Shower Drain Odor: Help! There’s a moldy smell and I can’t find where it is!
When you’ve cleaned everything and an odor still persists it can drive you crazy. A similar situation occurs in commercial buildings when there is a bad odor coming from a restroom but everything is spotlessly clean. It is especially bad when the restroom has not been used overnight. In fact, you might be dealing with shower drain odor.
The cause?
Water in the floor drain has evaporated and sewer gases are coming into the restroom uninhibited. Talk about a bad smell! The solution is for cleaning personnel to keep an eye on the water in the floor drains and periodically add water.
How about your home? You probably don’t have a floor drain in your restroom to protect against overflows onto the floor, but there is a floor drain in your shower. Water evaporating from the drain shouldn’t be a problem if you use it regularly, but there may be another issue…
Recently I had a moldy odor in my bathroom that I couldn’t locate. I checked the usual suspects: pink scum under the toilet lip – none, leaky pipes under the counter – no, I ran bleach through the jetted tub, still the odor persisted. Then I remembered the shower drain. After removing the cover there it was – moldy scum inside the piping. Out came the brush and cleanser and voila! Odor gone!
So, if you are experiencing a similar problem, the answer might lie in an oft overlooked place – your shower drain.
About the Author
Kerry Moutray
Kerry is the owner of Pleasant Janitorial, Inc., a cleaning services company out of Loveland and Fort Collins, Colorado. With more than 30 years of janitorial experience, it is safe to say that Kerry has seen it all when it comes to commercial cleaning.
If you’d like to see that experience and dedication applied to your buildings, give him a call. He’ll tell it like it is. Kerry ensures that your business will enjoy the high quality service that Pleasant Janitorial stands for.