Clean spray solution for bathroom floor after peeing?

March 6, 2023 1:18 PM

No matter how close to the bowl I go, tiny droplets of pee fall on the floor here and there. I'd like a clean spray solution so I can quickly spray the area the droplets fell without having to wipe it up manually. Bonus points for a good-smelling solution that doesn't have strong chemicals in it.

For about a year or two, I've used some of my mop cleaner in a spray bottle to spray, but I've grown tired of the smell, and it's quite chemically. I want to move to something more clean, simple, good-smelling, and effective.

Sitting on the seat to go pee (male here) isn't ideal, because I don't like sitting on the seat unless necessary, due to dirt/germs. I could get a rug, but the rug would still absorb the pee droplets. I want something that would spray them away and leave the floor clean, quickly, after I pee. The thought of stepping back into dried pee droplets is gross.

Any suggestions? Open to DIY.

posted by dubious_dude to Home & Garden (15 answers total)

Nothing is going to ‘spray away’ pee droplets. All you’re doing is add cleaner over the top. The cleaner then also dries and instead of standing on pee droplets you’re now standing on pee droplets and cleaner droplets. To remove the pee droplets you have to both add cleaner and then remove both by wiping the floor or mopping it. Personally, I’d find it easier to sit and just wipe the seat before/after every use if that is a concern.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:35 PM on March 6, 2023

Disposable Lysol wipes are great for cleaning the seat. Just don't flush them.

I've heard that elongated toilet bowls are a bit better at capturing any splashback. That may be an option if you're open to replacing your entire toilet, but honestly as a male I've also found that sitting down is easier and it dramatically improves the cleanliness around the toilet.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 1:47 PM on March 6, 2023

I don't like sitting on the seat unless necessary, due to dirt/germs

It sounds like this is your toilet seat. So clean it. Then sit on it.
posted by fruitslinger at 1:59 PM on March 6, 2023

Any suggestions? Open to DIY.

Dampen a paper towel
Throw it on the floor
Squidge it around with your foot
Use your toes to claw the paper towel up
Throw the paper towel in the trash


There, no harsh chemicals, no bending over, no touching with your hands.
posted by phunniemee at 2:07 PM on March 6, 2023

Guy who sits to pee here. People who stand are barbarians, IMO, so I think the best solution is to figure out how to keep the toilet clean enough that you're comfortable sitting, if that's a possibility in your living/bathroom arrangement.

Honestly, I'm comfortable with a soap-and-water clean, but other approaches could include:

A toilet seat that's easier to keep clean. If the current seat has a worn finish, simply replacing it with a new one might improve your ability to clean it to your satisfaction. My preference is an easy-remove seat, because it allows me to clean the area where the seat attaches to the bowl, which would otherwise only happen when it's replaced with a new one.

If it doesn't bother your eyes or nose, mix up a solution of bleach in water. Get the plain stuff, no thickeners or added scents. Bleach is an excellent sanitizer and is relatively benign as these things go (and is biodegradable), but you will run the risk of bleaching your clothing or other fabrics in the room if you're not careful. I'd also recommend testing it on an inconspicuous spot on the toilet seat and other surfaces it will come in contact with to make sure it won't damage or discolor them.

In fact, bleach in water may be one of only two things I can recommend as a "spray and forget" cleaner--the bleach will break down into salts and water over the next day or so. To be clear, I'm recommending it as a way to get your toilet clean enough to sit on comfortably, not a several-times-a-day spray after every use. I don't think you'd be happy about the fumes. And, of course, do not mix bleach with other cleaners, full stop. A friend worked at an assisted living facility for folks with AIDS in the 1990s--before HAART--and this was how they cleaned the bathroom.

The other spray-and-forget is 70% isopropyl alcohol. In fact, this what I used when I worked in a microbiology lab to avoid cross-contaminatting cultures. Again, I can't recommend this for use every time you use the toilet, because I really don't think you want to breathe it that frequently, but it's fine for use on a regular cleaning schedule. Isopropyl alcohol won't damage most household surfaces WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FINISHED WOOD. Test carefully if you have wood anywhere near where you're spraying it, like a wood floor.

I'd also stress that both of these surface disinfectants need to be used on an already clean surface. If there's dirt, grease, or grime on the toilet, the seat, or the floor around it, spraying a disinfectant on the surface won't do much. The surfaces have to be as clean (and cleanable) as possible already.
posted by pullayup at 2:18 PM on March 6, 2023

The only way to "spray them away" is to use enough water or other liquid to dilute and rinse the spots, but that needs to be cleaned up with a mop otherwise it'll be puddles of water all over the floor.

Can you keep a swiffer and a spray bottle with soap in the bathroom (any kind of surface cleansing solution is fine, I think some of the method ones don't smell too bad), spray and mop, then change the swiffer pad out as needed? You'll have to get your hands near it, but only on the very edges where it should be ok.

Could you do gloves + a clorox wipe? Or one of those grabbers that people use to extend their reach + a clorox wipe?
posted by Sparky Buttons at 2:37 PM on March 6, 2023

I don't think any spray will solve this, as pointed out by several above only wiping would help.
However, the person i live with does not like sitting (or cleaning). Our solution is to spread newspaper on the floor around the bowl and change as needed. Ugly but efficient.
posted by 15L06 at 2:44 PM on March 6, 2023

Being nervous about sitting on your own toilet isn't rational. The germophobia is a bigger issue than the pee drops. I think working on your bathroom anxiety and worries about grossness will improve your life a lot.

I was raised by a severely anxious and germophobic mother - she made me so scared of bathrooms that I was chronically constipated for years as a child (sound familiar?). As a parent now, I am actively teaching myself to not be germophobic so I can break this cycle before it harms my own kids. One of the ways I'm doing that is by observing my child's kindergarten peers - thirty 4 year olds - and realizing that not a single one of them knows how to pee without clambering all over the toilet, nor can they properly wipe their butts, cover their mouths when they cough, or blow their noses, nor do they wash their hands before snack... and then I contemplate the fact that EVERY CHILD IN HISTORY has been exactly this gross or in fact MUCH grosser - and yet we persist as a species, so I might as well let it go.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 3:24 PM on March 6, 2023

I don't know how enzymes work, but enzyme cleaner is what you use to clean up pee. Presumably the enzymes break down the pee so it's not pee any more? This is the enzyme cleaner I use for cleanups*, and I put it in a spray bottle.

No matter what option you choose, you'll still want to clean your floor regularly with warm, soapy water.

*Enzyme cleaners work on natural stains and odors such as pee. You have to use something else for artificial stains and odors such as perfume.
posted by aniola at 7:37 PM on March 6, 2023

As someone that could stand to pee but chooses to sit, let me say that everything in the house will be cleaner if you sit. Here's an example of what most folks don't realize is happening... Imagine that over years and years. How often do you bleach all the walls in your bathroom? Yikes!
posted by Nosmot at 8:51 PM on March 6, 2023

A couple thoughts on not wanting to sit on the toilet seat.

1. You can hover. Hover your butt over the seat. You're not touching the seat, problem solved. This requires core strength, which important for helping prevent falls when you're older.

2. You can squat. Then it's just your feet touching the seat. Many people squat to pee, probably billions. This is a healthier position for pooing if you have constipation, too.
posted by aniola at 7:55 AM on March 7, 2023

Rather than wiping the toilet seat before using, you could keep a package of baby wipes by the toilet. Sit to pee. Wipe the skin that has come in contact with the seat with a baby wipe. Do not flush the wipe, throw it in the trash. After washing your hands, you will be more than sufficiently clean, your bathroom will stay cleaner, and you will not be dealing with a harsh chemical smell.
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:35 AM on March 7, 2023

Thanks for all of your input! I'll need to think over which solution is best to incorporate.
posted by dubious_dude at 9:28 AM on March 10, 2023

I seem to recall that OP has parcoperesis and is well aware of his anxieties around bathrooms. I don’t think pointing out what is or isn’t a normal level of concern is helpful that this is part of an established diagnosis he’s brought up many times in other questions.
posted by mermaidcafe at 5:42 PM on March 10, 2023

Click on the link to the enzyme cleaner I suggested, I think you may find it interesting.

This solution would be excessive for me, but it might work for you. Go to a thrift shop and buy a huge bunch of towels on the cheap. Cut them in half or thirds so they're the right size. Use a new towel on the floor frequently and then do a weekly load of towel laundry. Line dry in the sun for maximum cleanliness (the sun acts as bleach).
posted by aniola at 8:52 PM on March 10, 2023