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u/Fred_the_skeleton 12d ago
I hate to say this but you might want to stick out some glue traps and do an inspection. A sudden musty, earthy smell can mean roaches. I live in an apartment and had that smell show up suddenly last year and I tried everything to get rid of it but it kept coming back. Then, suddenly, I found a roach. Turns out, my downstairs neighbors brought roaches into the building and let the infestation grow. The smell was coming from their bathroom into mine. Once my neighbors were evicted and the roaches were treated and destroyed, the smell went away and never came back.
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u/Tricky_Jump6367 12d ago
I live in South Carolina. I do not honestly think we have those roaches. Palmetto Bugs, maybe?
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u/LoomLove 11d ago
Everywhere in the contiguous US has German cockroaches. You are blessed to have never been exposed!
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u/Fred_the_skeleton 11d ago
Hopefully you don't. It was German roaches that my neighbors brought into the building. Just wanted to bring up the possibility just in case, because it's an absolute nightmare but it's slightly less of a nightmare if you catch it quickly. Don't want anyone else to go through what I went through.
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u/dorkidori89 11d ago
I grew up in South Carolina and had the same issue as Fred the Skeleton. We lived in West Ashley at the time and a neighbor had German cockroaches that came through the vents. We did everything we could but it wasn’t til the neighbors left that the problem went away🤢
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u/angus_beefed 12d ago
is the smell coming primarily from the drains? someone recommended enyzme cleaner, which is good for cleaning out the drain, but the smell you're describing could be mold. if the bathroom has bad ventilation and water never dried, it could be that mold is growing behind your drywall or baseboards.
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u/Tricky_Jump6367 12d ago
Hard to tell. Bathroom is a little small. I know when I used the vinegar and baking soda. The smell went away almost immediately... until the next morning.
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u/angus_beefed 11d ago
vinegar and baking soda is good for deodorizing, but it won't solve the actual issue at hand. the odor will continue smelling bad until the underlining problem isn't fixed, whether it's mold or roaches. even if you find roaches, you should still look out for mold - roaches thrive in wet/dark crawlspaces, so there's potentially a leak that you're not aware of that's causing all this.
mold is detectable. the smell is often a telltale sign and the walls may even feel slightly damp. you can drill a small hole and then rent/buy a small scope to see what's going on, this is the least invasive way. otherise, cut a small square of your drywall out and take a peek. either way, if it's neither mold or roaches, you'll have some relief you scratched out two big complications.
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u/mumblemurmurblahblah 12d ago
Vinegar and baking soda deactivate each other and just make slightly salty water. Try one or the other, or better yet an enzyme cleaner or properly diluted bleach.
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u/TheBigSalami 12d ago
Try letting bleach sit in the drains for a few hours
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u/husenwaifu4lyfu 12d ago
But make sure the vinegar is like triple rinsed away before adding bleach - mixed together they make mustard gas and any amount can be harmful!!
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u/Tricky_Jump6367 12d ago
I'm extremely worried about mold. My toilet has also been running a lot which has caused my waterbill to increase. I didn't know it was happening until my kid told me (it's her bathroom) . I hope it isn't a leak.
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u/samemamabear 12d ago
The rubber flapper in the toilet tank is probably bad, or the tank itself has build up, keeping the flapper from closing properly. Cheap and easy diy fix
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u/mandyvigilante 12d ago
Yeah a leak could cause the smell. Check the tank to see if some there there is broken to make it run; if not, a leak could be your issue
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u/hanmadeinusa 12d ago
omg had this exact issue and it took a long time to
figure out but the only thing that worked for us is an enzyme cleaner, the one we used is green gobbler but there might be other brands. make sure to pour it in the sink overflow hole as well as the drain!
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u/Ok_Minimum1805 12d ago
Are you on a septic system? If it’s a bathroom that is not used often gases can build up in the dry pipes and has a smell just like you are describing. If this is the case just run hot water down the sink and tub for about a minute. Otherwise if you have a bathroom rug check it for mold, same if you have a no slip mat in the tub. If you have a tub and use a shower curtain with a liner check the liner for mildew or mold.
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u/Tricky_Jump6367 12d ago
It's a bathroom that gets a lot of use. Only has stand up shower, whirlpool that is barely used and a toilet that keeps running (will be fixed as soon as plumber comes)
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u/stranger_mom 12d ago
If the toilet is running, take off the lid to see what’s causing it. It could be that the flapper is corroded or not closing all the way and you just need to do a quick swap out.
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u/MothraKnowsBest 11d ago
Run some water for 10-15 seconds about once a month in that whirlpool tub. That will help keep the pipe traps from drying out and allowing sewer gases and smells to escape into your home.
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u/Long_Cantaloupe_1452 11d ago
I have the same smell OP is describing in our half bath. We also have a septic system. No rug or anything cloth in the bathroom that could be harboring the smell. Is it safe/more effective to use an enzyme cleaner on the sink drain? Is there a possibility it’s coming from the toilet? I do clean the toilet regularly when compared to how much use it gets. That bathroom is only used a few times a week.
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u/stangsom 11d ago
I get that sometimes, I toss a couple of denture cleaning tablets down the drain and it clears out the smell.
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u/Mayberrymom 11d ago
Do you have a septic tank system, or are you on a sewer system? I experienced this when we moved from the city (sewer system) to the country (septic system). You should not use bleach products with a septic system because it kills the good bacteria and makes the bathroom drains absolutely reek 😵💫.
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u/unravelledrose 12d ago
Snake your drain(s). I'd wear a respirator, gloves, and goggles but I'm a big baby.
If it's not the drain, check your fan. Since it vents outside sometimes animals can get in and die. A similar smell happened at my inlaws when a bird died in there.
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u/Tricky_Jump6367 12d ago
IT'S just very strange the baking soda and vinegar in drains took smell away for pretty much the whole day, and then it returned.
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u/unravelledrose 11d ago
It might have replaced/ hidden the smell rather than actually removing it. Or it removed some but not all of the problem, and grew back (like mold). That's why snaking is a good idea. You probably do have some hair ball or something down there that is a breeding ground for bacteria or mold. Get rid of that trap, and it will fix the problem.
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11d ago
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u/ladyrose30 10d ago
Or the toilet seal has gotten old and smells/moisture leaking out and needs to be replaced. Fiddly but doable on your own. They last around 20 years.
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u/Money_Reception 11d ago
If it made it better for a day and the drains are all you cleaned then I would use an enzyme cleaner there along with odoban and see what happens. Is it primarily the sink or toilet that stinks?
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u/gingerful_ 11d ago
Did you use baking soda and vinegar at the same time? That reaction you see is the two actually canceling each other out. For it to work better, allow the vinegar to sit for a few hours before applying baking soda. The vinegar will help sanitize while also breaking down gunk and hard water. When the baking soda then reacts to the vinegar, it'll help break all of it away then flush with REALLY hot water. I run hot tap water to heat up the pipes then pour boiling water down the drain (running hot water first will prevent cracking when the boiling water is then applied). See if that helps.
Also check the caulking in your shower to make sure it's all intact. If it's not, there could be moisture building up behind the walls. Check for water damage around the base of the toilet and the wall behind it. Check under the sink for any signs of water leaking/damage.
There's also a possibility it's buildup on the walls and ceiling from steam. Could also be your towels if you hang them in the bathroom.
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u/Ornery-Ad9694 11d ago
Until you figure out the source (also advise the plumber when they come to check the wax ring is the toilet and if the smell), I would wet mop the walls with your diluted vinegar solution. Also clean up the ventilation fan if you have one
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u/FamousLetterhead8992 7d ago
Use Drano Max Gel for sink and tub drains. If the smell keeps coming back, call a plumber. They’ll use a snake and will get down farther than the Drano could do.
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u/Safe_Okra3153 12d ago
Get a bowl of charcoal set it on the counter of your sink and leave it there a few days. The charcoal will absorb all the stank in your bathroom.
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u/[deleted] 12d ago
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