When it comes to cleaning and general maintenance of your house, the bathroom is the place that needs the most attention. Sometimes, a smelly bathroom drain can quickly spoil the pleasant atmosphere of your home. This smell comes from germs, leftover soap, and toothpaste mixing together, mainly from the bacteria that lives and grows in these conditions.
Therefore, it’s really important to figure out why your bathroom drain smells off, and how to clean it properly.
In this blog post, we’re going to talk about what causes these smelly drains and how you can get rid of the smell.
What Are The Reasons For Smelly Drains?
Understanding the reasons behind a smelly bathroom drain is crucial. Once you know what the problems are, finding a solution becomes much easier. We have listed down the top reasons for a smelly bathroom.
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Dirt
One of the reasons for the bathroom drain smell might be the dirt. The gunk-like food, grease, hair, and soap allow the bacteria to release a disgusting aroma.
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P-Trap
Venting pipes and p-traps restrict the entrance of sewer gas into the household. These pipes move this gas to the rooftop, which can mix with the debris and cause the smelly drains in your bathroom.
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Mold
It is a harmless fungus that grows in moist places to cause an unpleasant odour in the bathroom. Mold also releases a gas that causes respiratory diseases and headaches when you are using the bathroom.
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Plumbing Issues
The outdated and rotted pipes also cause the smelly drains in the bathroom. Water leakage is also a reason for the unwanted smell in the bathroom.
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Sewage Line Blockage
The problem with the sewage line can also cause an unpleasant odour and a tinkling sound in your bathroom drains.
How Do You Resolve The Problems Of Smelly Drains?
There are different methods to fix the smelly bathroom drains and ensure that problems never occur again in the future.
The Required Material For Cleaning
To get rid of smelly drains in the bathroom, it’s essential to clean them to prevent various problems. You will need to gather the necessary materials for cleaning the drains effectively.
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Hot water
- Petroleum jelly
- Drain Plunger
- Metal hanger
- Rubber gloves
- Wrench
When you have the required material in your hands, it’s time to start resolving the problems of drain smells in the bathroom.
Let’s move to resolving the issue:
1. Find The Actual Problem
The first important step is to carefully check your drainage system for any clear signs of blockages or damage that might be causing the smell. Look for any clogs in the pipes, overflow from the sewer lines, or leaks. Finding these issues early lets you take the right steps to fix them and get rid of the odour source.
2. Fix P-Trap
The P-trap, the U-shaped pipe under your sink, always has water in it. If a bathroom or any fixture isn’t used for a while, the water in the P-trap can evaporate, which breaks the seal blocking sewer gasses from coming up through the drains. To fix this, just run water through the fixture for a few minutes. This fills the P-trap with water again, creating a barrier against odours.
3. Use Vinegar Or Hot Water
You need to boil the water or vinegar for a few minutes and pour half of the mixture onto the drain of your bathroom. Now, you must use cold water to remove the remaining dirt from your bathroom drain. It is crucial to be careful during the cleaning process because boiled water can damage the PVC pipes.
4. Pour Baking Soda And Vinegar
The next solution to the problem of a smelly bathroom drain is pouring baking soda in half quantity into the white vinegar for the chemical reaction. It will remove the debris and unpleasant odour from your bathroom drain.
5. Use A Plunger
When the vinegar and hot water have not resolved the smell of the bathroom drain, it indicates a solid blockage in the drain. You need to use the petroleum jelly on the plunger before applying it to the drainer. It is crucial to use hot water when applying the plunger to your bathroom drain to remove the debris.
6. Use The Metal Hanger
The metal hanger comes with a plastic and flexible tube that you can attach to the clogged bathroom drain. Hold the plastic tube while moving the flexible tube onto the drain. Then, turn on the handle of the hanger. It will remove the unpleasant smell.
How to Prevent The Smelly Drains: Precautions
To prevent your bathroom drains from becoming smelly again after fixing the problem, it’s crucial to take precautions.
Use a Drain Catcher
It is a good step to use a drain catcher, which can protect the bathroom from different particles like soap and hair. Your chosen catcher must not stop the water flow in the bathroom. An internal hair catcher is available in several sizes for the drain line. Moreover, it is easy for you to install and clean it. On the other hand, an external screen is used on the drain in your bathroom.
Regular Cleaning
You must clean the drain regularly to avoid the chances of clogging the smelly drains in your bathroom. It is recommended to use vinegar and baking soda to clean your bathroom once a month to avoid the nasty odour in the bathroom.
Reconsider Toiletries
Soap scrum is one of the most important toiletries in your bathroom. However, lotions and body wash also cause blockage in the drain and a dirty smell in your bathroom. So you need to be very careful while choosing the toiletries for your bathroom.
Conclusion
Maintaining a fresh-smelling bathroom is essential for a comfortable home environment. The unpleasant odour from bathroom drains can be caused by various factors such as dirt, mold, plumbing issues, and sewage line blockages. However, by taking proactive steps to identify and resolve these issues, such as thorough inspection, fixing the P-trap, and using cleaning methods like vinegar and baking soda, you can eliminate the source of the smell effectively. Additionally, implementing preventive measures like using drain catchers, regular cleaning, and reconsidering toiletries can help ensure long-term freshness in your bathroom. With these strategies in place, you can enjoy a pleasant and inviting bathroom atmosphere for yourself and your guests.
