Every bathroom is prone to its fair share of funky smells – after all, bathrooms are the place for some of the pungent and grossly odiferous activities. The bathroom odours could emanate from, ahem, using the facilities for the intended purposes to the seemingly innocent dry floor-waste drain or the notorious P-trap of your toilet or basin – and more. Either way, these smells are not pleasant in the slightest.
Such a situation begs one to wonder, are these smells an unstoppable force? Or can a little TLC cause your bathroom to pendulate from “neglected public restroom” to “spa retreat”? If these are the questions troubling your mind, then you’ve come to the right spot. We have the answers you seek. So, without any further ado, let’s dive into some practical housekeeping tips for bathrooms for the ultimate freshness!
Add Your Favourite Fragrances
How to remove smells from bathrooms? This one’s a no-brainer – simply counter the offensive smells with pleasant ones! You will find a bunch of items in the market that can get the job done. For a start, you have the really affordable scent packets that can last you about 30 days. You can also get hold of a few strongly scented soaps, body washes, and bath bombs.
However, if you really wish to amp up the class, you can put a bowl of potpourri, a few aromatic candles, or a small essential oil diffuser (reed, heat, or nebulizer diffusers) in your bathroom. Fragrances like tea tree, mint, rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon, and lavender can effortlessly mask the smells and quite literally breathe a new life into your bathroom.
Place a DIY Odour Absorber
If you are not a big fan of scents and fragrances and would prefer to keep things smelling neutral, then an odour absorber can do the trick. Baking soda is an excellent odour absorber, and you can place baking soda cakes on the flush, counter, and even the bathroom dustbin.
All you need to do is take two cups of baking soda in a bowl. Add one cup of distilled water – little by little – until you have a thick paste. Transfer the paste to a silicone mould or muffin tin and let the deodourising cakes dry for 24 to 48 hours until they harden. You can even add a few drops of essential oil of your choice (or grate the leftovers of a used soap) to the paste to add a dash of fragrance!
Dry Out the Damp Towels
Did you know that damp towels are one of the greatest culprits behind stinky bathrooms? And so, one of the most valuable housekeeping tips for bathrooms would be to address them. First, avoid leaving behind any damp towels in your bathroom (especially if you have a habit of leaving them on the wet floor as you wipe your feet!). The same applies to the washcloth near your washbasin, which often gets ignored because the wet parts hide between folds.
Next, put your towels out to hang dry in the sun, and only reintroduce them in your bathroom when they are bone-dry. Even slightly damp towels should stay out lest they get mildew. Finally, wash your towels at least once a week (and once again, dry them out in the sun).
Open up the Doors and Windows
Poor ventilation is often the leading cause of the damp, musty, mildewy, and mouldy smells plaguing your bathroom. After all, bathrooms are tight spaces dotted with excess moisture with little to no out. And so, how to remove these smells from the bathroom? By letting in some air.
Open up the bathroom door and windows for 10 to 15 minutes after a long shower or a bath. If you are one of the unfortunate ones to not have a large window in your bathroom, consider installing an exhaust fan to throw all the moist air out. Run the fan for an equal duration and you will expel all the smells.
Pour Some Detergent Into the Toilet
The toilet is the smelliest place in the bathroom – and you can’t really blame it for doing its job! Fortunately, you can offer it an odour-battling boost by adding some fragranced liquid detergent or even fabric softener to the flush tank. That way, every time you flush the toilet, the bathroom will be blessed with a puff of fragrance. If you are too worried about clogging your drains (which is not a possibility by a long shot), you can purchase in-cistern toilet cleaning blocks that will clean the toilet and eliminate odours – talk about two birds with one stone!
With this, you are now equipped with the knowledge of how to remove smells from bathrooms. However, do bear in mind that the above housekeeping tips for bathroom work only when you make it a habit to clean your bathroom on a regular. As such, make it a weekly habit to scrub the surfaces, wipe the sink and counters, and wash the basin and pot. Such a routine will not only get rid of odours but also keep them at bay. For more tips and tricks to increase the value and appeal of your bathroom, check out the HomeLane blogs. Trust us, you’ll be hooked!
