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Fixing Smelly Shower Drains
The shower drain is a crucial part of your bathroom, which means that it's also a part of the room that you will definitely notice when it isn't smelling great. Whether you've noticed a sewer smell coming from the shower or simply something unpleasant in the air around it, there are often simple explanations for what might be causing the odour.
Almost everyone will have a smelly shower drain at least once in their life, but what can you do about it? This article will explore the different ways to prevent your shower drain from smelling bad, causes of smelly shower drains, as well as how to get rid of the smell asap. The first thing is for you to realise that some things are simply out of your control.
General Advice
For example, some people use hard water with high calcium deposits, and those minerals tend to collect on the showerhead, walls of the shower/tub, and especially the drain area. This build-up happens over time since water flows through it multiple times every day, increasing these mineral deposits even more.
In general, you could try using a chemical cleaner every few days or weeks, depending on the overall amount of water you use in your shower. Still, it's not enough to altogether remove this problem. You can also try chemical drain openers, which are sold at local supermarkets or hardware stores, but they only work on some kinds of clogs while others kind of just push everything down deeper into the drain.
Additionally, other methods include using vinegar and baking soda, boiling water, using a plunger, or plumber's putty. Each one works more effectively than the last, so you have no excuse ever to experience that musty smell coming from your shower drain again! But before we go into these fixes, let's first look at the different causes of smelly shower drains.
Causes Of Smelly Shower Drains
Body Oils and Hair
When hair and skin cells accumulate at the bottom of your shower drain, they can start to rot, releasing pungent gases into the air around it. This is often one of the most likely causes of smelly shower drains but also one of the easiest to resolve.
By simply cleaning out your drain about once a week with either hot water or products designed for this purpose, you should be able to keep it smelling fresh. By being proactive with frequent drain cleaning, you can help prevent unpleasant odours from developing before they become too strong.
Soap Scum
Soap scum is another cause of smelly shower drains that can be difficult to avoid altogether. With time, soap scum will form on the inside of pipes and the tub or shower stall walls if not properly cleaned. This substance is alkaline, meaning that it has a pH level that is higher than neutral and, therefore, will typically produce unpleasant odours.
Air Bubbles
Sometimes smelly shower drains can develop when air bubbles get trapped in plumbing lines. This has the effect of trapping bad-smelling gases inside of them, making them smell stronger than they would otherwise. When you see or hear water draining more slowly from your tub, it could be because there are pockets of air preventing it from flowing freely out of the drain.
If this is the case, then venting these areas should solve this problem and also remove any concentrated smells that may be lingering due to trapped air bubbles.
Vents and Grates
If you notice a sewer smell coming from your shower whenever someone flushes a toilet in another room, the vent may be clogged. This will prevent waste gases from escaping correctly, eventually leading to unpleasant odours throughout your bathroom.
You can solve this problem easily by placing a bucket under the clog, allowing things to settle for around an hour or two, and then simply skimming away any accumulated material with something like a small mesh colander or strainer.
Poor Sanitation
Another cause of smelly shower drains is much more commonly associated with drain flies than it is with sewage smells coming out of the sink. While these creatures are harmless themselves, they are attracted to dirty drains. These drains provide the perfect habitat where their larvae can grow up undisturbed until they are ready to pupate into adult flies that breed again later on down the road.
Since they feed on organic matter, dirty drains are a good environment for them to live in. That's why it's important to keep your drains clean and well-maintained even when you aren't noticing any smells from them yet.
Preventive Measures For Smelly Shower Drains
One primary reason your shower may not smell fresh is that it has not been cleaned for a very long time. Thus, it needs to be deep-cleaned and disinfected because bacteria thrive in dark areas where there is little air circulation, such as in the pipes of your shower.
These germs cause foul odours, especially when you take a hot shower or bath since hot water releases aromas that make these germs grow even more. Fortunately, there are several methods you can utilise to prevent your shower drain from smelling bad.
Use Petroleum Jelly
Coat the bottom part of your shower drain with petroleum jelly, and do not rinse it off. The petroleum jelly will prevent any hair and dirt from going down the pipes and reaching the septic tank, so you don't have to worry about them rotting or breaking apart inside. You can also place a strainer over the drain to capture any unwanted materials that would typically go down.
Run Water After Every Use
Many people forget this simple step, and all of a sudden, their bathroom smells like sewer gas. To avoid any nasty odours from taking over your bathroom, make it a habit to run the water for about 30 seconds after each use. It's better safe than sorry!
Use Vinegar and Baking Soda
Let's talk about vinegar and baking soda because people sometimes think this is old-school information, yet it works every time! First, pour white vinegar down the shower drain, wait about 15 minutes, then start pouring baking soda down the drain. You can use a plunger or plumber's putty if you want, but it's not necessary for this problem.
The chemical reaction which takes place between vinegar and baking soda will create an extra-strong bubbling action that works to clear out any minor clogs in your shower drain.
Use Boiling Water
You may have previously heard of this method before because boiling water is probably the most well-known method for clearing out all kinds of different plumbing blockages. Even though it may sound weird, boiling water does tend to work pretty well on smelly shower drains.
Just boil some water or put on your water heater until the water is boiling, and then slowly pour the hot water down into the drain. Keep in mind that this method might not work on all types of clogs, such as hair and soap scum, but it works pretty well with most clogs, including mineral deposits.
Use a Plunger
You can use a plunger or plumber's putty without any chemicals, which will help to clear out the smelly drain. Make sure you have a good seal by using plenty of petroleum jelly or olive oil on top of the plunger cup before plunging up and down several times.
There are also different types of plungers available at local hardware stores, such as sink plungers, toilet plungers, and plunger heads for those hard-to-reach areas like showers or tubs.
Apply Plumber's Putty
Plumber's putty is another good option for clogs in pipes that are irregularly shaped or have curves. Pour some plumber's putty in your hand and form it into a dough ball, then press it firmly around the drain opening to prevent any unwanted materials from going through your drain.
It's better to make sure this is done correctly and the putty is secured tightly because you don't want any nasty-smelling water/moisture getting past this!
Use Bleach
If you've tried vinegar, baking soda, boiling water, and plumber's putty, but still your shower drain smells, you can try out some bleach. Begin by pouring the boiling water down the drain to remove any leftover debris, then slowly pour some bleach down the shower drain.
The chemical reaction might bubble for many minutes, so make sure you have something under the drain cap to catch all of that. If necessary, try using a plunger afterward for better results if there are still clogs. Bleach also tends to work pretty well on bad drain smells caused by excess bacteria and mildew growth.
Get Chemical Drain Openers
Chemical drain openers tend to be more expensive, but they're very effective for removing hair and soap scum from your shower drain. In the event you are using hard water, then you might have come across build-ups that cause clogs. You can find chemical drain openers at local hardware stores at affordable prices, which work well with most types of smelly shower drain problems, including common mineral deposits.
Replace Your Drain Strainer
Last but definitely not least, if none of the fixes above suggestions have worked after trying them all out, you might need to replace your drain strainer entirely because it's probably full of gunk/hair. Try unscrewing the drain strainer from underneath the drain plate/cover and see what kind of gunk comes out from there. If you find a lot of hair, then it might be a good idea to throw that strainer away and replace it with a new one.
Keep Things Dry
Some older house designs are simply not equipped to prevent leaks into their main drain pipe; if your home is just too old to accommodate better plumbing technology, you may want to invest in a sump pump. A sump pump is an alarm system for your main sewer/drain line.
If it detects even the slightest amount of water coming through, it turns on and sends everything down to sewage instead of into your home! This is an easy fix that can keep things smelling fresh and clean. Just be sure to ask your local plumber about installation fees before getting one yourself.
Seek Plumbing Assistance
A combination of any of the problems mentioned in this article can cause your shower drain to become smelly. Have you tried basically everything to get rid of your stinky shower drain situation, and nothing seems to be working? If so, it is time for some emergency plumbing procedures to take place in your bathroom.
You'll need this when dealing with a more severe level of stink coming from the drainage system in your bathroom. Before doing any work on your shower drain, ensure that the power is completely cut off, ensuring safety during this process. If you're still not sure how to do this yourself, get in touch with expert plumbing services that can help with these kinds of projects.
