weird odor in bathroom

Dear Bucky,
First, what does the smell resemble? Sewer gas does not always smell like sewer gas. Check the traps under your basin and/or tub. If they are leaking they are allowing the odor through the traps; or they simply evacuated themselves. I've had situations where a trap leaked under a basin and the resulting mold under the cabinet smelled like methane. What I would do is clean the entire bathroom and wait a day. Then on my hands and knees, peform a "sniff test" around all suspect areas.
Good luck,
Len
P.S. It could be a mouse. Those little buggers can get into the darndest places. I've actually drilled holes in each stud bay before I found them.

[This message has been edited by Iceman (edited January 24, 2002).]

I'll share 2 experiences:
I had a flying squirrel get into a wall through the attic and die there.
I had a very slow drip under a pedestal sink that was rotting the floor where you couldn't see it. Didn't find it until the smell was noticeable.

Hi Bucky,
Besides what has been mentioned,I've run into odor problems if water stands in ductwork,aluminum stud material,and other metal.Unfortunatly,this odor resembles a dead animal or rotting garbage.Let us know what the outcome is.

[This message has been edited by Matches (edited January 24, 2002).]

Update: AC guy came, could find nothing. I have searched everywhere and found nothing but the funny thing is that the smell is starting to go away. After replacing the beeswax on the toilet, bleach out the ying yang down the drain and toilet (no tub in this room), maybe I hit upon something or maybe the dead "thing" has finished decomposing...??? Thanks for all your thoughts and help. I keep you updated if I actually find something!!!

Bucky

OK, we still have the smell, brought plumber out, $500 later, the smell is still there. One theory is that someone painted over wall paper 2/3 yrs ago and the chemical breakdown is causing the smell. Anyone ever heard of such a thing?

Dear Bucky,
After the e-mails, I'm out of ideas. But for Merlin, Have you ever wondered why, when you left the bathroom, the smell disapears?
Len

We have foul smell as well. Maybe that time of year. Especially by the look from this subject last year.

We too have a foul smell coming from upstairs master bathroom. What we did:
1). We did a thorough cleaning.
2). Discovered area around toilet was soft.
3). Pulled toilet...found water damage extending through both 1/4" and 3/4" subfloors fortunately ceiling was okay--Whew!!
4) We replaced subfloors and wax ring.
5) Still had smell so 3 different plumbers suggested several ideas.
6). Removal of toilet and recheck of flooring, replaced wax rings, poured bleach down sinks, shower, tub, sink overflow, A/C drain tube and the list goes on.
7) $1400 later we are no closer to solving smell problem. Today, we cut through ceiling from the downstairs directly under toilet and that has yeilded no leads either. Anyone want to venture a guess. We will take anything else at this point.
Exhausted,
Steve and Tawnya

If you have a septic system you should check the vent that goes from your septic line through the roof. It should be a 4 inch pipe which vents gases from the lines. Sometimes birds or squirrels will build nests in them trapping the odors which then escape wherever they can inside the house. I use a piece of old pantyhose leg to close up the top of the vent and keep critters out. Seems to work...

I also am experiencing an smell that is predominantly in an under the stairs closet adjacent to bathroom wall which has the bathtub behind. The pipes appear fine and clean but can see under bathtub through wall in the under stair closet. There is soil under the tub and a methane vinegar death-like smell that appears to be coming from it. Noticed after replacing the tiles with ceramic around the tub/shower. Any ideas re some bacteria in that soil and if so how would i disinfect it? i guess i could vapor barrier and drywall it in but probably not the best option. Cannot smell in bathroom it self.

I’m experiencing the same issue. House is 4 years old. This bathroom isn’t used very often, and the smell is coming from underneath the sink. I’ve paid a plumber to come out and tell me that the pipes are clean, no sewer gasses are coming through, no leaks, nothing. He had no idea what was causing the odor. I have taped off the sink drain and overflow as well as the holes in the wall where the plumbing comes through. An hour later, the smell is stronger than ever. And as someone else above has experienced, the severity of the odor comes and goes at random. This bathroom is also next to the master bathroom, and it has zero affect in that bathroom.
Just wondering if anyone figured it out? What’s the cause/solution?

I live in a condo...and the weird odor is coming from a interior bathroom. We have check everything, even mold. what is this order.

I just read this and we are experiencing the same exact thing. Sour nasty smell that is weak and strong other days but always there. I get sick when I go in, chest hurts, throat hurts glands hurt. I’m ready to rip open the bathroom walls. Animal control said it can’t be an animal or it would produce flies, plumber said nothing leaking. Hvac guy says vents clear. I want to cry.

ever heard of the peppermint test

We have the exact same smell in our master bathroom and can’t figure out what it is or where exactly it is coming from - has anyone been able to find a solution??

Oh joy, the same issue here. I hoped for an answer but I guess not. Foul order started a month ago and comes and goes. Toilet is solid, floor does not appear wet. No smell under house or anywhere else in home other than what drifts from bathroom. I have had mice die and smell bad for a time but not this long. Tried vinegar in the toilet tank and smell seemed less for a couple days but it is back.

Well I will share what seems to have worked for me. I poured white vinegar down the tub, sink, and sink over flow. I have not had the stink come back yet. I used about half a gallon.

We have the same problem, I’m going to try vinegar down the drains next, bleach did not help.

I have had a Phantom odor for months on a 60 year old home I purchased a year ago. Have spent more money than I care to think about trying to solve and track it down. New year eve the bathroom flooded after the plumber that I call had replaced the wax ring (second time within 9 months) thinking the seal was failing and causing the odor, which it was not. The plumber took full responsibility for the leaks...he did not check the hose from the wall to the tank and that is what caused the leak. Bottom line I had someone come out and remove the drywall directly below the toilet and down the wall. The odor from the drywall once the wall was opened was what seemed to me to be a sickening sweet odor what they believed caused this had been a slow leak possibly due to the flange not being correct height (to high). Day 2 the odor that had been traveling throughout my house appears to be gone?? The funny thing is the room directly under the bathroom where the "bad drywall" was had no odor. Now having the area tested for mold. We figured the odor was traveling in the wall along the ductwork to the other areas. I understand what you are going through and thought I would just throw this out there. Good luck...

I also have a horrible smell in my main bathroom. It started about 6-8 weeks ago. It smelled like sewer! There was no doubt in my mind that it smelled like a nasty, wet sewer. After dealing with that disgustingness, the sewer smell started to turn into smelling like a dead animal. That also went on for about another two weeks! It smelled the worst over the toilet, but we had just replaced it! How could a smell be coming up passed the water? Just didn’t make sense. I had so many people telling me about the trap! I checked it and nodda! Finally, I pored bleach down my sink and bathtub drains. It smelled heavily of bleach for about another week or so and then it all disappeared! Yay! Still have no flipping idea what the heck the smell was or where it was exactly coming from. As soon as I thought it was all over, then came all the black flies! Yep, tons of them. I couldn’t tell you where they are even coming from. It has to be a drain, it just has to be. There is no other way!
Clearly an animal, (I assume rat or mouse) climbed up my pipes, got stuck and died in my pipes in my bathroom. I still have no idea where! I’ve watched in the bathroom to see where those flies came from, but none surfaced. Only when I left the room!
Now, I know for a fact there is a dead animal but I do not know how to get it out! I am hoping it will rot away enough and wash away! However, being that it has already been 2 months, I doubt that will ever happen! I either have to leave it or find it and clean it out! Yuk!!!!

Anybody else have this issue??

Yes. I put sulfuric acid don't pipes. It bubbled up and smelt rea lbad after that. I have pouring vinegar but does nothing. I am gonna change toilet as wanted different one anyway. I think it is honestly back up of all household pipes and smell comes up in bathroom sink.

Our master bath has a strong, sour vinegar odor coming from the cabinet housing the garden whirlpool tub. We have performed every check and remedy thus far. Our house is 13 years old. A home inspector suggested the drain pipe hole going under the concrete may not have been properly covered by the builders. It wasn't so, at his suggestion, we covered the area with sand instead of the alternate spray foam. We cleaned all the wood, flushed the tub jets twice, and cleaned very conceivable thing in sight. No effect! We're thinking of selling!

I have the same problem. I live in a 40-50 year old apartment. Check your vent pipes on roof and your drains where your plumbing leads to. The landlords here have not kept up maintenance and bought the property for cheap probably because they are due for expensive repairs. Get an air purifier. Open windows. Above all, get the source of the problem fixed and have someone look inside your walls and pipes and on your roof.

I just started smelling this pungent no go away smell and am most convinced is a dead squirrel but as most of you it seems---it has to do with pipes or sewer lines. Perhaps we need city officials to see what's up. This is horrendous. I just bought this place too. 4 months ago. Who do I call 1st? Exterminator or Plumber- I know no one am a 1st time hm owner too. Did I buy a lemon?

Just started experiencing this problem in my half bath two or three days ago where it smells like a dead animal I open up the window to let the stink out because I thought it was a dead mouse or something and I did the sniff test on my knees and I don't smell anything so I'm thinking it's more than likely to stink pipe with an animal stuck in it from the roof like one guy said it's getting too cold now and Ray need to go out there so I really don't know what to do at this point but I'm not going to go up without a stocking to cover the hole with.
Say there is a dead bird or animal in there how in the hell do I get them out?

Excuse the typos please I should have proof read it before I sent it

Well I had the same problem as far as the owner goes and it lasted well it's still going on actually but it's dissipating and my theory is and I must mention I live in a ranch first but I believe that a mouse somehow fell between the wall studs and died because the smell is weakening and there's no way in hell that I am going to drill holes into every section in between the studs to find a dead mouse

As far as odor goes not owners sorry about that I should have proof read

I retract my first statement regarding the stink pipe due to the thickness of it (having said there's a dead animal in there).
Unless of course there is a crack in it but mine is made of cast iron

This thread has been going on for 18 years! We too have a strange smell. It’s not sewer or dead animal. We have had wildlife people (that we contract with because of previous rats in attic), plumbers, roofers, and more plumbers.
We’ve had the wax ring replaced, smell still there. We resorted to testing for mold, the found small amount on insulation behind vanity wall so was professionally remediate. Still the smell is there. All pipes have had cameras put down - nothing found. We are now resorting to a full gut to the studs, including ceiling. Every professional we’ve come into contact has asked for us to let them know what we find - if we find the source because they are stumped. This problem has been going on for 10 months and we are ready to have our bathroom back in service.

This thread has been going on for 18 years! We too have a strange smell. It’s not sewer or dead animal. We have had wildlife people (that we contract with because of previous rats in attic), plumbers, roofers, and more plumbers.
We’ve had the wax ring replaced, smell still there. We resorted to testing for mold, the found small amount on insulation behind vanity wall so was professionally remediate. Still the smell is there. All pipes have had cameras put down - nothing found. We are now resorting to a full gut to the studs, including ceiling. Every professional we’ve come into contact has asked for us to let them know what we find - if we find the source because they are stumped. This problem has been going on for 10 months and we are ready to have our bathroom back in service.

Oops. Sorry for double post.

Did anyone ever find out what the odor was? We are experiencing the same issue. Wax ring was replaced, however we still have a foul swear odor coming from our half bath.

hi
i am also wondering if anyone could help as in the same boat.
me and hubby have noticed today a smell in the bathroom the only way i can explain it is the smell of raw chicken. its late here now and just gone in there and the smell is even stronger ive smelt the sink toilet and bath etc dont seem to be coming from there.

any suggestions..please help

We are also facing such type of problem.
we take many experiments but in vain.

For me, this issue turned out to be a dead rat in the wall. She had climbed up between the sink drain and the framing. It was nice and warm for her next to the hot water supply. I had to open up the wall and remove her and the insulation in which she was imbedded and which had absorbed the odor.

I’m having a foul odor problem bathroom and kitchen share the same wall. But only odor is in the bathroom idk what to do at first we thought it was the toilet but nope and then the sink we’ve poured baking soda and vinegar still is horrible.

Could it be worth checking and cleaning drains and sewers?

What does one do when dirt appears in shower drain?
We’re guessing it is caused by a mole or salamander, but how do we repair/stop this?

I should have said the dirt is in the shower knob.

I have a similar problem. Intermittent ammonia smell coming from the toilet. We changed the wax seal and the smell did not get better. Smell seems worse when shower and dishwasher is gong. Smell gets better temporarily when you flush the toilet. Any ideas?

May I suggest isolation tests? Sometimes some tape and a plastic sheet do wonders. I have used this to isolates the source of smells for 20 years and it keeps working.

Sometimes we 'think' that it is coming from one place and it is coming from another.

I will tape half the bathroom off with the plastic and see which side has the 'stank'. Tape off half of that, then half of that, then isolate the true source. The things that cause most of these that I have found are:

1- The wax ring under the toilet is not making contact with the toilet. Yes, people redo the floor and raise the toilet in doing so but do not make up for the wax ring height. It has to be a good seal. Duh. Yes, even in new homes I have found this. Builders these days. Sheesh.

2- The floor around the wax ring has gotten wet and moldy, no amount of wax ring will seal the floor around it.

3- HOME PLUMBING GONE WRONG. you need a P-trap in your sink and tub people, that's what keeps the sewer gas from coming back up the pipes.

3- The sewage system has a vent. Vent pipes come up through the walls. They break sometimes, and a piece of sheetrock can't hold that back for long.....

4- The stench is under the house/in the walls, and coming in from the pipe openings in the sheetrock for the plumbing.

5- Sometimes, the smell is just embedded in the sheetrock and paint from 'uncle joe' or 'my husband/wife/kids'. :)

Same problem here that just started randomly early last night, but it went away by late evening. A day later, and it’s back again. Smells like the too familiar smell of a decaying mouse/rat, but why come and go within 24 hour period then? It’s our upstairs master bathroom and there is an attic opening above us and incidentally we’ve been doing some board work on exterior of house around the bathroom area. I’m wondering if we’ve sealed up a hole where things were getting in, and now something has died and is rotting? It’s also gotten hot this week (hit 90)... not sure if this is the perfect storm to start the smell, but I’m confused why it would be coming so strongly from our floor vent in the bathroom? Would LOVE any tips! Thanks

Okay, this is going to be long. Sorry in advance!  I too an experiencing a weird odor in my master bath. A couple of specs on the house.

 House was built 1986

 House has a septic tank

We moved into our rental at the end of March. Did the walk through prior to moving in and the smell wasn't there. Fast forward to moving day, the air wasn't working, it took a week for them to fix due to all of the COVID stuff going on. I then refused to use the bathroom as the toilet had a ton of mold in the tank and I slowly started to notice a weird smell in the bathroom. I then noticed that the caulk job the rental company did where the tub meets the floor slowly separated showing rust, deterioration and separation in some places where the tub meets the tile. Please note, my husband uses the bathroom to shower in. The rental company finally replaced the toilet last week. Which BTW, I was told black mold in your tank was normal, but I have never noticed that in any of my other homes. Problem is, the smell is still there. My first thought was there may be a leak under the tub causing all of that rust and deterioration. Submitted a work order, plumber came out today and said if there has been no water there, that isn't the issue. I then mentioned that the toilets were gurgling whenever the shower was ran and he checked the septic thing outside (sorry don't now the trade word) and that that may be causing the smell (which he said he couldn't smell, but is clearly there). So now they are having a Septic company come out. I just want to know your guys thoughts. If the smell was coming from the septic tank wouldn't I smell it in my other bathroom, because I don't? I really think there is a leak under the tub. What do you guys think? I included a picture of one of the areas of the tub issue.

Okay, this is going to be long. Sorry in advance!  I too an experiencing a weird odor in my master bath. A couple of specs on the house.

1) House was built 1986

2) 1 story - Ranch

3) House has septic tank

We moved into our rental at the end of March. Did the walk through prior to moving in and the smell wasn't there. Fast forward to moving day, the air wasn't working, it took a week for them to fix due to all of the COVID stuff going on. I then refused to use the bathroom as the toilet had a ton of mold in the tank and I slowly started to notice a weird smell in the bathroom. I then noticed that the caulk job the rental company did where the tub meets the floor slowly separated showing rust, deterioration and separation in some places where the tub meets the tile. Please note, my husband uses the bathroom to shower in. The rental company finally replaced the toilet last week. Which BTW, I was told black mold in your tank was normal, but I have never noticed that in any of my other homes. Problem is, the smell is still there. My first thought was there may be a leak under the tub causing all of that rust and deterioration. Submitted a work order, plumber came out today and said if there has been no water there, that isn't the issue. I then mentioned that the toilets were gurgling whenever the shower was ran and he checked the septic thing outside (sorry don't now the trade word) and that that may be causing the smell (which he said he couldn't smell, but is clearly there). So now they are having a Septic company come out. I just want to know your guys thoughts. If the smell was coming from the septic tank wouldn't I smell it in my other bathroom, because I don't? I really think there is a leak under the tub. What do you guys think? I included a picture of one of the areas of the tub issue.

Do you have sprayed insulation in the attic? There was a big issue a few years back where a spray insulation was off gasing toxic nasty smelling odors. It was recalled, many had to gut the insulation and replace. Perhaps the odor could be coming in from the exhaust fan?

We built our home 4 years ago and the awful bathroom smell has been with us since then. Had the plumbing checked early on by the builder, who acted like we were imagining it. The smell is in a Jack and Jill bath and used infrequently. At times, smell would be noticeable in adjoining bedrooms and even a whiff in the garage now and then. Anyway, tried EVERYTHING-pouring this, that and all matter of vinegar etc in drains. Had another plumber come recently and he didn't find anything to fix-toilet seal was intact etc. THEN, all of a sudden after 4 years of awful mystery smell, dare I say, it's gone? It's been a month and no smell. Have NO idea what could have been the cause or if it's gone permanently but I am hopeful. Hope you all dont have to wait 4 years like I did but...?

Answer found!!
My husband and I built a custom home 2 years ago. 2 of our toilets, both Kohler (Persuade models), began to have that odd sweet smelling odor. It would come and go but was extremely noticeable on hot/humid days.
We had our plumber come out, remove the toilet and found that the flange was cracked and needed to be replaced. He suspected that it could have been from a bad batch or, since these toilets are very heavy, if it was moved around too much when they were installing it, this could have cracked the flange.
Anyhow...this totally resolved the problem!!
Hope this information helps!
Peggy

My laundry room started having a gas/sewage smell when I began a remodel. I’ve had the gas company check it and tell me it was not natural gas. A plumber couldn’t find anything either. My next thought is maybe when I removed a towel rod that had been hung with a drywall anchor, it opened a hole in a stink pipe that had been accidentally drilled into. The stink pipe is in approximately that area. So now I will cut some drywall to see if that is the problem.

I have a very similar issue. Im in a condo and the smell was very strong in the master bath and laundry room. I starting getting sore throats and chest pains since working from home and I know it must be an air quality issue. I assumed it was a issue with the drainage and the smell would come and go randomly. Sometimes not noticable, other times extremely pungent. I realised that there were huge gaps in the cabinet and drywall under the sink. As a temporary measure i sealed them with weather stripping tape and the smell was not noticable. Then I realised this same smelly air was seeping through other holes in my drywall (common walls only). I found one huge hole behind an undercabinet light fixture in my kitchen. I took a sniff of the air and immediately felt light headed and ill. I dont know what to do besides seal up every hole and crack with a low voc spray foam sealant and get a really good charcoal air purifier. I just bought the condo less than 2 years ago and since moving and working from home dye to COVID, I feel sick every day.

Most important thing that hasn’t been mentioned here is the type of foundations ie if your houses area built on slab, crawl space etc. I’m pretty sure that most (if not all) of the problems with the smell issues are from slabs house that has Septic system? I’m not a plumber but an owner of a brand new home and facing the same issue. Our smell is more like a wet cement. I’ll talk more after I see the foundation types described. Best

I remodeled two bathrooms in my condo. Have lived here three years and no issues before remodel. Now hall bath has disgusting smell. Mgt says it's not sewer although I thought it was at first. It is defintitely coming from under the sink, in vanity. Remodel company pulled toilet, then sprayed foam around all the pipes under sink. No help. Strong as ever. Really sickening but can't put my finger on what it smells like. Maybe rotting garbage? No one has answers. Spent a ton of money, bathroom is gorgeous, but cannot use. Depressing, may have to sell my condo.

Thought I'd add to thread. We live in an old farm house in the country. We were having a problem with mice and could hear something much larger scratching and running on or in furnace vents. We could also hear it in attic sometimes. So I got some rodent bait and threw pieces of it under the house. Then the smell in bathroom came. It gets worse when the furnace is on and lately it seems like the furnace is always on. Its so gross. No flies yet though.

Going through hell with the same type of problems!!! Hydrogen sulfide to methyl mercaptan, I know we are being poisoned! Split level townhome in western PA. Township just redid drain system and wondering if by covering previous combined sewer street drains, excess gases are entering our homes. Although it is obvious that this was an issue before we moved into the home. I swore there was a leak that was also reaching out neighbors cuz he would start banging away every time we turned on the water but maintenance says no water, no leak...... I experienced symptoms so bad when smell was the most noticable that we left the home for 3 days...... It is hell and literally taking years off our lives, my poor little boys :-( :-( :-(

Has anyone noticed a weird residue on clothing and such closest to bathroom, esp after hot water is run????

This must be longest running, still active thread ever!
So one thing that may be at least part of the problem. When I had my septic pumped, I took the opportunity to ask the nice gentleman all kinds of questions. One was regarding this sour smell from the bathroom. I can’t remember EXACTLY what he said, but basically he asked if I had any drains I didn’t use. Then I realized- I hadn’t used my whirlpool tub for years. He told me that I needed to run the water. If the drain doesn’t get used, gases from the septic system come up through the drain. I believe he mentioned something about a trap. Anyway, I believe this is a contributing factor in many of your issues.

I have a problem with the metal frame around the shower smelling like B O!! I’ve cleaned it with several different products and it is still stinks! Any suggestions?

Theres a horrible smell in my bathroom that comes and goes i cant tell where its coming from. There was a leak under my bath just over a year ago but i had a dehumidifier in and the wood dried i also had a crack under cistern and had a whole new toilet put in the toilet is smaller than orginal one

Same issue. I have replaced the toilet, sink, and bathroom exhaust fan with no luck. Cleaned the overflow and pipes. Like others have said, it's possible that something died in the wall, pipes, or exhaust.

We are having this issue too with our new (to us) home. The sweet gross smell was not noticeable until we started using the tub/shower(we had a new faucet/shower fixture installed on an old claw foot tub in there, so we had not used that tub/shower for the first 3 weeks we lived there).

I will try some of the suggestions in this thread and report back, fingers crossed one of them works!

Same problem. I just started the renovation of tje bathroom and smell like something is dead inside. Help!

I noticed a couple days ago a strong smell of sour feet in my bathroom and have bleached and cleaned everything but still smell it. Any ideas ??

We had a strong odor of chemical suddenly appear in our main bathroom. We have 2 bathrooms. The toilet began to smell like chlorine especially in the tank. We replaced the wax seal but odor persists. (Worst part was urinating in the bowl because the smell turned into almost a gas!) After a month of chemical smell we cleaned it with vinegar, Dawn dish soap, and hot water. Now the tank smells like our 2nd toilet tank, however the odor is super strong. In our 2nd toilet you can only smell it if you lift the tank lid and sniff. In our main you can smell it simply entering the bathroom. I want to say it has a slight odor of rubber but I cannot tell. Any ideas? We did have a plumber come out but he blamed smell on bleach tab bits that could have been stuck in the toilet bowl jets. Those were also cleaned and that wasn't it. It doesn't smell like chlorine anymore, just a bad musty odor almost robbery in a way but again can't be sure.

A squirrel found it’s way into the wall, under the shower pan, into the 1 ft opening by the drain in the slab and made a den.

What you are smelling is fecal matter, urine, and mold/rotting items. I found a bagful of acorn husks.

Also if you have a handle valve, push it up and put tension on it. It might be raining in the wall and draining into the subfloor.

We are having the same issue. Just bought this home and for the past 3 myths...super awful smell like a dead animal in our half bathroom....I would think after 3mths whatever died would be done decomposing but smell keeps getting worse. I love our new home but this smell makes me want to move!

I bought my house in 2016. It was built in 1979. First level is on slab and has a half bath. I have a septic tank. About two years ago after a heavy rain the bathroom had a weird odor. Lasted a few days and went away. Last year same thing happened after a heavy rain. This summer it’s been happening every few months. Bathroom smells really bad, l dump bleach or vinegar down the drain and it goes away. But then it’s back. For the last month it doesn’t seem to dissipate. Always a slight gross smell. I guess it’s time to take the toilet out and see if the wax ring is the issue unless y’all have other thoughts. Bathroom is used often.