The rooms of the home are susceptible to bad odors without exception. Daily habits, the aromas that come from the kitchen and other factors condition the smell in rooms and living rooms. Even so, the place where unpleasant stenches are most concentrated is the bathroom, as it is the place where all the body’s waste is concentrated.
But the reasons for annoying scents in the bathroom go further. It is important that you know how to identify them to solve them properly. Therefore, if you want to know how to remove bad smell from bathroom, the causes that cause it and the most effective tricks to eradicate it, at oneHOWTO we tell you everything you need to know, so keep reading.
Why does the bathroom smell bad – causes
On some occasions, the bad smell in the sink is caused by defects in the bathroom installation, so the solutions are reduced: it is best to hire the services of a specialist to make the pertinent arrangements.
If this is not your case, these are some of the most common causes why bad smells persist in the bathroom:
- Siphon: it is a device that serves to prevent the odors from the sewers reaching homes by accumulating water in a certain section of the pipes. If toilets, bathtubs or bidets are not used frequently, the water in the siphon dries up, thus eliminating the protection against bad odors.
- The accumulation of waste in the pipe, such as hairs and other objects, can cause a bad smell from the siphon.
- Defects in the sealing of the pipes: can trigger gas escapes from the sewer.
- Aging of pipes: creates a favorable scenario for the appearance of bacteria and yeasts. Water stagnates with waste materials, creating layers that clog pipes.
- Water stagnation: In this situation, bacteria reproduce and mold appears quickly.
- Lack of pipeline maintenance: daily use can saturate them, especially if you are in a community of neighbors.
- Ventilation problems of the bathroom, mainly in the design (absence of windows or ventilation ducts that connect the outside air with the sink).
Clean the toilet regularly
Although it seems like an obvious solution, it is important to take care of the frequency with which we clean the toilet and with which we do a thorough cleaning of the bathroom. The build-up of microbes and bad odors is most powerful in this space of the room, so be sure to use detergents and liquid soaps that help you remove the bad smell from the toilet. You can make your own eco-friendly homemade bathroom cleaner with a vinegar and baking soda mixture.
- Add 1 part white vinegar to 1/2 part water. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir occasionally.
- Pour baking soda down the pipes and pour the boiling vinegar water down the toilet.
- Leave on overnight.
- Repeat once a week to keep bad smells away.
Seal the gaps between the floor and the toilet
If you constantly ask yourself why does my bathroom smell bad all the time, one of the first measures you should consider to solve it is related to the joints and the walls of the bathroom. You want to make sure they are well sealed, as with continued use, cracks can be created in these surfaces and air enters from the sewer system. Covering them is essential to prevent bad odors.
If, as you get close to the floor and the point where the toilet and the floor meet, you notice unpleasant odors, this is the most likely source of bad odors in your bathroom. To fill in these spaces, you can use silicone, paste or polyurethane sealants. You will find them in DIY stores and hardware stores, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use and get to work.
Of course, be especially careful with the hose (a specific toilet drain, with an approximate diameter of 11 cm) because it is usually unprotected and can create small cracks in the wall.
Clean the siphon
One of the most common sources of bad smells in bathrooms is drains. The siphons create a wall of water that blocks bad odors from the street sewers. It can be found in the toilet or on the floor. In any case, for remove the bad smell in the bathroom by the siphon bottle, you will have to check its proper functioning or clean it to remove dirt. Keep these tips in mind:
- It is common for dirt to collect in the drain. If the siphon is on the floor, put on some latex gloves, remove the screen, and remove any accumulated dirt.
- To help you, you can use products to unclog pipes such as unclogging fluids that you can find in your supermarket. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to use it.
- If the siphon is in the toilet, we recommend that you use toilet drain plungers, as these have the necessary reach to get to where the dirt is.
- If you haven’t used the toilet in a long time, the odor may be caused by the evaporation of the water in the siphon. Just letting the water run again will be enough to replace the water in the siphon canister.
Clean the pipes and drain of the sink
To solve the problems that you may have in the pipes, the best resource is to use a specific cleaner with which you will be able to remove all the dirt that is inside and solve the blockages caused by the accumulation of residues.
Another element to take care of with special interest is the sink drain. It is one of the points where the stench of the toilet is most concentrated, so it is essential to keep it clean. If you don’t know how to remove the bad smell from the bathroom drain, at OneHOWTO we recommend that you follow this step by step:
- Remove the cap and remove any surface dirt that you detect. Wear latex gloves.
- To clean the interior areas, use a plunger to move the pipe inside, facilitating the removal of accumulated debris.
- Finally, flush the drain with hot water.
In cases where there are sealing problems in the pipes, you can fix this by sealing the leak point with caulk or electrical tape.
Clean mold from wall and tiles
It is very common for them to appear fungus and mold on the surfaces of the bathroom, which deteriorates the walls and furniture of the bathroom and generates very unpleasant odors. That is why cleaning the tiles with special products for this surface will favor their correct maintenance, preserving a good aroma in the bathroom. Make sure to cover the ceiling as well, as this is a common source for mold to grow.
We leave you more tips and tricks to get rid of this type of dirt in our articles How to remove mold from the walls and How to remove mold from the bathroom wall.
Ventilate the bathroom
Despite being very easy to do, we often forget to ventilate the bathroom as if it were just another room in the house. For example, you can open the windows and the door to avoid mold from the steam generated when you shower. However, in many toilets there is already a automatic ventilation system with which the air is constantly renewed. You can buy one and install your own at home.
Purifiers and air fresheners
Throughout the article you will have been able to learn how to remove the bad smell from the bathroom with very useful tricks and resources. You can also use air purifiers, a simple alternative since it is the device itself that is responsible for eliminating the bacteria that generate unpleasant aromas.
Another option is the use of air fresheners that cover the bad smell with better scents. There are many types: manual, automatic and even in small bags.
You can make an ecological and homemade air freshener in a very simple way, just follow the steps that we leave you in our article How to make a homemade lemon air freshener.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to remove bad smell from the bathroom, we recommend that you enter our Home Cleaning category.