Taking a bath can be a relaxing pastime, but what happens when there is a bathtub drain odor? You cannot relax if you start to smell something foul. That's because it is not uncommon for a bathtub to form an ugly and smelly buildup of soaps, shampoo, and hair due to daily use. Sometimes, these items gather and form a puddle of gunk that sticks to the pipes and the drain, causing an unsightly odor if not removed. Usually, it either smells like strong sulfur, rotten eggs or even a nasty mildew. Nonetheless, by keeping the bathtub drain and its pipes clean, whether it’s with a few items found in your kitchen pantry or purchased at a home improvement store, you can keep the odors under control. Be sure you find out what kinds of pipes you have before applying any form of chemical or even simple kitchen products. Certain pipes, like copper or plastic, cannot handle harsh chemicals. Here are a few easy methods to help you keep the bathtub drain from smelling like yesterday’s egg salad sandwich or wet laundry.

Place about two cups of cold water in a deep pot on the stove and let it come to a boil. In the meantime, unscrew the bathtub drain cover, or simply unscrew the stopper if that is the type you have, and pour one cup of dry baking soda down the drain, waiting about one minute. Proceed by adding two cups of distilled vinegar, having a rag handy to stop the fizz from coming up. There will be a chemical reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar that will cause the solution to fizz and bubble. It is not harmful, but do not breathe in the fumes. Wear a mouth mask if you have one, or place a towel over your mouth. Put the dry rag or cloth over the bathtub drain to cover the hole, and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Take the pot of boiling water from the stove top, handling it carefully with an oven mitt. Remove the rag and then slowly pour the pot of hot water down the bathtub drain. Be careful not to scald yourself when pouring the boiling water. Use the dry towels to soak up any excess water or solution that may have spilled during the process.

You might have to repeat these steps depending on how strong the odor is. If your odor is still there the next day, or even a few hours later, try repeating this step once more. If this method doesn’t work or appeal to you, try using one cup of straight bleach by pouring it down the drain instead. Patio Furniture Replacement Cushions Better Homes And GardensYou might also even consider a scented bleach if the smell of the bleach itself is just as undesirable.Dogs For Sale Rwanda If all else fails, home improvement stores sell specific drain cleaners with enzymes to fight through hair, soap scum, and other types of drain buildup. Wholesale Evening Dress MalaysiaBe sure to open windows and have kids and pets out of the area before using any chemicals.

Also, protect your own hands and face from chemical odors before applying.Most odors in sink or tub drains aren’t caused by sewer gas, since water in the drain trap acts as a barrier to prevent sewer gas from coming up into your home. Instead, the usual culprit is bacteria growing in organic matter—such as hair—which becomes lodged in the drain. To remove organic matter and odors from a drain: Insert a drain cleaning tool in the drain. Pull the tool back out and remove any hair or other organic matter. Repeat until the drain is clear. Pour diluted bleach or hydrogen peroxide down the drain (one or the other, don’t mix the two together) to kill any remaining bacteria. Watch this video to find out how. How to Clean Out a Tub Drain (video) How to Unclog a Tub Drain (video) How to Unclog a Slow Draining Bathtub Turbo Snake Drain Cleaning Tool Product Review (video) Allen Lyle: Isolated odors are not uncommon. We get the question all the time, “I’ve got this smell coming from just one sink “or just one tub.

Biggest fear is that it’s sewer gas. And it’s possible, but it’s not probable. Under all plumbing, whether it’s an old house like this or a brand new one, you’ve got what’s called the P-trap. What happens, as water drains out of the sink or out of the bath tub, a small amount of water stays right in there, and that becomes a barrier to all of that sewer gas. So, if you’ve got a crack in that pipe or a leak fix it, that’s probably all it will be. But more than likely, it’s the bacteria. Think about it, washing your hair, shaving, you get a lot of organic matter down a sink, and down a bath tub drain—this is really notorious here. As you get the clog, bacteria begins to grow. What you need to do is just remove the clog. Easy to do, I’ve got a little zip tool here. We’ll slip that inside. Once you remove the clog, you want to take a little diluted bleach, maybe some hydrogen peroxide, pour it down the drain—don’t forget about the overflow. That’s going to kill both the bacteria and the odor.

How to Cut Plastic PVC Pipe with String Installing Diagonal Glued Down Engineered Wood Flooring Work Sharp 2000 Tool SharpenerDEAR TIM: We have a horrible odor coming from the shower drain in our acrylic shower. Five different plumbers have not been able to solve the problem. The first and fourth plumbers said nothing could be done, the second and third plumbers thought the problem was caused by a rocking toilet so they replaced the toilet's wax ring. The fifth plumber said he thought the plumbing drain lines were installed improperly and that the odor was caused each time the toilet flushed. The problem is, the odor just started and all was fine several months ago. I have poured every imaginable cleaning solution into the shower drain and the odor persists. What could be the problem? Shari W., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA DEAR SHARI: You might be eligible for a place in the record books for having called in that many plumbers for one problem. It is amazing that you have not made any progress on solving the problem.

That tells me the source of the odor might not be plumbing related. But to determine this, I am afraid you might have to perform a little exploratory surgery on a wall that is adjacent to the shower. Odors coming from drains are a common problem in many homes. Some people only have the problem when they run water in a sink or a bathtub. The source of the odor in almost all of these instances is a buildup of biofilm on the sides of the pipes that connect the sink or fixture to the actual P-shaped trap under the fixture. This vertical tailpiece pipe can accumulate a seething bacteria-filled organic layer of slime over time. When water rushes past the slime, it can dislodge some of the molecules into the air and they waft up out of the sink and into your nose. To eliminate biofilm as the source of the odor, take the chrome or brass strainer cover off the shower drain so you can see into the drain pipe. Use soap and water and a larger-diameter bottle brush to thoroughly clean the underside of the strainer, the bowl-shaped drain assembly under the strainer as well as the sides of the vertical drain pipe that extends downward into the p-trap.

Rinse thoroughly with clean water until the entire drain is perfectly clean. If the odor still persists, it is time to move on. Check for mold in the shower and areas near the shower. Active mold growth produces odor. That musty odor you smell when around mold is actually a puff of gas that ejects the mold spore from the mold organism. Imagine if hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of small mold spores are being ejected each day in your shower. This could easily produce enough gas for you to smell. Remember, this mold could be behind the shower tile or walls and hard to discover. A recent leak that is still invisible could be the source of water that is fueling the mold growth. A dead animal that somehow found its way into the wall space next to the shower or under the shower assembly could be the source of the odor. This is a remote possibility and the stench of a decaying animal is very distinctive and quite unlike the odor produced by sewer gas or biofilm from a drain assembly.

If this shower shares a common wall with a closet or some other wall surface that can be sacrificed, it is time to cut into the wall(s) to see behind and under the acrylic shower assembly. The first holes can be down low towards the floor so that you can see under the shower pan. Purchase an inexpensive makeup compact mirror and attach it to a stick so you can see around any corners or obstructions under the shower pan. Use a flashlight with the mirror to look up the wall cavities as much as possible to see signs of mold growth. Odors from drains are voices telling you something is wrong. Think of them as low-powered smoke detectors. This is especially true if the source of the odor is some form of mold. It is not uncommon for a water leak to remain invisible for weeks or months and cause mold to bloom in a hidden location. Add to this the power of the average human's sense of smell. You would be shocked at how few odor molecules it takes to trigger a response. Natural gas is a great example of this.