The TOTO washlet is an excellent device for good personal hygiene. It can serve you for at least a few years, but it also needs cleaning and maintenance.
Cleaning a TOTO washlet is not a complicated thing to do. There is no significant difference between cleaning it and cleaning other electric bidet seats.
Following this guide, you will understand how to clean TOTO washlets daily, monthly, and semiannually.
Here’s what you’ll need
A few key tools you need to prepare before you get started include:
Soft cloth: You can clean a TOTO washlet with a soft damp cloth in most cases. As the surface of the Washlet is prone to scratch, you can’t use toilet paper, sponges, or brushes. You shouldn’t use microfiber cloth either since it may cause static electricity.
Dry cloth: You will use it to clean the power plug.
Mild detergent: for removing heavy dirt, you can use a mild kitchen detergent. Don’t use anything harsh, such as a powered cleanser or anything with bleach function.
Soft toothbrush: For cleaning the hard-to-remove dirt that accumulates in the deodorizer, a toothbrush comes in handy.
Flat-head screwdriver: this is for loosening the screws on the water filter drain valve. More on that later.
How to clean a TOTO washlet daily?
TOTO washlets are not exactly light on the pocket. Therefore many people want to extend its lifespan as long as possible. To achieve it, you need to maintain it daily. Don’t get agitated. It is easy peasy.
You only need to clean the main units daily, including the seat’s surface, the lid surface, and the surface on the side.
Remember to unplug the Washlet before starting your cleaning routine since the Washlet is an electrical device.
Next, soak the cloth into the water and wring it out tightly. You don’t want to get any water to seek into the inside of the bidet, which could cause malfunction. When wiping the surface with the damp cloth, please don’t put too much force on it.
If you find something hard to wipe off by water, you could opt for a mild detergent.
Many people like to clean the toilet simultaneously. If it is the case, you should rinse off the toilet bowl and wipe off the remaining cleaner and water to prevent it get into the Washlet accidentally. Leave the toilet seat open to let it dry off.
How to clean a TOTO washlet monthly?
There are a few tasks to do every month to clean and maintain a TOTO washlet.
Clean the power plug
Use a dry cloth to clean the power plug. Remember to hold the plug and then pull it out. Don’t pull the power cord instead. It would affect the connection negatively.
Wipe the blades carefully to take away the dirt and dust and then plug it in again.
Clean the wand
The wand (also known as a nozzle) is the most likely to be contaminated. Even though most TOTO washlets have a self-cleaning feature and some have an EWATER+ system to sterilize the wand, you still need to clean it manually. You could increase the frequency if the wand gets dirty quickly.
There is a special mode designed for manual cleaning.
If you control the bidet by remote, you can turn the remote to the backside and select the manual cleaning button. Or you can press the “stop” button for 10 seconds and then press the “front cleansing” button for 3 seconds to activate this mode. (Click here to know how to use a TOTO washlet remote exactly.)
For those who control the bidet by side panel, you could press the “wand cleansing on/off button.”
When the manual cleaning mode is active, the water will prop out, and the wand will extend. Then you can wipe it with diluted detergent or water.
Once you have done, press the “stop” button again to let the nozzle retract.
Clean the deodorizing filter
The first step is unplugging it. Then you can locate the deodorizing filter on the side and pull it out gently.
If it is relatively clean, you could use a toothbrush to clean the dust and dirt out. Otherwise, rinse it off with water and put it back until it is dry off.
Clean the gap between toilet bowl and bidet
As always, you need to switch off the bidet ahead. There is a “quick-release” button on the side. When you push it, you will be able to move the main unit forward and lift it up.
Use a soft cloth soaked with diluted detergent to remove the stains and dirt. Then use a soft cloth with water to wipe off the remaining detergent. When the unit and the top of the bowl are dry, put the bidet back. You will hear a click sound.
Note that the bidet hose is connected when moving the unit, so you should be careful not to over bend it.
Clean the gap between bidet lid and main unit
This is a place that has often been ignored. Again, you should unplug the TOTO washlet power plug. To do this routine, you also need to remove the main unit. Then you will tilt the lid to the front and pull one side outward. Meanwhile, remove the hinge from the tab and then move the hinge to the other side.
Use a soft damp cloth to wipe off all the dirt and let it dry. Next, reverse the process and connect the lid and main unit again.
How to clean a TOTO washlet semiannually?
Most electric bidet seats have an inlet filter to remove sediment and waste in the tap water, so do Washlets. If the filter gets blocked, the water pressure will decrease.
Hence, TOTO advises us to clean the water filter drain valve every six months.
Clean the water filter drain valve
To avoid the water splash all over the bathroom, the first step is to turn off the shutoff valve on the wall nearby.
Press the “wand cleaning” button to empty the water remaining in the Washlet and pull the power plug out.
The water filter drain valve is located on the left rear side, where the bidet hose connects with the main unit with a cover on it.
Pull the cover outward and use a flat-head screwdriver to unscrew the water filter drain valve. Pull out the drain valve and clean it with a toothbrush.
Once cleaned, push the drain valve back and tighten it with a screwdriver. After reinstalling the cover, plug in the Washlet again and turn on the shutoff valve.
Sum up
To make your Washlet last longer, you need to clean and maintain it from time to time. Don’t use any harsh cleaners or tools that could scratch the surface. Usually, a soft damp cloth is good enough for cleaning most parts of it.
TOTO suggest you clean the surface daily. It sounds like a chore, but you could get it done within even one minute.
In the monthly routine, you will need to clean the plug, the wand, the deodorizing filter, the gap between the seat and top of the bowl, and the gap between the lid and the main unit. One thing worth mentioning again is that only a dry cloth is allowed to clean the plug.
You should also wipe off the water filter drain valve every six months because any blockage of it would lead to a decrease in water pressure.
All in all, cleaning and maintaining a TOTO washlet is an easy task to do.
If you don’t buy a Washlet since you are worried about cleaning, you are relieved now. Check these excellent models to start your bidet journey immediately.
