How To Stop Your Bathroom From Smelling
Okay, so now you know whats causing your particular smell.
The next step? Fixing it.
These problems are impossible to remove on your own, as theyre caused by problems with your plumbing. This isnt something you can clean away nor is it something we recommend fixing with DIY plumbing!
While you cant exactly fix these problems on your own, there are several things you can do in the meantime to make it more bearable while you organise plumbing maintenance from your local Bentleigh plumber.
The Truth About Urine Smells In Your Home
Unfortunately, getting rid of a pee smell is not the easiest thing. Very often, its difficult to track down the cause and that can be frustrating. A urine smell also has a habit of returning, whether its a persistent cat or plumbing that keeps failing.
But dont lose heart. Identifying and dealing with the problem is well worth it the effort. Once you track down the cause, you can rid your home of this unwelcome smell for good.
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Unblock The Shower Drain
If your shower drain is blocked, you may need to unlock it first. For this, there are several methods including the following:
- Pouring hot water down the drain.
- Using a plunger with water poured in the drain.
- Physically pulling out the clog using your hands or a preferred tool such as a hook.
- Using the toilet jack .
- Use of recommended chemicals.
After that, head over to the next step which is the cleaning of the drain.
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Deep Clean The Toilet
The least romantic four-word phrase in the English language.
- Scrub the toilet inside and out, top to bottom. You can use either a store-bought cleaning product or simply some dish soap and warm water. Be sure to follow directions on the ready-made cleaning productâs label or wipe down the toilet with a clean, wet rag to remove soapy residue, if using dish soap.
- Remove the toilet seat completely to really get the hinges clean.
- Use a store-bought toilet cleaner on the inside of the toilet and scrub. Like, really scrub. Be sure to get all up under the lip around the edge of the bowl. We like to use something pretty powerful that contains bleach. Mind your eyes, and be sure to open bathroom windows and turn on a fan for maximum ventilation when cleaning with powerful cleaners.
- Finish up by sanitizing your throne.Microban 24 Bathroom Cleaner keeps surfaces sanitized against bacteria for up to 24 hours, even after multiple touches,* plus it reduces odors. We like to do a final once-over on the exterior of the toilet with a product like this one as a sort of cherry on top.
How To Clean Shower P
We’ve already mentioned the solutions to a dry P-trap or a malfunctioning one, but what if your P-trap is dirty, and this is the source of your odor problem? Even if you diligently clean your bathroom, you may not think about the parts of your bathroom you cannot see. Fortunately, cleaning your P-trap is a simple process and is an excellent way to deodorize a smelly shower drain.
Simply pour approximately 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by about 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar. Now cover the drain with a stopper or a plate and let the chemical reaction go to work, cleaning the inside of the drain, including the P-trap, and frothing up. This should clear out any grime or debris clinging to the inside of your P-trap and causing odors.
You can also use bleach or other cleaners, but be wary of the fact that harsh chemicals can damage your pipes if you use them too much or too frequently, so home remedies should come first.
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If Your Drain Smells Musty
…youre most likely smelling mold thats growing in your drain.
As part of their metabolic process, active mold spores release tiny puffs of gas that have a distinct musty smell. Whats worse is that gas can be dangerous. If inhaled, it can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.
So, how do you get rid of those active mold colonies? Well, according to the EPA, if the mold infected area is less than 10 square feet, you should be able to handle the cleanup yourself. Just follow the steps below.
What youll need:
Steps to remove mold from shower drain:
If your drain still smells like mildew after this or if the smell disappears then returns, you may have a larger mold problem that requires professional cleaning.
Unclog A Shower Drain With A Store
Most drain cleaners for consumer use are alkaline-based and use sodium hydroxide and other chemicals to create heat that helps dissolve clogs. The cleaning solutions are heavier than water and can be poured into the drain through standing water.
It is essential to follow the directions carefully. Most drain cleaners are caustic and wearing eye protection and gloves are highly recommended. Follow the label instructions to wait the recommended amount of time to let the product work. Never use a commercial drain cleaner and then attempt to plunge or snake a drain because splashing may occur.
Enzyme-based drain cleaners like Green Gobbler Liquid Hair & Grease Clog Remover are also available. They do not work as quickly as chemical-based cleaners but are more environmentally friendly. The enzymes slowly break down hair and scum and are less damaging to pipes.
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Reasons Your Bathroom Smells Like Urine + How To Fix It Fast
If you find yourself plugging your nose or holding your breath every time you use the bathroom, its time for a deep clean and some troubleshooting. When your bathroom smells like urine 24-7, its time to roll up your sleeves and get cleaning.
But before you do that, youll need to work your detective skills to locate the source of the problem.
Weve rounded up a list of 8 common reasons your bathroom smells like urine, plus handy tips on what to do about it.
Lets get started!
The Base Of Toilet Smells Like Urine
The toilet seal is under the base of your toilet. This seal keeps what you flush from leaking onto the floor.
These seals can last the whole lifetime of your toilet, between 20 and 30 years. Improper installation or a manufacturing issue can shorten the life of your seal.
When your seal is no longer working the way that it should, urine will seep through the seal and under your toilet.
Even if you are cleaning around the base of your toilet, there can be more underneath the toilet itself. This includes fecal matter as well, so replacing your seal can help with all the bad odors in your bathroom.
Toilet seals cost anywhere between $8 and $20 and can take a mere half-hour to install. This is an easy, cheap DIY project for your Saturday afternoon and will make a huge difference in smell management.
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How To Get Rid Of Urine Smell In The Bathroom
It is disgusting to think about the smell urine can create in a bathroom. We may talk about how to clean up after our pets all day, but when it comes to human pee, we kind of freak out. But knowing where that horrible, smelly odor that sticks in your nose is coming from is the first step to conquering it.
Because its extremely uncomfortable to talk about it, that doesnt mean it shouldnt be discussed. Because, lets face it, urine smells really awful. If you and I are here today, then getting rid of that pungent smell of urine in your bathroom has become our goal, as it should be. You want your bathroom to be a place where you can comfortably do things like singing embarrassingly while youre in the shower. And you shouldnt have to worry that your guests will find offensive smells from the toilet.
Well help you have a bathroom that looks great and smells great. So, without further ado, here are some proven ways to get rid of urine smells in bathrooms:
Sewer Smell In The Bathroom 6 Easy Fixes
If youve ever dealt with a recurring or persistent odor emanating from your bathroom, you may have asked the same question most of us have asked at some point: Why does my bathroom smell like sewage?
There can be several reasons for that sewer smell in bathroom spaces. While most of us immediately think our toilet smells like a sewer because of their function, it could just as well be any other fixture with an exit into your drainage system or several of them. That means that, in addition to your toilet, youll want to consider your shower and sink drains.
In most instances, you can take care of the problem yourself. If you try all of these and your bathroom still smells like sewage, try some simple remedies before turning to a plumber to investigate possible more serious causes.
How does the bathroom smell? If it has the odor of spoiled eggs, you may have bacteria in the water that has backed up from the drain system. A gassy sewer smell in bathroom spaces could mean theres an issue with the p-trap on your sink, which could be affecting your toilet. A toilet that smells like urine might mean the wax ring sealing it around the floor drain is leaking.
Lets look at the solution for each of these issues, as well as some other simple solutions.
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How To Unclog A Shower Drain
There are several ways you can unclog a shower drain. A popular option to try which does not require the use of any chemicals is to snake the drain, so we’ll focus on how to unclog a shower drain with a snake. You can purchase a drain snake, also known as a hand auger, at your local hardware store. This is one of the tools any DIY plumber should have on-hand. Be sure to choose one with a 1/4 or 5/16 inch cable so it is flexible enough to curve through your pipes.
You can also make your own drain snaking tool by straightening out a wire coat hanger and leaving a hook on the end so it can get ahold of whatever material is blocking your drain. Whether you use a store-bought or a homemade snake, run the snake down the drain and pull it back up once you feel it hook onto the clog.
Be mindful that using a drain snake can cause damage to your pipes if done incorrectly, so if you are uneasy, you can always call a plumber out to snake the drain. Some other options for clearing out a drain clog include:
- Pulling the clog out by hand if you can reach it
- Using a plunger to draw the clog up to the surface
- Pouring boiling water down the drain to help dislodge the obstruction
- Pouring a chemical cleaner down the drain to dissolve the clog
How To Get Rid Of The Stinky Smell In Shower Drain
The process of getting rid of the smell involves various stages of cleaning the shower drain to wash and flush away the dirt.
The results are not just an odor-free bathroom, but any blockages you might have noted with your drain will be done away with.
Heres how to stop the stinky smell in your shower drain:
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Why Does My Bathroom Stink Even After I Clean It
Cleaning your bathroom can help eliminate the smell of pee. But sometimes, thats not enough. In many cases, the origins of urine odors are mysterious. However, theres a simple explanation, and it may not be what you were expecting.
Did you know that live bacteria can move freely through your pipes? Stinky bacteria can also travel from the sewer straight to your open commode. Then, the bacteria will start colonizing in, on, and around your porcelain throne.
When that happens, they can leave a foul stench behind. Plus, that stench can linger even after you clean up the surface. So, if that sounds familiar to you, maybe think about hiring a licensed plumber to fix the issue.
Keep in mind that you can also approach the entity responsible for the sewer. Ask if there are any problems with the plumbing connections to your house. Communicate your troubles to see if theres anything else they can do to help remove the odor from your bathroom.
NOTE: You could also smell urine because of a pest or pet leaving it behind.
Stained Flooring Or Bathmats
The second place to clean is the flooring around the vicinity of the toilet. This includes any bathmats or rugs that may contain the lingering aroma of urine.
Often, the culprit could have had an accident without you noticing!
If after youve thrown the bathmats or floor towels into the laundry and you still wrinkle your nose in disgust, try this cleaning hack.
Easy rug deodorizer
- 1-gallon bucket filled with warm water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- Optional: a splash of lemon juice
The smell of the vinegar will soon dissipate.
Check out this post for more cleaning tips on deep cleaning carpets.
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Tip #: Call Your Local Bentleigh Plumber
Each of these plumbing hacks are only temporary fixes.
If you want to be free of unwelcome bathroom smells for good, the only way to fix these issues is to call a Bentleigh plumber!
Put it this way: how long are you willing to put up with short-term solutions to a major plumbing issue before you get fed up?
We suggest letting a plumber in Bentleigh conduct a plumbing inspection in your home.
During this inspection, a member of our team will inspect and identify the plumbing issues that cause your bathroom to smell. From there, we can schedule in major repairs, or, if minor, can provide on-the-spot fixes, where possible.
Watermaster Plumbing can identify and fix a wide range of defects, problems, or risks associated in your homes plumbing system including:
- Damage
What Can Cause Leaky Pipes
Drainage pipes are designed to keep sewer gases contained, so if you’re smelling these gases in your bathroom, then you likely have a leak somewhere in your drain line. You should never ignore sewage smells in your home.
Leaks are caused either by perforations in pipes or by loose fittings between runs of piping. For certain types of metal pipes, leaks from perforations could develop over time due to corrosion. In the case of fittings that have come loose, a problem that could affect PVC pipes, poor installation could be to blame. This is a likely culprit if you are noticing bathroom smells in a newly built or renovated house.
Another contributor to leaks in your drain is clogs. A clog that includes a harsh cleaning product or other corrosive substances can allow these substances to sit and essentially eat through your pipe. Perforations from clogs will typically happen when the strength of your pipe’s walls is already compromised from long-term corrosion.
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Urine Smell In Bathroom Tile Grout
Deep cleaning your grout is often overlooked when it comes to cleaning your bathroom. Fortunately, scrubbing your grout doesnt need to be a weekly task.
Grout is a porous material, meaning once a liquid has seeped in, it must be thoroughly cleaned to remove it.
This is why you can mop your floors a thousand times and still have bad odors coming from them. Even just scrubbing the grout surrounding your toilet relieves the majority of the urine stench.
Enjoy A Bathroom That Smells As Fresh As You
Dealing with unstoppable urine odors can be frustrating. You end up trying everything to get the smell to go away. From wiping surfaces to scrubbing toilets, theres nothing you wont do to get rid of the stench. But what happens when nothing works?
If youre stuck in a stinky situation, the problem could go much deeper than you expected. And odors arent always caused by messy household members, naughty pets, or leaky pipes. Sometimes, the issue is a logistical one. Other times, you may have to replace the floor.
Dont get frustrated yet. Your bathroom doesnt have to smell like urine forever. There is a solution, even if its not a quick fix.
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Is Black Mould Causing My House To Smell Like Urine
Black mould can make a house smell like pee. In this case, it has a distinctive odour like dried urine and it might even smell musty. The infestation can be slight or severe. When you smell black mould, it is no longer a light problem. By the time you smell it, the mould has spread to the point where it could be a toxic threat.
You can identify black mould by its dark colour, roughly round shape, and the fact that several blotches appear together.
It is impossible to tell where the black mould has managed to creep into. A homeowner cannot deal with this on their own. Call a professional who knows how to test for black mould and can get rid of the issue for good.