Have you ever finished taking a shower in your bathroom, and all of a sudden, a solid urine-like smell hits your nose? In most cases, nothing seems to change, even after lighting hundreds of vanilla candles in your bathroom or cleaning up your bathroom. It’s certainly a disgusting experience! So, if your bathroom smells like urine after shower, now is the time you take action!
You could experience this nasty bathroom problem for several reasons, but thankfully, you can take a few steps and forget about this problem forever. This article outlines reasons why your bathroom smells like urine and some of the various ways that you can apply to eliminate such foul odors from your bathroom. So, let’s dive in already!
Reasons Why Your Bathroom Smells Like Urine After Shower
The first thing you should do is single out or identify the various reasons your bathroom smells like urine. Of course, it’s not an easy task, but it’s a necessary step. Once you identify the real cause of the issue, you’ll have an easy time eliminating the awful smell.
1. Awful Shower Drain
Taking a shower often forms sediments over time. These sediments include shower gels, dead skin, and hair. Over time the debris can cause clogs in your shower drain, resulting in slow drainage.
Also, as gross as it may sound, research shows that most people pee while showering. Thus, urine and sediment mixture in the floor trap can be the source of the bad smell. So, if you notice your feet standing under the water, it’s time to take action.
Luckily, you got two options. You can carry out a DIY clean-up or call your plumber to help you out. If you opt for the DIY solution, then here is how to do it:
- Use vinegar and baking soda to eliminate stinks from your bathroom drain. First, using a screwdriver, make sure to remove the drain seal. Next, pour hot water into the drain line to warm the contents.
- Pour about 1-2 cups of baking soda into the drain pipe.
- Follow this step with a 50/50 percent mixture of vinegar and hot water into the drainpipe and immediately cover up the drain with a rug to allow the chemical reaction inside the drain pipe.
- Keep it covered for approximately 10 minutes.
- After that, pour hot water into the drain pipe to wash out the chemicals.
2. Dry P-Trap
A p-trap is a U-shaped pipe located beneath your sink. It’s a very vital part of the plumbing system. The P-trap plays a special role in holding and trapping water, preventing sewer odors and gases from flowing back into the washroom. Typically, a little water remains trapped in this section once you’ve flushed your toilet, turned off your bathroom shower, or emptied the bathtub.
But how do P-traps lead to a foul smell? Now, irregular use of your bathroom shower makes the P-trap dry out, permitting the sewer smell to flow back into the bathroom. It’s common during the winter season. However, other reasons why your P-trap runs out of water include:
- Extreme dry moisture conditions
- There is a stuck item inside the P-trap and absorbing water from your toilet.
- The P-trap of your toilet sink is clogged or has leaks.
But how do you fix P-trap problems? It’s easy! For P-trap dryness due to irregular use of your bathroom, flush your toilet more regularly. Also, pour water into the bathtub and sink periodically to restore the water barrier of the P-trap.
But if the issue persists, a leaky or an old P-trap could be the cause. Thankfully, it’s simple to fix! Call your residential plumber to come and diagnose the problem and fix it once and for all.
3. Cracked Wax Seal
Have you done thorough cleaning in your washroom but still you can’t get rid of the urine smell? Well, how about checking the wax seal? Current toilet manufacturers produce reliable and long-lasting wax seals for their products. But with time, wax seals can get cracks and pull apart from your toilet’s base. Such cracks act as an ideal location for urine and bacteria to settle.
But how do you know your toilet seal has cracked? Well, you need to unscrew the toilet’s bolts, lift them, and check to see what’s underneath. If you notice cracks, replacing the wax ring is the only solution for you. But don’t worry! Replacing the cracked toilet wax seal is like a walk in the park. It only requires a fraction of your time and a little muscle to complete the DIY process.
4. Cracked Or Broken Flange
It’s also essential to confirm whether you have a cracked or broken toilet flange. A broken flange implies the continuous reeking and accumulation of urine from your toilet’s base. Also, your bathroom is getting fed up with sewer gases through the cracked toilet flange. Yikes!
Like a broken wax ring, you need to replace the cracked or broken toilet flange once you find out it’s a problem. However, replacing a new toilet flange is tricky. And unless you’ve plumbing experience, you’ll want to call your residential plumber who would offer relatively affordable services.
Most critically, hiring a local plumber near you can help you check for possible water leakages in your subflooring. In case of any leakage in the subfloor, the plumber can repair it immediately to prevent future problems. Plus, you’ll avoid future repair costs.
5. Using Public Or Well Water?
Sometimes, the water table rises during the spring season or when it’s heavily raining. A rise in the water table causes a surge of extra minerals from the ground. Wells can pick these minerals and causes water to have a foul odor.
The toilet p-trap holds water after flushing your toilet due to its extensive surface area. But since the water level is higher than average, the mixture of urine from your toilet and the smelling water could become persistent. We recommend regular check-ups of your toilet p-traps and ensure it’s always filled.
6. Sewer Line Break Or Clog
If your sewer line is broken or clogged, expect a lousy foul smell in your bathroom. As a result of sewer line clogs, sewer gases likely penetrate your bathroom through your bathroom tub, toilet, sink, and shower. Sewer line inspection is complex, and only trained professionals can conduct an inspection. So, it’s essential to pick the right plumber for the job.
7. Poor Bathroom Ventilation
Poor ventilation can lead to an awful urine smell in your bathroom. Therefore, if your nose gets cranked with the awful odor every time you finish taking a shower, consider having good ventilation in your bathroom.
To improve the level of ventilation in your bathroom, leave all washroom windows open. It will oxygenate air in your washroom and eliminate the bad urine smell. Fresh air is vital to keep the bathroom free and fresh. We also recommend that you leave your shower doors open after taking a bath. It allows the bathroom steam to escape out of the bathroom.
8. Sprinkling Effect While Urinating
Are there men in your household? Typically, men stand while urinating and sometimes leave urine droplets on the floor or the surface of the toilet. Also, there is the “splashing effect” when urine hits the water inside your toilet bowl. The splashing urine enters into the bathroom hinges or beneath your toilet bowl. Over time, urine paddles may form inside your toilet bowl, resulting in a foul odor.
Regularly clean your toilet using a toilet brush and a robust and efficient cleaning agent to prevent the bad smell. In addition, ensure to clean your bathroom floor every time you take a bath. Besides, cleaning is the easiest way of keeping your bathroom free from foul odors. So, it’s up to you!
9. Bacteria And Mold Growth
Last but not least, bacteria and mold growth in your bathroom can lead to a foul urine smell. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to notice this type of growth because mold can grow unnoticed at the corners or cracks of tiles in your bathroom. The tiles may appear brownish, blending the mold to look somewhat slimy and hard to notice.
Once the mold grows, soap remnants get stuck on it, stimulating bacteria growth and leading to the foul urine smell. To ensure no mold or bacteria grow in your bathroom, use vinegar to wash your bathroom tiles regularly after taking a bath. No more bad smells!
Final Thoughts
The bathroom is a private room in every household. Of course, it’s the busiest room in a home. That is why most homeowners apply air refreshers to mask any faulty smell. But not everyone knows where such foul urine smell originates from. We hope that our tips have helped you eliminate urine smells in your bathroom for good. So, go ahead and enjoy a showering experience free of urine odors.
