Of all the household items that people despise cleaning, the toilet probably tops the list.
Self-cleaning toilets first appeared a few years ago in luxury hotels in Asia and Europe such as the Park Hyatt Zurich. Now, prices are dropping and they are making their way into regular homes.
But come on—do they really work?
According to Lauren Haynes, a cleaning expert at Star Domestic Cleaners who’s seen many of these high-tech thrones in action, the best of them could relieve many of the detestable chore.
“These toilets are perfect for people without time for cleaning, or those who just want to avoid dealing with germs and bacteria,” she says.
But choose carefully! Here are some of the industry leaders below, plus some choice quotes culled from online reviews to help you weigh whether these luxuries are worth the cost.
For the budget-conscious:
You can liberate yourself from toilet cleaning for $560 with the Kohler Corbelle.
How it works: Oufited with “Continuous Clean” technology, this toilet sends water completely around the bowl to keep the bowl area spotless. A toilet bowl cleaner attachment that slides into the tank ensures a jet of cleaning solution is dispensed along with every flush. Because the flush triggers a spin of liquid rather than a flow of water that goes straight down, the entire bowl is supposed to remain spotless. You will need to purchase toilet cleaning tablets to feed into the unit that’s nestled in the tank.
Does it work? Customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive: According to one review on Home Depot, “So happy with this self cleaning toilet we changed to one in every bathroom. Brilliant.”
Another enthusiastic fan agrees: “I really like the continuous clean function – leaves the unit smelling fresh every time.”
On the Home Depot site the toilet has earned 4.5 stars out of a possible five based on over 75 reviews.
But not all are dazzled. One buyer found her toilet constantly running, which proved to be a hassle because of the additional piece of hardware in the tank. “Because of the cleaning unit you can’t just take the lid off and fix it. You have to take the cleaning unit out. Beautiful, comfortable, but annoying toilet.”
Make sure you’re ready for the glory of continuous clean—but hopefully not continuously running—toilet.
For the high-tech germophobe:
Toto’s Neorest 750H Dual Flush ($16,700) kills germs using UV light, which is also used in surgical rooms to disinfect equipment.
How it works: The magic starts the moment the lid goes up and the bowl is misted with water to help keep waste from sticking to the surface. Then when you flush, two powerful jets send a veritable cyclone of water swirling around the bowl, scrubbing the surface with pressure from the water (using only 1.28 gallons).
Then, while water drains from the bowl, the surface is sprayed with electrolyzed water, which contains charged ions that attach like magnets to dirt particles, thus changing their charge so the dirt is repelled from the surface. All that, just by sending a harmless electrical charge through water—no harsh chemicals necessary.
A final perk: A deodorizing system allows you to disassociate yourself from the task for which the toilet was created.
Does it work? Customers say once you try the Neorest there’s no going back to ordinary toilets.
“Prepare to be ruined for life,” says a reviewer named jfisherm.
AmznAddict adds, “If this thing existed on Game of Thrones, no one would care about the Iron Throne, they would be going to war over this baby.”
The problem, of course, is the price. As Business Insider notes, “the Toto is indeed a throne fit for a king or queen.”
For fans of the bidet:
If you are a fan of the bidet—which sends a strategically targeted spout of water to clean you up—you might dig Kohler’s Veil “Intelligent” toilet ($3,971).
How it works: Although it boasts the same tech as the Toto—UV light and electrolyzed water—these features clean only the bidet faucet rather than the whole bowl. Still, as CNET points out, this feature means “less icky manual cleanup.”
Does it work? Its self-cleaning abilities are limited and the toilet bowl will still need to be scrubbed. However, the bidet feature does add a hygiene edge not seen in the above models. In other words, you’ll end up cleaner, which is nice in its own right.
Plus, sensors detect when you get up and will flush for you and shut the lid. All of which adds up to hands-free waste management.
As one Amazon reviewer points out, “I don’t even flush the dang thing anymore nor ever touch the lid.”
