Having marks on a toilet seat can make a whole bathroom look unsightly and many people can make the mistake of thinking urine is the culprit for these stains.

Although toilet surfaces look smooth, they actually contain tiny pores which can trap dirt, limescale and bacteria over time which not only looks awful but is very unhygienic.

It may seem obvious to simply clean a toilet with bleach but it is actually too harsh and will cause a toilet seat to turn yellow and become cracked, and could cause skin irritation.

Instead, one woman took to Facebook and asked the cleaning enthusiasts on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips and Trick page what the best solution to getting rid of stains after posting a picture of a discoloured toilet seat.

She wrote: “Could anybody help with suggestions of how to get rid of the horrible grubby yellow staining on my toilets?”

It turns out a very simple yet effective cleaning solution is likely already sitting in your bathroom as several people suggested using shaving foam.

One user suggested: “Use men's shaving foam spray. Leave for 10 minutes."

Another person wrote: "I recently read that you should spray an old stain on loo seats with shaving foam and leave it to soak in, then wipe away.”

Someone else wrote: “I believe shaving foam works wonders.”

It may seem bizarre, but shaving foam contains surfactants which can deeply penetrate surfaces which can then lift difficult stains such as oil and grime.

Shaving foam also has a thick foamy consistency which can stick to surfaces and is particularly good at breaking down body oils, dead skin cells and limescale.

How to use shaving foam to get rid of toilet seat stains 

All you need to do is apply a thick layer of shaving foam around your toilet seat and leave it to sit for at least 10 minutes.

For particularly grubby toilets, leave the shaving foam to sit for up to 30 minutes.

Once the time is up, put on some gloves and use a cloth or sponge to gently wipe away the foam with some clean water. The stains should be gone and your toilet should be sparkling white once again.

However, there are many simple and affordable ways to get rid of toilet seat stains without using harsh chemicals such as using a magic eraser or using Pink Paste.