How to Have a Nice Smelling Bathroom - Ten Tips

Bathrooms and toilets have this inherent ability to start smelling. It isn't surprising as these areas do handle body excreta, are wet and kept closed for aesthetic purposes. Do how do you ensure they smell good?

A bathroom feels clean when it has a neutral smell or a light fresh smell. Here's how you can achieve this .

1. Keep it dry: Anything wet can get smelly or musty. You can either dry the shower area lightly after a shower or ensure enough air circulation to allow wet areas to dry easily. Use a squeegee to push excess water to the drain areas .Use a shower curtain or door to make sure the water does not splash all over.

2. Keep the drains clean and unclogged: Soap scum and hair can partially block drain pipes in the shower and this can easily cause a smell . Use a hair catcher and also a drain cleaner regularly to keep it clean and fully patent .

3. Clean the toilet bowl: Don't wait for it to look dirty and stained. Clean it regularly. This is obviously one of the most dirt parts of your toilet. Flush after use and scrub it with a toilet cleaner every week or so. There are also some little things like pellets, liquids and solutions that can remove the smells from the toilet water and flush water. Use these if you think it helps.

4. Close the toilet bowl when you flush: When you flush, an invisible mist-like spray comes out of the bowl due to the water turbulence and splashing. This can hang in the toilet air and cause a smell or even stains around the toilet bowl. Close the bowl when you flush and this ensures any water stays inside the bowl.

5. Keep it ventilated: Make sure you have a window that allows ventilation and an exhaust fan to clear the dirty air and keep fresh air streaming in. I'm surprised that even good hotels don't keep their bathrooms well-ventilated. A well ventilated bathroom dries faster, has less mould and smells better. Even better if some sunlight can get in! The musty, mouldy, damp smell of a closed bathroom can be unhealthy too

6. Use a smell absorber: Some activated charcoal or vinegar can help absorbs bad smells. This has a large surface area due to the structure of the charcoal and the molecules that cause the smell are adsorbed onto the surface. Once a month you'll need to put it in the sun to get rid of the adsorbed molecules.

7. Natural fragrances: A nice candle or Pot Pourri adds a pleasant smell to the toilet without being overpowering. Experiment and see what is best for you. Will a bathroom that has a slight coffee smell be good? Then use some roasted coffee beans!

8. Other fragrances: I use a spray perfume or room freshener when I'm desperate. This only masks a smell and doesn't get rid of odours. So it's a stop-gap measure at best.

9. Clean the toilet flush: The toilet flush has stagnant water. It easily gets sediments and smells as it gets colonized with germs easily. I regularly clean it with a toilet cleaner.

10. Full chemical cleaning: Once in a while you may need to use acid or soap scum cleaner to clean the floor and tiles. It's a good thing to do once in a few months. Use the safest but most effective cleaner you can find. Be careful! Some of these are not good for your skin and eyes and you will need to don gloves or a mask or googles when you use them. They can also react with each other forming fumes - be aware of what you can use safely domestically!

Do you have any tips to keep the bathroom smelling good? Please do share them in the comments section.