The floor around your toilet is one of the most significant parts of your bathroom. It functions as a barrier to keep bacteria and stains from other house parts from getting into your toilet. And it would be best to do everything you can to protect it. You have come to the right place! We have asked some experts about what to do to protect the flooring around the toilet.
There are several methods you can do to protect the floor around your toilet, and they are:
- Utilize a toilet floor mat
- Use a toilet base plate
- Prepare the floor for cleaning
Keeping the floor around your toilet clean is not always easy. And we want to explain further the steps we mentioned above to you. So, we encourage you to keep reading and dig for deeper information. We might also be able to answer some of your additional questions.
Protecting The Floor Around The Toilet
If you don’t have high-quality floor cleaners on hand, you will find the floor around your toilet difficult to maintain. And to guide you, please follow these valuable methods below and keep your floor dry, clean, and in good shape for years to come:
Method 1: Utilize A Toilet Floor Mat
Having a few extra toilet floor mats on hand to use as needed around the bathroom is usually a good idea. We highly recommend these toilet floor protectors to prevent damage from cracks and bumps in the grout, tile, and other surfaces. It can also be beneficial for homes while potty training young children, as it is easy to clean and prevents spills from infiltrating the floor.
Check out this absorbant mesh mat on Amazon.
Toilet floor protectors are easy and quick to protect locations where wear and tear are common. A single toilet floor mat averagely costs between $30 and upwards of $50.
Pros:
- These toilet floor mat covers are useful for floor tile, terrazzo, granite, wood floor surfaces, and marble.
- It can prevent slipping.
- Toilet mat covers are not cardboard-backed, rather this mat is used to absorb moisture.
- Protects the floor surface beneath from damage.
- Has the ability to stop undesired odors from existing.
- The toilet floor mat will not absorb moisture because it has a foam waffle back that is non-slip and non-absorbent
Cons:
- Depending on the qualities, it is preferable to use it for 45 to 60 days as single-use.
Method 2: Use A Toilet Base Plate
Using a toilet base plate or floor gasket as a barrier between the floor and the toilet is usually good. However, you will find it challenging without special techniques and tools. Base plates are excellent in stopping stains and protecting the toilet floor from damage such as cracks or holes caused by your weight, baby walkers kicking around, pet dirt, and waste, etc.
Check out this toilet base plate on Amazon.
Some raised base plates can even increase the toilet height, providing ease of use, especially for those who have mobility difficulty and find lowering to a standard toilet height challenging.
Check out this toilet riser on Amazon.
How To Install A Toilet Base Plate
Always shut off the water line prior to disassembling any toilet parts.
1. Remove The Toilet Seat
You can affix toilet seats with various techniques. To detach or open the toilet seat for the toilet in your bathroom it might require the use of a flat head screwdriver to unscrew. But if you are unsure or having a hard time doing it, you can opt to call for a professional’s help.
2. Set The Toilet Base Plate On Toilet Flange
All existing toilet bases are different in their shapes and sizes. So, it would be best to measure yours carefully before purchasing a base plate. Use a tape measure to get accurate measurements from one of the flange bolts at the front to the bolt at the back of the toilet.
3. Reinstall The Toilet And Seat
You will now have to place your base plate over the flange and utilize a rubber seal or wax ring in this step. After that, set the rear of your toilet on the flange bolts and constrict them down by replacing correctly sized nuts. Reinstall the toilet seat.
Finally, reconnect the water line and turn on the water key.
Method 3: Prepare The Toilet Floor For Cleaning
The third method you can opt to perform is to routinely clean the floor around your toilet. Carefully cleaning it will help you prevent any dirt and germ buildup. It would be best to keep your entire bathroom clean regularly.
We can correctly clean the toilet utilizing an excellent quality mop or cleaning tools. Additionally, you should also spray bathroom cleaner on the floor to make it wet as much as possible. After that, put extra effort into using a scrubber to clean the floor around the toilet thoroughly.
Check out this deep cleaning brush set on Amazon.
Why Should You Prevent Urine Splashback
Do you want to know why urine splash is a bigger problem than it seems? Well, not only will it give your bathroom a foul odor, but the uric acid in urine is infamous for developing hard scale buildup in the toilet. It happens when the urine and flushed water combine.
The uric acid crystals that form beneath the toilet bowl over time are the source of the unpleasant odor in your bathroom. Even worse, the odor will get worse when the surface becomes wet. Plus, it makes your bathroom unsanitary and dirty despite your regular cleaning. If you are currently dealing with this issue, you know that it is one of the most challenging toilet issues to stop.
In addition, the off-colored blemishes around your toilet bowl are also caused by urine splashback also causes. This problem occurs when urine sinks into porous exteriors like the tile grout. So, we highly suggest that you should protect the floor around your toilet from urine splashback by using or following the tips below:
Washable Toilet Floor Protectors Or Bathmats
Toilet floor protectors or bathmats are cheaper than the disposable toilet floor mat mentioned above. Unlike traditional bathroom rugs, these toilet mats have a U shape that wraps around the base of the toilet bowl, providing a unique design with numerous benefits.
These washable mats will prevent urine splashback on the bathroom floor since they contour around the toilet bowl. They are entirely absorbent and effectively avoid urine stains, much like disposable toilet mats. On the other hand, disposable toilet floor mats do not contribute to the bathroom’s décor, unlike washable toilet floor protectors.
Some people find washable toilet floor protectors unhygienic, but regular washing and cleaning will make them a must-have against the stubbornness of urine splashback. Keep a spare so while one is washing the other can be on the floor!
Check out this washable toilet floor protector on Amazon.
2. Pee Splash Guards Or Deflectors
The pee splash guards or deflectors are the next options you can select to keep urine from splashing back to the toilet floor. All you need to do is add this deflector to the toilet bowl, mainly to sit inside the toilet, and this will act as a shield when someone urinates. This material is commonly made of plastic.
Moreover, pee splash guards come in numerous shapes and sizes. However, they all have the same purpose. In addition, they also prevent urine from coming out via the gap between the toilet seat and bowl. Pee splash guards keep everything away from the toilet floor.
Pee splash deflectors are most useful as an aid for:
- elderly adults,
- people having any temporary or long-term mobility issues,
- anyone having any bladder or urinary tract issues,
- or potty training kids.
It will improve everyone’s hygiene and eliminate the need to wipe the bathroom floor after a potential mess. Unlike disposable mats and washable toilet rugs that absorb urine splashback, pee guards will avoid splashbacks altogether. There will be no need to clean up splashes and puddles or dispose of dirty rugs.
Check out this pee splash guard on Amazon.
Caulk The Toilet Base
This suggestion will not stop urine splashback, but it will help you shield your toilet floor from the damage that splashback causes. As we mentioned earlier, urine can sometimes splash underneath the toilet base and seep into the tile’s grout, which causes the ruined stains and smell unattainable to remove.
The toilet bowl base is susceptible to this issue, but sealing the bottom will help minimize urine splashback from percolating into the floor. There are two types of caulking available: white caulking and clear caulking.
White caulk is perfect for use around toilets. Furthermore, toilet bowls are typically white, so the transparent caulking will not look out of place. White caulk is less prone to discolor or stain over time than clear caulk.
Check out this white caulk strip on Amazon.
Do Bamboo or Wooden Toilet Mats Work?
Indeed, wooden toilet mats can protect the floor around your toilet. Their distinct baffles assist them in maintaining a level, raised floor covering around the toilet base. However, constant cleaning is required to deter mold growth.
Check out this bamboo mat on Amazon.
Wrapping Things Up
You don’t want your bathroom to develop a lot of germs, mold, and dirt buildup. That is why we highly suggest following either of the methods mentioned above to prevent them from occurring. Everyone wants to have a clean and hygienic bathroom, after all.
We hope you find this article helpful. If you have questions about this post, please leave a comment, and we’d be glad to answer them for you. You can always visit our website and find articles that might interest you. Or you can check these out!