topic Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it? in Community Chat

Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

newjersey — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:08:34 GMT

Is there something I can use to get rid of the smell? Thank you.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

goldensrbest — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:14:53 GMT

Pour bleach down the drain.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

redbird — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:11:38 GMT

Use a good drain cleaner to remove the source of the odor.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

newjersey — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:11:44 GMT

@goldensrbest , will the bleach harm the pipes?

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

Greeneyedlady21 — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:13:22 GMT

I would not use bleach. Try baking soda and vinegar

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

Cakers3 — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:15:07 GMT

@newjersey wrote:
Is there something I can use to get rid of the smell? Thank you.

@newjersey Is this shower used frequently? If not, your water trap is dry and allowing odors coming up from the draining system.

Running the water will fill the water trap and stop the odors.

If this shower is used, I use baking soda-sprinkle a handful down the drain and then gently pour some white vinegar until the baking soda bubbles.

Let it sit overnight and then pour boiling water down to flush it out.

You just might have some build-up and this will dissolve it.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

Greeneyedlady21 — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:15:43 GMT

@newjersey I Googled and found this

Make a homemade drain cleaner by following these steps:
Step 1: Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup table salt.
Step 2: Pour the mixture down the drain.
Step 3: Pour 1 cup heated vinegar down your drain; the concoction is going to foam and bubble.
Step 4: Let the solution stand for 15 minutes (longer does not work any better).
Step 5: Run hot tap water in the drain for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
If an odor persists, it’s possible that your drain is clogged. Difficult clogs continue releasing odors until they’re completely removed from the drain plumbing. With caution, try pouring the vinegar directly into your drain. But beware: The acidity of vinegar could damage certain sink surfaces.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

goldensrbest — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:16:04 GMT

@newjersey wrote:
@goldensrbest , will the bleach harm the pipes?

No, i have had to use it a few times ,i have a septic system.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

goldensrbest — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:20:13 GMT

I do the baking soda,and white vinegar quite often.Heat up water on stove to flush out after a while.It is the bacteria in drain that is smelling.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

Cakers3 — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:20:00 GMT

@newjersey Also: Do not use Sani-Sticks. I know people will say that they swear by them but they (the sticks lol) have been known not to disintergrate completely, leaving a blockage.

I never pour bleach down my drains. Our water system says bleach is a big no-no to be used that way.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

Melzie — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:22:45 GMT

Put some baking soda down the drain and follow it with an equal amount of vinegar. One cup or less of each. Cover the opening quickly as the baking soda will bubble up and you want it to stay in the drain and then go down the drain, not up. Wait about 30 minutes then run hotwater down the drain for a little bit to clear it out. I do this in all my sinks regularly. It won't hurt the pipes. Good luck!

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

northiie57 — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:32:08 GMT

@Cakers3 wrote:
@newjersey Also: Do not use Sani-Sticks. I know people will say that they swear by them but they (the sticks lol) have been known not to disintergrate completely, leaving a blockage.

I never pour bleach down my drains. Our water system says bleach is a big no-no to be used that way.

I have been using the sani sticks for over 10 years with NO blockage issues. Yes they do work!

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

Cakers3 — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:35:05 GMT

@northiie57 wrote:
@Cakers3 wrote:
@newjersey Also: Do not use Sani-Sticks. I know people will say that they swear by them but they (the sticks lol) have been known not to disintergrate completely, leaving a blockage.

I never pour bleach down my drains. Our water system says bleach is a big no-no to be used that way.
I have been using the sani sticks for over 10 years with NO blockage issues. Yes they do work!

@northiie57 Right on time.

As I said, I know people will say that they swear by them.

Others do not.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

KBEANS — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:37:48 GMT

I use the baking soda and vinegar. After that's done; I put a few drops of peppermint oil down there. I let it sit and then flush water thru it. It never caused a problem.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

BlueFinch — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:42:17 GMT

I had that situation at my mom's home that's been empty, with me prepping to sell it. Since the water isn't turned on often at some fixtures, flushing the pipes, there was an unpleasant back-up smell when water was turned on.

I bought a good supply of Microban multi-purpose, antibacterial spray. I put about three cups, down the offensive drains and let it stand for a few hours. Then I poured only a cup of water down and let that stand. Diluted, but still effective. This worked wonders. Then I flushed all the pipes. Odor totally eliminated.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

Carmie — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 14:59:05 GMT

You probably have gunk and hair stick in the drain.

We always remove the screen cover and manually remove the hair and gunk with a drain tool designed for that purpose. I am always shocked to see how much stuff is in there.

Bleach and other stuff will not rid the drains of odors, especially if they are clogged. You have to remove whatever is stuck in there. If you can't do it yourself, call a handyman or plumber.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

gizmogal — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 15:05:32 GMT

@Greeneyedlady21 wrote:
I would not use bleach. Try baking soda and vinegar

Completely agree! This is definitely the solution. Bleach is very harsh and might do damage, depending on the material of your plumbing. Bleach may leave a residual odor of bleach hanging around for quite a while. Not always a welcome smell itself.

One box of baking soda poured into the drain followed by a small bottle of white distilled vinegar will dissolve whatever might be the material starting to smell bad. You can alternate some baking soda and then vinegar in a bit of each until it's all done instead of all baking soda and then al lthe vinegar at once if the drain doesnt't take it all. Don't be alarmed by the large amount of "sizzling" foam that arises when the vinegar hits the baking soda. It's a normal chemical reaction that actually does the work you need done and it is not dangerous, won't do damge. Let it work for an hour and then rinse the drain by running hot water for a while.

Don't underestimate the bad odor of soap and hair decomposing! This is easily solvable with household ingredients and no danger.

This advice page varies just a bit with my suggestion, but it has photos to help you know what to expect and follow the steps. There will be no smell after this method!

https://www.mom4real.com/unclog-drains-baking-soda-vinegar-natural-cleaning-trick/

Good luck!

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

mizree — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 15:17:58 GMT

@newjersey i use baking soda and vinegar. I run 2 cups white vinegar and 2 cups water through coffeemaker monthly. Then i put 4 heaping tablespoons baking soda in drain. Pour vinegar/water solution over baking soda. I would not use bleach.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

newjersey — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 15:38:45 GMT

@Cakers3 , yes, it's used every day. I will try the suggestions people posted here of the vinegar and baking soda. Thank you to everyone for the replies.

Re: Shower drain smells bad/what can I do about it?

GingerPeach — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 15:48:58 GMT

@newjersey

The Green Gobbler product works very nicely and, so they say, safely, to keep drains clean. I've used it for years. The label says it's safe for septic systems, but I can't attest to that personally since my home is connected to a countywide sewer system.

QVC used to sell it but now I get it from amazon.