5 Tips to Get Rid of Smelly Shower Drain

Is the nasty smell in your bathroom driving you nuts? You’re quite right in suspecting the shower drain to be the cause. Before you lose your senses over the dreadful odors, check out some of these quick tips.

1. Cleanse with bleach

The disinfectant properties of these household ingredients work great for driving away any kind of odor. Bleach is very effective for getting rid of drain smells and works instantly.

To clean the shower drain with bleach, throw in some bleaching powder in the drain. Pour a kettle of hot water in the drain and see the magic work. The bleach will quickly kill all the odor causing bacteria in the drain. You may have to repeat the process a couple of times to get the best results.

2. Clear out blocked vents

Although smelly drains are usually a feature of the summer season, you may have to face the awful drain smells in the winter season as well. The problem occurs when snow or ice covers up the plumbing vents. This prevents sewer fumes from escaping in the open. The odor build-up eventually surfaces out through the drains.

Check the plumbing vents on your roof. If there’s snow or any other obstruction blocking the vents, clear them out. You can use a hair dryer to melt off the snow. You can always call a licensed plumber to accomplish the task, if you’re unable to manage it by yourself. They will be able to do a sewer scope inspection of your pipes to see what’s causing the issue.

3. Check the plumbing trap

A common reason for smelly shower drain is faulty P-trap. The plumbing trap prevents sewer odor and gases from coming up and out in your bathroom. The P-trap needs to stay filled with water to prevent the sewer fumes from coming up. This means it will not function properly when dry.

The shower has not been in use for quite a few days, it is likely that the P-trap has run dry. Remove the drain cover to see if the P-trap is dry. The solution for this problem is rather simple.

Just pour down a couple of cups of water in the drain. Wait for an hour and check if the trap is filled with water or not. If the water remains in the trap, you can close the drain cover. If the water has drained out of the trap, then you’ll have to get it repaired.

4. Get rid of mold growth

Mold growth in shower drains is a major nuisance and can also prove to be a health hazard for your family. The foul odor released due to mold growth is quite unpleasant and can’t be erased without getting rid of the mold.

A quick and easy fix for mold growing in shower drains is to use baking soda and vinegar. In this case, you’ll have to do a little more than just pouring in the ingredients in the drain. Remove the drain cover and apply a solution of baking soda and water in equal quantities in the drain using an old toothbrush. Give the drain a nice scrub to remove the mold. Once done, pour a cup of vinegar and cover the drain. After half an hour follow up with a kettle of hot water in the drain. The combined action of soda and vinegar will get rid of the mold and its smell for good.

5. Get rid of clogs

Clogged drains can emanate terrible odors. Shower drains can get clogged soap scum and hair that escape through the drain cover. Keeping the drain cover clear of such build up will ensure that your shower drain gets clogged less often. It will also ensure that the drains don’t smell bad.

If there is a clog blocking the drain, you can use drain cleaning tools like the drain snake or plunger to break the clog. Throw in a liberal pour of hot water to flush out any remaining gunk in the drain.