Say goodbye to seat wiggles with these toilet seat tightening tips

Of all the “seats” in your home, the ones in your bathroom are likely to have the most visitors.

Toilet seats get a lot of action - from the pressure of being sat on to the constant raising and lowering of their lids and seats. All this repetitive motion can result in a loose and jiggly seat, which is not only aggravating but potentially unsafe.

In most cases, a wobbly toilet seat doesn’t indicate a defect but rather loose screws or improperly installed mounting bases used to attach the seat to the bowl. “Most of the time when we hear about loose toilets, the root cause is improper installation,” said Mark Hillman, president of Bath Royale, online-exclusive producers of luxury bathroom accessories.

“Installing one of our soft close, quick release toilet seats isn’t difficult, but it’s different from other toilet brands,” he said. “As with most consumer products, closely following instructions is critical for long-term durability.”

How much toilet seat wiggle is normal?

A slight wiggle is normal when lifting the lid or seat and pushing left or right. This is due to the design of the quick-release mechanism, which makes removing the seat fast and easy for thorough cleaning.

To test your toilet seat wiggle, close the lid and gently push the seat left or right. The seat may move slightly, no more than 1/4 inch at the front of the bowl, and then return to its original position when side pressure is removed.

If your seat moves more than this, it may be defective and need to be replaced. If the jiggle is within normal range but still bothers you, Hillman recommends wrapping a small amount of plumbers’ Teflon tape around each mounting post, then re-attaching the seat.

Toilet seat tightening using split wing nuts

Bath Royale Premium and Superior toilet seats use split wing nuts, which work with industry standard mounting holes (round and 5/8 inch in diameter). They’re made to slide along the length of the screw for quick, easy fitting into the mounting hole. Our wing nut design uses the wedge principle so it only tightens on the screw once it’s firmly in the mounting hole.

If not appropriately threaded, the wing nut may strip or not hold tight, causing your toilet seat to move out of position. To thread properly, the tips of the wing nut must be centered and pressed up into the underside of the mounting hole.

It’s best to turn the screw, not the wing nut. Hold the wing nut at the bottom (push upwards) and turn the screw from the top using a Phillips head screwdriver. If needed, hold the nut with pliers. Be careful not to over-tighten, which can damage or strip the wing nut.

Toilet tightening tips and insights

• If your seat slides or moves out of position, then your mounting bases aren’t securely fastened to your toilet. Most of the time, this is caused by missing parts or an installation issue.
• If your seat has been loose for some time, moisture, urine or cleaner residue under the mounting bases are likely causing the seat to slip. In this case, tightening the screws won’t fix the issue. You’ll need to remove the seat and mounting bases, rinse and dry all parts (especially the clear rubber gaskets on the underside of the mounting bases) and reinstall.
• After reinstalling, avoid directly spraying or saturating the mounting bases to prevent a slippage re-occurrence. For cleaning, spray the cloth first, then wipe around the mounting bases.
• As final prep before attaching mounting bases, use a small amount of glass cleaner to make the surface of your toilet (around the mounting holes) squeaky clean.

Bath Royale is a small, family-owned business, which means we’re with you every step of the way - from purchase and installation to customer service and product support. Our easy-to-understand toilet installation instructions, troubleshooting videos and FAQs make DIY bathroom projects a cinch.