the toilet seat is covered.
- Dispose of the seat cover: After using the bathroom, take off and dispose of the seat cover. Some seat covers are made from a thick material that will easily break down in the water and can be easily be flushed after use.
There may be some variations in designs in toilet seat covers but their use is as directed in the steps above.
Tips for using a toilet seat cover
For the best results using a toilet seat cover, follow these tips:
- Ensure that the toilet seat cover covers the entire toilet seat so that your skin does not touch the toilet seat.
- Ensure there are no visible holes on the seat cover. Using a seat cover with holes will make them ineffective for their purpose.
- Make sure there are no big droplets on the toilet seat. Although the toilet seat cover acts as a barrier between you and the seat, this thin paper may not protect you from liquids. It can quickly get damp and break down easily.
Generally, toilet seat covers aren’t hard to use if you know their purpose which is keeping the dirt away from your skin.
Do Toilet Seat Covers Work?
Some studies convince us that toilet seat covers are ineffective when protecting us from bacteria on the toilet seat.
Typically, you will rarely find cases where you will often find harmful bacteria on the toilet seat surface. Also, on such occasions, your skin will act as a barrier against such bacteria entry unless you have an open wound.
It’s important to remember that we often contact other things that have more bacteria than toilets. In fact, the toilet seat is made to have a smooth surface that prevents bacteria from latching onto it. Simple cleaning with solutions like WD-40 will keep the toilet clean.
Also, toilet seats have a relatively low temperature that isn’t conducive to the survival of transmittable diseases. Therefore, you should not worry about transmittable diseases in public toilet seats. Other objects prone to bacteria like TV remotes, money and refrigerators have lots of germs that never get to affect you.
Generally, using toilet seat covers is your personal choice. You can comfortably use the paper toilet seat cover for peace of mind.
Types Of Toilet Seat Covers
Here are different types of toilet seat covers you will find in the market today:
1. Discreet Toilet Seat Covers
Discreet toilet seat covers are an affordable sanitary method of attaining personal hygiene in public toilets. They are effective in preventing the spread of germs.
It is easy to fit with most toilet seat dispensers. It comes with simple instructions on the packaging on how to fit them correctly. Notably, these toilet seat covers are flushable.
2. 24 Large Disposable Toilet Seat Covers
This disposable toilet seat covers effectively protect your baby from wet and dirty surfaces. They effectively stay in place with adhesive strips giving convenient protection.
They are perfect for home use and on the go. Also, they are soft, absorbent toilet seat covers that are Phthalate-free, BPA-free, and toxin-free. Notably, these toilet seat covers are flushable.
3. LeoLee Fleece Toilet Seat Covers
The LeoLee toilet seat covers are designed in different colors that you can choose from. They can bring an overall style to your bathroom. They are made from high-quality luxury corduroy.
This thick fleece fabric has a full softness that will give you comfort. Notably, these toilet seat covers are dirt-resistant and easy to clean. They can be washed under cold water conditions and dried by hanging or air drying.
4. Bathroom Soft Thicker Washable Cloth
As the name suggests, these are washable toilet seat covers that give you warmth and comfort on seat covers. They are available in different colours. They are flexible to fit in any toilet seat with an effortless installation procedure.
Besides that, they are made from durable, high-quality acrylic fibre that is soft and warm. These toilet seat covers are non-flushable.
The table below summarizes the flushable and non-flushable toilet seat covers:
| Type of Toilet Seat Cover | Flushable/ Non-Flushable |
| Discreet toilet seat covers | Flushable |
| 24 Large disposable toilet seat covers | Flushable |
| LeoLee Fleece toilet seat covers | Non-flushable |
| Bathroom soft thicker washable cloth | Non-flushable |
Can You Flush Toilet Seat Covers? You Now Know!
Toilet seat covers are flushable. However, not all seat covers are flushable. Before flushing any toilet seat cover, always ensure that they are flushable. Flushing a non-flushable toilet seat cover will lead to unwanted plumbing costs. Always consider reading the proper installation procedure for any toilet seat cover before using it.