Despite the potential health and environmental benefits, bidets aren’t considered essential fixtures in the US. That’s why many American bathrooms have no space where to place them. With the bidet use on the rise, many have turned to the ingenious Toto toilets. Also called bidet toilets or washlets, they combine the toilet and bidet in one for a comfortable and fresh toilet experience. Considering their intricate parts, though, you may wonder how to clean them.
A regular clean of your Toto toilet involves wiping its surfaces with a soft, damp cloth. For deep cleaning, you can use pH-neutral toilet cleaners to prevent damaging the ceramic topcoat. Any cleanser you use should not contain bleach or other aggressive agents.
Main Topics
Toto Toilet Cleaning Instructions
Toto toilets represent an excellent choice for all modern homes. According to the manufacturer, you can clean them with a non-abrasive detergent or toilet cleaner and a soft-bristled plastic brush. But what kind of detergent or cleaner can you use? Let’s find it out.
Products to Use
Toto toilets are fairly easy to maintain and don’t require much more work compared to standard toilets. For all exterior surfaces, you should use no cleaning products. Wipe them with a soft cloth soaked in warm water, and dry them with a microfiber cloth. For the daily cleaning of the washlet and monthly maintenance, you can use the following products.
Mild dish soap
Toto toilets are different from regular toilets due to a topcoat applied over the porcelain on the interior of the bowl. This topcoat prevents solid particles from sticking to the toilet, making it easier to flush all solid waste down the drain.
Because the topcoat can be scratched or etched when using aggressive agents, your best bet is mild dish soap. Pour a quantity of liquid dish cleaner into the toilet bowl and scrub the interior with a soft-bristled brush.
Lysol All Purpose Cleaner
Lysol generally makes acidic cleaners that don’t pair well with Toto toilets, but the All Purpose Cleaner from the brand is an exception. With a pH between 8.5 and 9.5, it is slightly alkaline but not alkaline enough to damage the topcoat.
You can use Lysol All Purpose Cleaner for stain removal and to sanitize your toilet whenever necessary, although you shouldn’t overdo it.
pH-neutral toilet cleaner
If you don’t like the idea of cleaning your toilet with dishwashing liquid, get a pH-neutral toilet cleaner. While the market doesn’t spoil you with choices in this department, you can still find a lot of eco-friendly toilet cleaners that aren’t harsh – even though they are generally more expensive than chemical toilet bowl cleaners.
Soft-bristled toilet brush
There are various types of toilet brushes out there, so check the one you want to buy and make sure its bristles are soft. Use it to clean the toilet bowl in the same way you’d clean a standard toilet.
Soft toothbrush
A soft toothbrush is a perfect tool for cleaning the bidet wand if it is very dirty, alongside diluted dishwashing liquid. For general cleaning, only wipe the wand with a soft, damp cloth.
Products to Avoid
The list of products you should use to clean your Toto toilet is fairly short. Things are different when it comes to the products you should avoid.
Abrasive cleaning products
When it comes to cleaning your Toto washlet, say goodbye to The Pink Stuff, Quick N Brite, Shadazzle, and the like. These abrasive cleaning pastes can damage your expensive washlet’s surface, making it a pain to keep clean and sanitized.
Bleach
With an alkaline pH, bleach is too aggressive for your Toto toilet. Like abrasive paste, harsh chemicals can damage the topcoat. It can also discolor any plastic parts, including the toilet seat and bidet wand, turning them an ugly, yellowish shade.
Muriatic acid
Muriatic acid is frequently used to clean and sanitize toilet bowls. This stuff can remove scale deposits, kill the orange slime that could grow in your toilet, and solve toilet mold issues, at least temporarily. Its main downside is aggressiveness.
This substance can etch the washlet’s topcoat, and it could damage its plastic or resin components. Using it would mean voiding the warranty.
Metal scrub brushes & steel wool
If we haven’t emphasized it enough, you should only clean a Toto toilet with a soft bristle brush and a soft cloth. Metal scrub brushes, steel wool, and even the abrasive sponges you might use to scrub the pans and cooking trays should never come near your washlet.
Cleaning Toto Toilets in 5 Easy Steps
Like all toilets, a Toto toilet should be cleaned daily. However, if you can skip daily cleaning on standard closets (and then use a harsher product to deal with the aftermath), you can’t use anything abrasive or aggressive on a washlet. Thus, you should never skip the daily maintenance. Aside from the daily cleaning of the bowl, wand, and seat, you should also schedule monthly and bi-annually cleaning sessions for some of the toilet’s parts. Let’s see how to keep your toilet pristine.
1. Clean the main washlet unit
Toto recommends cleaning the main washlet unit (toilet bowl, bidet wand, toilet seat, and seat lid) every day.
Start with the toilet bowl. Pour a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid into the toilet and scrub it with a soft brush. Flush the toilet twice to remove all soap residues.
Continue with the wand, wiping it with a soft cloth soaked in warm water. If you’ve accidentally soiled it with waste, dip a soft toothbrush in warm soapy water and scrub the wand. Rinse it with abundant clean water and let the water run through the wand for a minute or two to prevent soap scum build-up.
When you’re done, move to the washlet’s exterior. Soak a soft cloth in warm water and wipe all surfaces, including the seat, seat lid, the bowl’s exterior, and the spaces between the toilet, seat, and seat lid.
2. Clean the deodorizing filter
All Toto toilets have a deodorizing filter that traps and removes odors when you’re using the toilet. You should clean this filter once a month with a soft toothbrush.
Locate the filter knob and pull it out from its housing. Brush off the dust with a soft, dry toothbrush. If the filter is particularly dirty, you can wash it with warm water or soapy water (rinse well after cleaning it if you choose to use soap). Let the filter dry completely before placing it back inside its slot.
3. Deep-clean between the toilet and seat
Just like with a regular toilet, the dirtiest part of a Toto washlet is between the toilet and the seat. While daily wiping can prevent accumulations of grime, you should still deep-clean this area once a month.
For this purpose, you’ll have to unfasten the bolts holding the seat in place and remove the seat from the bowl. Wipe the surface with a mild antibacterial solution or clean with soapy water and rinse. Wash the space between the toilet seat and the lid, and let it dry before installing it back.
4. Clean the power plug
Unplug your toilet and wipe the plug with a soft cloth to remove all dust and debris. When done, plug it back into the wall socket.
5. Clean the water filter drain valve
Twice a year, or when you feel the water pressure decrease, you should also clean the water filter drain valve.
To do that, shut off the water to the toilet and activate the wand to release the pressure. After you’ve released the pressure, stop the wand and let it retract, then unplug your toilet.
Locate the filter cover on the left rear side of the washlet and remove it with a flathead screwdriver. Turn the filter counterclockwise to loosen it and pull it out from its slot.
Clean all dust and debris with a soft toothbrush. If you choose to wash the filter, wait until it’s fully dry to place it back. Close the filter cover and plug in your toilet. Turn on the water and check the pressure.
Related Questions
Why does my Toto Washlet smell?
Your Toto washlet can give off a bad smell if you skip maintenance. Unlike regular toilets, Toto is a hi-tech toilet that features a heated seat, among other functions. Urine can contaminate the seat if you don’t clean it after you’ve used the toilet. When heated, the liquid waste emanates an unpleasant, sour smell.
A dirty filter could also be the culprit, or you may not clean the wand properly. Given that you can’t use harsh detergents to clean this fixture, we recommend wiping all surfaces each time after you’ve used it.
Do all Toto toilets have SanaGloss?
SanaGloss is a seal that prevents waste from clinging onto ceramic or porcelain. Toto uses this topcoat on most of its toilets, but not on all. If this feature is important to you, check the technical details of the specific Toto washlet that you want to buy.
Are Toto toilets hygienic?
There are numerous health concerns regarding the use of a washlet, especially the bidet nozzle. While these toilets can become a hazard when not cleaned or maintained properly, Toto toilets are among the most hygienic closets in the world.
Final Words
Toto toilets are incredible inventions that can revolutionize the bathroom experience. Aside from the bidet function, these devices feature heated seats and many other functions. Cleaning them is a cinch, but you should clean them daily to prevent bacteria build-up and unpleasant odors. We hope this article can teach you how to clean your Toto toilet.
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