Dapper Home: 5 Reasons to Replace Your Toilet Seat

Captain Dapper wants you to personalize your throne.

If you're like me, you've never really thought much about your toilet. It's just kind of there to do its job. But then, a few months ago, I was writing this post - Renovating Basics: Buying a New Toilet - for Apartment Therapy and suddenly I hated my toilet. Once I became informed about custom height toilets and round and elongated bowls, I actually found myself with toilet envy. Since then, I've taken notice of the toilets in hotels and friend's houses. One thing I've noticed, in my exhaustive bathroom survey, is the right seat and lid can make all the difference. Which is lucky for me — I can't really switch out the entire toilet in my apartment but I can customize the seat and lid.

Here are five reasons you should consider switching out your toilet seat, too:

1. Germapalooza! If you're a renter or if you live in an older home, imagine the number of butts that have touched that toilet seat of yours. Sure, you can clean it and bleach the hell out of it. But, still - yuck. Start brand new and you'll feel like king of the castle as you sit upon your throne.

2. Changing the toilet seat is one of the easiest DIY projects. Seriously. There are just two bolts that attach the seat and lid to the toilet. If you doubt the simplicity of it, look at this tutorial on the For Dummies site.

3. There are so many toilet seat options. It's fun having options, right? Then have a ball while picking a toilet seat! There are wood and plastic seats. There are color options and padded seats and those with novelty lids. There are seats that are also bidets, like the C3 from Kohler (shown above). So, really, why just settle for a plain ol' toilet seat? It's the 21st Century dammit!

4. A toilet without a seat looks like a face. And if you're prone to laughing at juvenile things, this will result in an evening of potty humor. Much to your husband's dismay.

5. Two words: soft close. I recently upgraded the cheap (and ugly) seat on my toilet with a new soft close seat. For a house with two men, I can't believe I haven't done this sooner. The old seat would drop down onto the bowl with a loud bang while the soft close seat gently glides closed. Sometimes it's the little things in life!

Images: 1, 4 & 5: Jason Loper, 2: How to Replace a Toilet Seat For Dummies, 3: Kohler