The Adorable Way To Cover Up This Ugly Bathroom Toilet Feature

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The toilet bolt — if ever there were an uglier yet more necessary feature in the bathroom (aside from the plunger), we'll never know. Most of the time, you simply drop a small white plastic or ceramic cap onto the bolt that holds the toilet to the floor. However, fancier versions of this item exist. Buying a new toilet isn't necessary, either. These little cuties cover the unsightly bolt with caps shaped like birds, dogs, Halloween pumpkins, and all sorts of other adorable things.

If you're going to embrace this unique bathroom design idea, you'll want to consider a couple of factors as you go about choosing the bolt cap. First, you might choose one based solely on the design style of your bathroom. For example, if you've featured Bohemian decor in your bathroom, something like the Wonderjune 2-Pack Toilet Bolt Covers that resemble balls of woven rope would be a nice choice. The other option to consider is to just go with something whimsical that reflects your personality or even the holiday du jour. For example, the Generic Santa Claus Gnome Bolt Caps would be a cute idea at Christmastime.

Aside from the bolt cap of your choice, you should have some items on hand to clean the toilet bolts with before you add the new bolt caps. If you're dealing with just a good amount of grime (and grossness), you'll need a scrub brush and Lysol Disinfectant Spray. If rust is what's giving you trouble, keep a rust remover spray, some rubber gloves, and a few old rags ready to go.

Putting your new toilet bolt cover on is pretty simple once you've removed the original plastic or ceramic bolt cover and cleaned up the bolt. Most of the bolt caps are designed to be slipped onto the bolt that came with your toilet. With some of them, like the boeemi Turtle Toilet Bolt Covers, it's recommended that you trim the bolt down so that it's shorter — just a little over an inch. This measure ensures that both the old, plain plastic cap and the new cover fit properly.

Additionally, people who care less about current bathroom design trends often recommend using caulk to secure the toilet bolt cap into place. Doing this prevents the cover from sliding around while you're cleaning around the base of the toilet. However, given that you're using a chi-chi bolt cover to create functional aesthetics in the bathroom, you don't want to caulk the piece down. This is particularly true if you like to change the bolt covers out from time to time just to switch up the look of the bathroom.

The good news is, you do have another option if you want to keep the fancy bolt cover from sliding around or getting knocked off. Secure it in place with some Esukmow Clear Exhibit Gel for Museum Exhibits. Museum wax is used by art galleries and museums to keep items on the shelves and walls in earthquake-prone areas. Museum wax isn't waterproof, but it is moisture-resistant and should do the trick as far as keeping the toilet bolt cover mostly in place.