Picture this. You stumble into the bathroom in the middle of the night to empty your bladder for the seventy sixth time. Just as you go to switch off the light, you notice that something is off about your toilet seat, but you decide your tired eyes are playing tricks on you and head back to bed. The next morning, as you’re about to sit down on the throne AGAIN, you realize that you hadn’t been imagining things the night before. Your formerly snow-white toilet seat is now blue.
Why would my toilet seat turn blue?
Your first instinct will probably be to blame your partner. After all, you certainly didn’t dip your ass into a can of blue ink, smear it all over the toilet seat and then have the nerve to leave it there. Of course, you’ll check in the mirror to be sure you’re in the clear and will likely see that your trusty butt is the same color it’s always been. After some awkward investigating of your partner’s derriere, however, you’re going to have to sheepishly apologize, since their cheeks won’t be blue either. So who in the hell is the blue-butted bandit?
It is you, you pregnant little Smurfette.
While there is an alarming number of people on the Google machine that have searched the term Why in the shit is my toilet seat blue? (or some variation of that), there doesn’t seem to be a definitive reason as to why this happens. However, there are some pretty good theories.
First of all, let’s talk about what’s not turning it blue.
- Your toilet seat is not treating you to an impromptu gender reveal.
- Your toilet seat is also not acting as a makeshift pregnancy test. This phenomenon has happened to men and women of all ages and well-outside of childbearing years.
- Members of The Blue Man Group have probably not invaded your home.
- It’s not ink transfer from your skin to the seat due to wearing new jeans, as many people who have experienced this phenomenon were not wearing jeans prior to their seat turning a gorgeous shade of indigo.
So, what is turning it blue?
As I mentioned above, no one is 100% certain why pregnant women are turning their toilet seats blue, but hormones are the most likely culprit. The only thing that the men and women who reported the blue seat phenomenon seemed to have in common (other than their version of the Midass touch) was the reporting of imbalanced hormone levels.
Elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone in pregnant women may change the pH of their skin, which then interacts with the ionized silver anti-microbial coating of their toilet seats and causes them to change color. Likewise, in individuals who are not pregnant, hormone levels that are out of balance appear to be wreaking havoc on pristine toilet seats everywhere.
Another theory is that blue toilet seats could be a result of Corynebacterium (which is often found on human skin) interacting with the silver coating on the seats. Some strains of Corynebacterium require Vitamin B7 (Biotin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) and Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (an amino acid used in the synthesis of folic acid – in other words, part of your prenatal vitamin) to grow. Corynebacterium can alter the colour of sweat and body oils, making them appear blue.
Is it serious?
For your toilet seat, maybe. For you, probably not. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to take your findings to your doctor and ask to have your hormone levels checked (particularly if you aren’t pregnant). Just don’t be surprised if you’re met with peals of laughter after presenting your blue toilet seat as the reason for your visit.
How Do You Get Blue Stains Off A Toilet Seat?
People have tried Magic Erasers, alcohol, bleach, ammonia and more, with little success. Because the blue coloration is likely due to a chemical reaction (as opposed to a stain), there’s no turning back. You’re welcome to scrub and see for yourself, but(t) it seems that the only way to make your seat white again is to go out and buy a new one. You might want to wait until you’re no longer pregnant, in case your blue butt strikes again.
Have you ever turned a toilet seat blue?
Do you have a theory on why the heck this happens? Most importantly, is there any way to make your toilet seat white again? We’d love to hear your input in the comments!
Our next reco: Your Pregnant Body – 20 Things They Don’t Tell You
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