How to remove a toilet paper holder if you see no screws (including Moen): 2 Easy Steps

Have you ever come across a toilet paper holder and thought ‘how do I take this thing off?’ Well, the answer may surprise you. There are 2 ways to attach a toilet paper holder to the wall: using screws or glue.  This blog post will teach you how to remove the toilet paper holder with a few simple steps.

[ez-toc]

Remove a glued toilet paper holder (no screws)

Materials needed:

-Prying tool

-Scraper

Remove the toilet paper roll and look at where your toilet paper holder is attached to the wall. If you don’t see any screws at all, it is possible that your toilet paper holder was glued to the wall. Be sure to check carefully as screws can be hidden. If you are unsure, you can always take a picture and ask in your local hardware store if there are screws in it. Let’s assume here that there are no screws and it is glued.

  You have to be careful when you try to remove this as it can damage the paint or wall. In the video, above he is using a flat bar but you can get smaller prying tools as well. Using a pry tool is often the easiest way to get started.

You can get this between the adhesive and the wall and go around the outer edges. Once you feel that it is getting loose, you can push the pry tool deeper or use a flat-headed screwdriver. Gently push this further and further until the adhesive comes loose.

You can use a scraper or heat to remove the remaining paint. Soapy water might help as well. Be careful when you do this so that the wall doesn’t get damaged. In some instances, you will have to repaint this spot as the paint can get discolored after a while. The easiest way to hide this spot is to attach a new toilet paper holder over it that has the same size as the previous one. 

 Some freestanding toilet paper holders also have some adhesive on the bottom so that they remain in place when they get a little push. You can apply a similar approach to get this loose. 

How to remove a toilet paper holder that has screws

Materials needed:

-Allen key: this is similar to the tool that you get at Ikea

-Philips screwdriver

Remove the toilet paper roll to get started.

Most toilet paper holders are mounted to the wall with a mounting bracket. The first step is to find the Allen screw that connects the mounting bracket and holder. It can be hidden pretty well for aesthetic reasons so look around. This is a hex and looks like the image below: 

File:Allen wrench and screw (PSF).png
Source: Pearson Scott Foresman

You will have to get an Allen key (the same as you get at Ikea) to open this. Simply place the key in place and turn it counterclockwise. Once this is loose, you can remove the toilet paper holder (by sliding it out) and you will see that there is a toilet paper mounting bracket on your wall. This is often attached with a Philips screw (or slot head).

Get a screwdriver and turn it counterclockwise to get these out. Check that there are no dangerous objects or electricity nearby when you do this. Sometimes people inadvertently used screws in their water pipe and removing the screws can lead to a water leak. 

  There might be holes in your wall when you remove it so you have to think before you remove your toilet paper holder. It is possible to install a new paper holder in these holes but if you want to change the location of the holder, it might be needed to patch these holes and paint over them.

If the heads of the screws are broken, you might have more work. Luckily this can be solved quite easily.

How to remove a Moen toilet paper holder

Moen toilet paper holders have a small pin in them. This pin can be found on de underside of the holder. You can give this a nudge with a screwdriver.

If you don’t see the pin, you can use a flashlight to get a better view of the installation.

It can take a few tries if the toilet paper holder is quite old.

Once this is done, you can remove the toilet holder.

Now we just have to remove the screws from the wall. This is once again done with a screwdriver. Just turn it counterclockwise.

In the end, we will have some holes in the wall. We have discussed how to fill holes in a drywall here.

You can also install a new toilet paper holder to cover the holes in the wall.

The toilet paper holders of Moen are quite easy to remove. You just need a screwdriver and some patience. In less than 5 minutes, you should be able to remove it.

How to get the toilet paper holder out of the toilet tank

To get the toilet paper holder out of the toilet tank of a standing toilet, you often have to open the toilet tank. This is generally done by lifting it. In some instances, you might have to open a screw before you can do this. This is a straightforward process. More and more people are using hanging toilets so this type of toilet holder is disappearing.

Materials used for toilet paper holders

There are two types of toilet paper holders that you may find, metal and plastic toilet paper holders. The metal holder is more durable and less likely to break. However, it does create a loud noise when you pull it off. The plastic type is usually cheaper and easier to take off but doesn’t provide as much durability or noise as the metal holder does.  

Toilet holder alternatives

Some people are switching from toilet paper to a water spray to clean themselves. This might sound weird but it can be very comfortable. Bidets can even use hot water for this and once people get over the initial shock, they sometimes enjoy using it.

You don’t have to deal with toilet paper anymore. For people that are less agile, it is a great solution as well.  At the moment bidets are mainly popular in Japan and there are not a lot of people in the USA that have one. This is rapidly changing though as people realize the advantage of this system. 

A bidet is installed under your toilet seat and connected to your water supply. This can be done in less than 15 minutes. You would be surprised how cheap they are!

How to install a new toilet holder.

We have discussed some options on where you can hang your toilet holder before. The easiest way to install a toilet holder is to get one that uses an adhesive. Simply clean the wall and stick the adhesive to the wall and you are done.

To install a toilet paper holder with screws, you have some more work. You start out by measuring the distance between the screws in the mounting bracket. Draw these holes on the wall and use a leveler to make sure that they will hang straight. Then you drill two holes in the wall while you keep this distance in mind.

The next step is to add a plastic plug in the holes with a hammer. This offers more stability to the mount. You have to use screws to attach the mounting bracket to the wall. Once the mounting bracket is installed, you can often slide the holder over it. Then you affix everything together using an Allen screw and you are done. 

To conclude, we can say that removing a toilet holder is quite straightforward if you have the right tools. Just take your time and don’t use too much force when doing so.