Smelly toilets are nasty! The problem becomes severe if your bathroom stinks even after cleaning it frequently. Let us make it clear that you’re not alone with this problem!
Did you try scrubbing your toilet multiple times in different ways? But things didn’t work out as planned and here you are thinking, “Why does my toilet smell even after I clean it?”
Malfunction in any individual part of your bathroom can result in a sewer smell. Finding the exact source without proper knowledge is difficult. Keep reading as we boil down the reasons behind the foul odor and how to get rid of it.
Identify The Odor
Before going straight to the disease, we try to understand the symptoms, right? Let’s make the diagnosis easier by determining the type of smell first.
- Sewer Smell From Toilet
The sewer-like smell comes due to the toilet piping problem and leakage in the pipe.
- Toilet Smells Like Urine
If you smell anything like urine, you probably need a thorough cleaning. Did the Cleaning recently? Then check your wax seal.
- Smell of Rotten Eggs or Sulfur in Toilet
Sometimes an odd stench like rotten egg or sulfur gas comes from harmful microorganisms seeping from the water.
- Fishy Smell in Bathroom
A fishy smell in the bathroom is another unusual smell your nose may get. You have checked at everything in the toilet but overlooked your electric wires. Overheating can cause the plastics in the electric cables to burn and spread a ‘fishy’ scent.
Causes of Smelly Toilet
Several factors can produce the unpleasant scent you’re smelling. What are they? We’ve discussed them in this section:
1. Vent Pipe Malfunction – Clog or Improper Installation
Vent pipe is the extension of waste pipes. It vents the sewer gases away from the toilet and enables fresh air to come into the bathroom at the same time. Therefore, malfunction of the pipe can cause sewer odors.
You can primarily notice this if your toilet is working fine but releasing sewer smell. The vent pipe can be clogged from outside elements like dry leaves or debris. Improper installation by an inexperienced plumber can make you suffer as well.
If the vent pipe is clogged, try snaking the drain. In case of improper installation or severe issues, contact a professional plumber to diagnose and fix it.
2. Broken Flange or Loose Bolts
The purpose of Flange and bolts is to keep the toilet firmly grounded. Your bathroom will jiggle if the bolts or flange is not tightly fit.
Check if your toilet is loose due to a broken flange. Good thing is that you can fix this issue all by yourself. Tighten the bolts or repair the flange, and your toilet will stop leaking the stench. However, if you are not familiar with these parts, call an expert plumber to take care of this for you.
3. Missing or Damaged Wax Seal
There is a waxed ring sealed under the base of your toilet. This seal protects your bathroom from leaking liquid or gas.
The wax seal gets damaged over time. You can understand it if your toilet is wobbling. If this is the case for you, sewer gas or water may seep through the crevice.
Some toilets don’t have to seal beneath them. Get a new wax seal at the base. Make sure to clean it first by removing the toilet itself. If you feel it is not your cup of tea, ask a professional to get the job done for you.
4. Evaporation of Water in the P-Trap
P-trap can be a common cause of smelly toilet water. This simple mechanism plays an important role in preventing the odor from slipping into your room.
P-trap is the curved pipe underneath the toilet bowl that traps water level to block sewer gas. However, the water level sometimes drops, thus making the trap ineffective.
This causes when you aren’t using the toilet much, or your flush can’t supply enough water. The fix is very simple as well. Flushing water a few times will solve the problem instantly.
5. Bacteria And Other Microorganisms in Toilet Bowl
Bacteria is one of the primary reasons for smelly toilet bowl. Research shows that your toilet bowl can contain up to 3.2 million bacteria per square inch.
These bacteria and other harmful microorganisms can spread disease as well as stinks in your room. Although regular cleaning prevents them from producing unbearable smells, there might be some hiding underneath the rim.
Make sure you clean the bacteria everywhere, including the hidden corners of your toilet, to get rid of this problem.
6. Dirty Toilet Cistern
The vent pipe, P-trap, wax seal, toilet bowl are all clean, and still no trace of that unpleasant smell? Did you check your toilet cistern?
Most of us overlook the toilet tank while cleaning the rest regularly. Sludge may build up in the tank without a long-time cleaning. If you haven’t cleaned your toilet cistern recently, take a look inside and sniff. You’ll notice if the smell gets stronger there.
The cleaning process is easy. Get a scrubber and cleaning agent. Scrub it, and you’re all done!
7. Cracked Toilet
Sometimes the toilet itself may be the culprit. Check if your toilet is cracked or damaged. Broken toilet is a severe problem that requires professional attention.
If you checked every factor and still couldn’t understand where the problem is, there may be some more complicated plumbing issues. Get help from a trusted professional plumber for the repair or replacement of your toilet.
How To Get Rid of Toilet Odor
It is indeed very frustrating when you’re trying hard to get rid of the smelly toilet yet left without results. Most of the cases can be solved by thoroughly checking and cleaning the part you’ve overlooked before.
However, things can get out of hand sometimes. When you fail to understand the actual problem, consider it a critical condition. Stop wasting chemicals (and your energy, too) and call an expert plumber near your home. Professional plumbers with years of experience can pinpoint the source by the smell coming from your washroom. Trust experts to get your problem solved quickly.
Conclusion
Toilets are a place where nasty smells are continuously produced. Sometimes we tend to ignore them as ‘not a big deal’. This can be a serious concern if your toilet keeps smelling even after cleaning and diffuse throughout the house.
You’ll be able to detect the source of smell by understanding its type and might fix it as well. After applying all the tips and hacks mentioned above, don’t waste another moment. This could be an expert’s job. Their sharp noses and technical know-how will solve the issue as it is child’s play!