We often go out of the country for one week, sometimes for a month. There are many reasons behind leaving a home alone for months. Some people go outside on a long vacation, some leave their current residence due to bad weather conditions, and many other reasons.
Leaving a home unoccupied for long periods creates some trouble which makes it hard to continue our normal life again in this house. One major problem people face with their unused toilets.
People face many problems with their toilet which is not in use for a week or even for a month.
Some common problems are:
- A toilet is full of dust and debris.
- The toilet sheet gets mold.
- The toilet bowl looks ugly and does not shine as earlier.
- Toilet water evaporating.
- Toilet water froze in winter.
And many other things.
In this article, we are going to short out all of the most common toilet-related problems that occur when you don’t use your toilet for months.
So without further ado…
Let’s get started…
Table of Contents
How Do You Prepare Toilet For A Long Vacation
You can follow a few steps before leaving your house empty for a month and your toilet and sink remain unused for a month:
1. Cover Your Toilet Seat With A Plastic Wrap
The first and most important step to save your toilet seat from unwanted things going inside is to cover it well with plastic wrap. This way your toilet seat doesn’t get any dust and debris when it is not in use for a long time.
You can also put some unused clothes over the sink to prevent dust get inside it.
2. How To Prevent Toilet Water From Freezing
If you are planning to go somewhere in winter then you have to take some extra steps to prevent your toilet bowl water from freezing.
Yes, the toilet water freezes in winter if it won’t flush for a long time. Luckily I’ve some effective solutions to prevent this from happening.
You can use a marine antifreeze solution which is very effective to prevent water from freezing at -50°F. This is a perfect choice for boats, spas, pools, and vacation homes.
This solution is also effective in reducing the effect of bacteria in your toilet and sink.
3. How To Prevent Toilet Water From Evaporating
This is also a major problem when you left your home vacant for months. The toilet water can evaporate during this period.
Your toilet water can evaporate when you don’t use your toilet for a long period of time and this is really very annoying when you come from a long vacation and immediately want to use your toilet.
The Reasons For Toilet Water Evaporation And How To Fix It
There are many reasons for your toilet water evaporation. Some are listed below:
1. Leakage In Fill Tube
The toilet fill tube maintains the required water level in the toilet bowl after every flush. When the fill tube valve has a leaking issue it is unable to fill the toilet bowl with desired water level after flush. These are some cases where you need to immediately replace the fill tube valve:
- Aging
- Improper installation
- Possible damage
2. Damaged Toilet Bowl
A damaged toilet bowl also causes toilet water leaking issues. This may happen due to several reasons such as heavy things impact on a toilet seat, a very old toilet seat, pouring boiled water into the toilet bowl, etc.
3. Low Float Level
A toilet water tank has a float ball that goes down when you flush the toilet and goes up to fill the water into the tank for the next use.
Some people unintentionally lower its level which prevents adequate water supply for flushing. To avoid a lack of water in your toilet bowl you have to adjust the float ball setting to the required level.
Also Read: Can I Use Toilet Bowl Cleaner To Clean My Sink: [Avoid These Things]
4. Empty The Toilet Tank Before Going To A Long Vacation
If you are going for a month-long vacation, must empty the toilet tank to prevent these things from happening:
1. A full toilet tank causes bacteria to grow. This is also a good spot for mosquito larvae to grow.
2. If water remains in your toilet tank, it makes some stubborn water stains over its body which becomes really hard to remove.
5. Clean Your Toilet One Day Before You Leave
If you don’t want to perform a tiresome cleaning of your toilet after returning from a month-long vacation, cleaning your toilet just one day before you leave is a good idea. Although this will not prevent bacteria growth, your toilet will remain clean to some extent and you don’t have to clean it hard when you return home.
6. Wipe All Water Stains Using A Dry Cloth
If you want a shiny and stain-free toilet when you return from a one-month-long vacation, must wipe all the water stains from the wash basin, and toilet bowl using a dry cloth. This will prevent water stains on your toilet seat, bowl, and wash basin.
Also Read: How To Sanitize After Toilet Overflows[A Complete Guide]
7. Down The Toilet Lid Before Leave
Although many homeowners keep this in mind and down their toilet lip before leaving their home, some may forget to do this due to they are in hurry, exited, etc.
8. Turn Off The Toilet Water Supply
You have to turn off the water supply valve of your toilet to prevent possible water leaking issues if you are not in your home for a long period of time.
Also Read: Effective Ways To Prevent Mold After Toilet Overflow
What To Avoid Doing Before Going For A Long Vacation
Apart from all the precautions, you have to avoid a few things in your toilet.
Avoid pouring baking soda, white vinegar, oil, etc into the toilet bowl and leave it spread for a long time. This will spread a bad odor across your toilet, and you will not want to experience a bad odor in your toilet when you return from your vacation.
You can spread a small quantity of bleach into the toilet bowl, but other things will result negatively if spread for a long period of time.
Conclusion
Yes, you can keep your toilet hygienic and clean again when you go for a month-long vacation. I personally love to maintain my toilet before leaving my house for a long vacation. Simply, empty the toilet tank, turn off the water pipeline of your toilet, and clean your toilet well one day before leaving are some key tips to keep your toilet clean and usable when you return from your vacation.
FAQ
Q.1 How Long Does It Take For Toilet To Evaporate?
Ans: Toilet water takes nearly one month or longer to evaporate the water completely from the toilet bowl. In warm weather conditions, it will evaporate within a few weeks.
