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How to get rid of new plastic toilet seat odor? (super strong)

14K views 26 replies 11 participants last post by  spaceboy909 
#1 · (Edited)
Solved: How to get rid of new plastic toilet seat odor? (super strong)

{Solved} Hi all. I just bought a new, cheap $10 plastic, soft seat. When I opened it up I almost died from the massive outgasing of the fresh plastic odor; super, super strong.

So, I immediately set it outside to air out, and wiped it down with a wet towel. It's been a full day now, and 50% of the smell is gone, but it's still too strong to use.

I'm going to try 409 or Ajax next, or maybe soaking it in large container of water. So, what are the best and quickest options to get rid of this new plastic odor? Thanks for any help. ......
 
#7 ·
Hmm, are you sure you gave me the right link? I read the whole article; just one page it seems, and it's not talking about the different types of toilet seats. Instead, it's actually saying that toilet seats in general are actually safer than we've been lead to believe!

It's good info, if true (I think I'll verify it somewhere just for the heck of it.)

Small update: The smell is about 75% gone now. I could probably go ahead and install it, but I think I'll let it sit for another day or two outside. I soaked it in water for a whole day; I don't know if that actually helped though. Next, I'm going to try some soap, some Ajax, and maybe even some scented hand creme!

I don't recall having this much trouble with my last soft seat. Next time, I'll sniff test before I buy, so if you come across a guy in the plumbing section sniffing toilet seats........don't be frightened! It's just me! :)
 
#8 ·
take the seat off, slice an orange in half and put in a plastic bag with the seat. Seal it up. Place the orange halves with the open side up. leave it for two days. Then take oranges out and put in four pieces of charcoal and seal it back up. Leave it over night. Call me in the morning.
 
#9 ·
I appreciate the info. I didn't end up trying it, as after about another day outside, the smell had dissipated to the point where I had to hold it up to my nose to in order to smell it. But I will remember that info for any future plastic deodorizing I need to do.

Ftr, I should not have soaked it in water, as it ended up being a little water logged. It didn't occur to me at the time that water might seep in through the screw holes. But, most of it seems to have drained out, and I now have it installed. :) Thanks guys.
 
#14 ·
TRY THIS


Sorry just couldn't help it. :thumbup:
It says 'not found', so they must have pulled the image, but the url says 'nose plugs' so I got the idea! :yes:

But now there's more bad news. My dad tried out the seat today, and says that the 'cheap plastic seat' is too flimsy and he almost fell in, so he's going to insist on a new seat, probably the hard kind. :( I like the soft ones not only because they're soft, but they just don't get as cold, or, they warm up super fast when you sit down. Either way, they're warmer seats. He says the soft seats used to have a more sturdy plastic.

My water logging it might have soaked the padding, but it shouldn't have had any effect on the hard plastic underneath. Ah well, back to the store! :mad:
 
#16 ·
Ahh, man, if I had that kind of money to blow, there's a thousand other things I'd buy first! (like a photo-sensitive, motorized toothpick dispenser...and I don't even use toothpicks!) heheh A long time ago, when my family moved into an old trailer, we discovered that the previous tenant had hooked a hot water line into the toilet to try and keep it warm!

Well, I'm about ready to launch my first torpedo since the installation; wish me luck! :laughing:
 
#20 ·
This has been a really entertaining thread. My Mom still insists on having those garbage padded seats. They always crack, or get holes in them, very unsanitary. They go to all the trouble of making porcelain toilets because they are about as unabsorbant of a material as you can get. Same with normal high density plastic seats. I honestly can't understand why padded seats are allowed to be on the market.
 
#26 ·
lol Never thought this thread would go to 3 pages, but it's getting there fast!

Status Update: After trying it out, I thought it was fine, although it does seem to have a thicker cushion than my last one, so you do sink down a bit more, which had my Dad a bit rattled. He also says the hole is smaller than the old one. /sigh/

So, I'm probably going to end up buying a new hard style, which I don't care for because they're always cold! (I usually put some toilet paper down on the seat in that case, but it's kind of a waste.)

But now I've got to try and measure the opening and get something a little bigger! :mad:
 
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