Why Does My Bathroom Smell Bad? | Alvarez Plumbing & AC | Tampa, FL

Why Does My Bathroom Smell Bad?

Common Causes of the Unpleasant Smell in Your Bathroom

You can be comfortable in a cluttered living room, you may be too tired to change the sheets and yet crash on the bed without any reluctance, you can deal with odd smells while landscaping, and you can always deal with some rather unpleasant stuff when you are cleaning your home. But you cannot be at peace with a smelly bathroom. Any kind of unpleasant odor in your bathroom and it is very off-putting.

Don’t ignore the smell in your bathroom!

Bathrooms are among the most multi-utilitarian places in a property. From brushing your teeth to shaving, bathing to myriad kinds of grooming, the bathroom is your private space where you need to be comfortable, and you would have to use it multiple times a day and night. You certainly don’t want to be welcomed by some foul odor when you enter your bathroom. One, it is just unpleasant. Two, it is a sign that something is not right or is perhaps horribly wrong.

You can always use some kind of air freshener, or you may have some fragrances to mask the bad odors. But they would only conceal the smell and not really do anything to get rid of the smell. You wouldn’t smell the bad odor, but it is there. You would still be breathing in the stale air which may contain some types of contaminants. Also, you would be ignoring the early signs of some problems which may become a serious issue in no time.

Without any freshener or fragrance, a bathroom must have no special smell. It will be just another room, and you should get mild smells of the soap, shampoo and conditioners or other products you use, like hair gel, shaving foam, perfume or deodorant, talc or types of powder you use. A clean and fresh bathroom doesn’t even need any special fragrance or air freshener. But a smelly bathroom does. Here are some typical reasons why a bathroom smells weird.

1. Clogged pipes can cause a bathroom to smell different.

The drain pipe may get clogged by dead skin that gets washed off your body during a shower, hair may clog the pores or jam the pipe, there could be thick soapy water or scale buildup, or oil stains and other types of debris that generally get washed down the drain. Standing water may not always be visible so you have to inspect properly.

2. Dry pipes can cause a smelly bathroom.

If enough water has not flown into the pipes for the pressure to be apt to wash down the debris or different run-off materials, then the dry pipes will smell. You simply need to pour some water down the drain pipe. If the smell persists, you should call in a technician.

3. Cracked pipes could be the cause of the unpleasant smell in your bathroom.

When pipes crack, they let water and waste seep out and that can accumulate over time. From the floor of the bathroom, to the walls concealed by the tiles, the waste and moisture can allow different kinds of microorganisms to thrive. The waste, the stale water and the microorganisms will collectively cause a weird smell. This is also a very unhealthy scenario and is definitely unhygienic. You can repair the cracks or get the pipes replaced.

4. Check the wax seal that is installed around the drain pipe.

A cracked or dry wax seal will produce a foul odor. You must get this seal replaced. Don’t let it sit, and if you cannot do it yourself, get professional help. Wax seals are available at local hardware stores.

5. Bathrooms, due to their very nature of use, are susceptible to moisture-caused damage.

The floors, tiles, damp boards, and the appliances, including plumbing fixtures, can become a haven for microbial growth. From bacteria to algae, there can be different kinds of growth and these will produce a foul odor. You need to get your bathroom thoroughly inspected ,if there is no problem with the pipes and the drains. You can replace the flooring, disinfect and dehumidify the bathroom. You should considering replacing anything that is beyond repair and is not worth salvaging.

6. Bathrooms can also smell if there is lack of optimum ventilation.

Many bathrooms are very compact, and they don’t really have any outlet or ventilator as such. Stale air from the room can seep into the bathroom. Stale air can keep circulating in your room and adjoining bathroom. There should be an exhaust fan, ducts or just an old fashioned window to let the stale, pungent air out and to let some fresh air in.

A smelly bathroom is not only unpleasant in a cosmetic sense but it is also unhealthy. You have no way of knowing what kind of components are in the air causing that smell, and it is not healthy to breathe in that air. Ventilation is imperative.

Request Service
close slider