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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>OT - Bathroom Smell
momofboys 06:28 AM 08-28-2013
Ok, need some advice & wondering what works for you. I have 3 SA boys of my own & also watch 2 boys who are potty trained & I make them sit on the potty. Despite this I feel like our main bathroom always sort of stinks like urine & despite the fact that I clean the toilet & wash around it several times a week it still smells. And I don't like it & don't want my bathroom to smell like urine so what gives? What do you do, what am I doing wrong? I recently started using bleach b/c I am hoping it can combat & kill the stench - as much as I don't like a bleachy smell I prefer it to urine. I previously used a pine-sol like cleaner or Lysol wipes that sort of thing.
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Familycare71 06:33 AM 08-28-2013
Is it from under the base of the toilet or from where the seat attaches to the toilet itself? When we replaced our toilet we caulked around the base and it was one of the best things ever! .
I make my dck sit until they are school age- I'd still have my teens sit if I could!
I don't get it- woman sit because they would make a mess standing to pee! Well... Most boys/men do too!
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butterfly 06:42 AM 08-28-2013
I use a bleach mixture too. It's the only thing that I've found to work. Otherwise I just have a piney-urine smell (or whatever other sent cleaning products come in).
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momofboys 06:50 AM 08-28-2013
Okay, yes, no good that pine-urine smell lol! I will see if the bleach does the trick & will also try to caulk. The caulk job is old & some of it has started to come off so it may need re-done.
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Lavender 06:58 AM 08-28-2013
I'm having this problem with the bathroom my kids use and I don't do daycare at home. I've never had this problem until this new house. I thought maybe it was somehow in the grout but scrubbing it, using vinegar, nothing seems to help. It's just a lingering urine smell. Maybe I'll try caulk at the base of the toilet as suggested.
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ABCDaycareMN 07:08 AM 08-28-2013
Make sure you remove the toilet and clean underneath it before you recaulk it. Otherwise you are just trapping the smell underneath it.
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blandino 07:20 AM 08-28-2013
http://http://pinterest.com/pin/215046950928100394/
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MarinaVanessa 07:35 AM 08-28-2013
Hmm ... not sure about where the urine smell is coming from but maybe trying some of the things that have already been suggested will work, then you can try something for the cleaner smell.

I keep a Scentsy burner in my bathroom and get light but sweet scents (what I like to smell) like Vanilla or Peach. That usually covers up the cleaner smell quite nicely. Scentsy burners are nice because they are flameless candle burners (burners with a bulb) that have wickless candle bars with pieces that you break off and add to the burner. They last a long time, smell great, melt fast without getting hot enough to burn even a child and they have over 80 different scents to pick from so you're bound to find something that you like.

I like them because I don't get the alcohol scent that you get from spray air fresheners and the Scentsy scents tend to linger for a while even after turning the burner off compared to regular candles or plug in air fresheners. I think they also do a better job at neutralizing oders vs just covering them up (when I use them in the bathroom after cleaning it smells like Vanilla not Vanilla and bleach etc). Not to mention that the bars last forever.
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MyAngels 07:37 AM 08-28-2013
Maybe try that Odoban stuff others have talked about? I think they get it at Sam's Club. Somebody recently mentioned that it got rid of cat smell, so it.
must be good.
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Familycare71 07:43 AM 08-28-2013
Originally Posted by MyAngels:
Maybe try that Odoban stuff others have talked about? I think they get it at Sam's Club. Somebody recently mentioned that it got rid of cat smell, so it.
must be good.
I purchased odoban solids at homedepot.com and put them everywhere- including the bathroom- I honestly don't notice a diff anywhere
I know others love the cleaning liquid and Oder remover (like febreeze) but I haven't tried those yet...
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momofsix 07:44 AM 08-28-2013
When we had a noticeable smell coming from our bathroom the drain pipe under the toilet had cracked. I don't know how or why that made it smell in the bathroom but it did. I was getting irritated with dh thinking he wasn't aiming or something! Cleaning/deodorizing didn't help-so I finally had to call a plumber. He discovered the problem and took care of it. It was an expensive fix, but as soon as we got it fixed the smell was gone.
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Maria2013 10:16 AM 08-28-2013
my boys sit too, but still if they don't hold "it" down with their hands they probably would make a mess (at least in between the toilet and the sit)

I of course clean the bathroom a few times a day, I have blue deodorizing agent in the water tank...a lysol deod. hanging inside the toilet and I also use automatic spray fresheners ....my bathroom smells great
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Maria2013 10:19 AM 08-28-2013
Originally Posted by Familycare71:
I purchased odoban solids at homedepot.com and put them everywhere- including the bathroom- I honestly don't notice a diff anywhere
I know others love the cleaning liquid and Oder remover (like febreeze) but I haven't tried those yet...
I use the liquid but honestly it smells great for only a short time good thing it kills germs and mold cells too (so it says) cause otherwise it'd be useless
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daycarediva 10:21 AM 08-28-2013
Honestly, it's probably leaked under your toilet and around the wax seal. I had this issue when we bought this house. My dh pulled the toilet and replaced the wax seal. There was dried, caked on urine under the toilet. As soon as we pulled it the smell was gag-worthy! G R O S S! Then we caulked around the toilet when we put it back and have NOT had this issue since.

The previous owners had 3 teenage sons. I'm not surprised.
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Lavender 10:25 AM 08-28-2013
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
Honestly, it's probably leaked under your toilet and around the wax seal. I had this issue when we bought this house. My dh pulled the toilet and replaced the wax seal. There was dried, caked on urine under the toilet. As soon as we pulled it the smell was gag-worthy! G R O S S! Then we caulked around the toilet when we put it back and have NOT had this issue since.

The previous owners had 3 teenage sons. I'm not surprised.
Gross. I wonder if that's the problem in our house. We've just been here a year and are renting it. It wouldn't surprise me based on what I've heard about the guy who lived here before us.
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melilley 10:26 AM 08-28-2013
I have seen so may uses for this mixture! From getting rid of the pee smell, to cleaning grout and other things! Have you tried it?
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Jack Sprat 11:20 AM 08-28-2013
Ugh! We have it too! I clean that bathroom everyday and I still smell it! I am having hubby move the toilet this weekend! Thanks for the suggestion!
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WImom 11:26 AM 08-28-2013
Originally Posted by Lil Monkey:
Ugh! We have it too! I clean that bathroom everyday and I still smell it! I am having hubby move the toilet this weekend! Thanks for the suggestion!
Here too! Great project for Hubby this Labor Day Weekend! Luckily my two boys that do stand are off to school now so for now the smell should be gone either way.
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Play Care 01:29 PM 08-28-2013
I feel your pain. Our main floor bathroom has hardwood floor. At some point our toilet developed a "slow" leak and by the time we noticed it the floor was ruined. But the kicker is that it always has a urine odor. Eventually the whole bathroom will have to be gutted
In the meanwhile I have used that Pinterest mixture with the baking soda, lemon and vinegar and that seems to help and sometimes I'll put some fresh ground coffee in a small tin and put that behind the toilet. Supposedly the coffee absorbs the odor - not sure about that but all I smell is coffee when I go in the bathroom rather that urine so yay!
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itlw8 03:56 PM 08-28-2013
If your boys are missing you will see it under the seat, in the hinge, along the bottom and even the floor. then you aend all 3 of your school age boys * because you said they were yours) and make them clean up the mess. Anytime you see it send them in to clean it.
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TigerLily 04:11 PM 08-28-2013
When ours gets stinky I use the stream cleaner with the nozzle attachment to clean between the toilet and the floor. The plan is to caulk, but the new wax ring keeps getting forgotten! It is truly disgusting, the stuff that comes out of there.
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momofboys 02:04 PM 08-30-2013
Thanks for all the wonderful advice - you all ROCK!!!

I tried cleaning a few days ago with a mostly watered-down bleach & the verdict is - IT WORKED!!!! I did not smell any urine smell. I think I will continue to clean in there this way. I love not smelling pee
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Provider_Manda 04:01 PM 08-30-2013
My favorite product in the world right now is OdoBan !! http://www.odoban.com/

This stuff smells awesome, takes away the pee smell and all. It disinfects, I just love it. I even use it in our laundry with dh sweaty gym clothes
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Scout 06:16 PM 08-30-2013
Originally Posted by momofboys:
Thanks for all the wonderful advice - you all ROCK!!!

I tried cleaning a few days ago with a mostly watered-down bleach & the verdict is - IT WORKED!!!! I did not smell any urine smell. I think I will continue to clean in there this way. I love not smelling pee
which water/bleach ratio did you use? I now have the same problem!
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momofboys 08:00 PM 08-30-2013
About 1/2 bleach, 1/2 water
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Scout 06:53 AM 08-31-2013
Originally Posted by momofboys:
About 1/2 bleach, 1/2 water
Thanks!! I am on it! I hate that the kid's bathroom has no window and I make sure the door is always closed so, now it is stinky too!
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countrymom 04:51 AM 09-01-2013
I found that you need to replace the toilet seat. No matter how many times you clean, the smell would be there. Also, if you have a mat, change it. I also, found (I have tile floors) is that you need to scrub the tile, and the grout because its gets absorbed. And I use odoban because it has a nice smell.
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Tags:bathroom - issues, bleach, odor
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