10 ways to make your bathroom smell better
We all dream of a home that smells like one of those fancy boutique hotels. Unfortunately, even if you're cleaning regularly and have air fresheners, your living space can still have an unpleasant odour: cooking smells can last for days in the kitchen, while mustiness can reek havoc in the bedroom (pun intended!). The worst room to be greeted by nasty smells, however, has to be the bathroom...
Luckily, there are ways to get rid of bathroom smells. We’ve rounded up 10 tips to keep this space smelling fresher for longer.
1. Make use of lemons
Thanks to their acidity, lemons can be really useful when it comes to cleaning. In fact, lemon juice is an ideal limescale remover, so you can use these all over the bathroom - and, as a bonus, it leaves a pleasant citrus fragrance behind.
Cut one lemon in half, juice it, and then twist the ends onto your taps to remove limescale. The juice meanwhile can be soaked up in a microfibre cloth and wrapped around the remainder of the tap. Just don’t use this technique on plated taps, such as gold plated, otherwise you risk damage. Leave for a couple of hours before rinsing.
For everyday cleaning, you can dilute lemon juice (a few tablespoons to a cup of water) in a spray bottle and spray directly on the glass shower door to remove watermarks. If you’re dealing with heavy limescale deposits, you can apply pure lemon juice straight from a sponge. Remember to rinse and dry afterwards.
2. Open windows, doors and vents
Of course, if you want to freshen up a bathroom, an obvious solution is to open the windows and doors. This has more uses than one because it vents residual moisture, which can contribute to mould and mildew, as well as any unwanted odours. That’s why it’s good practice to open any available windows once you’ve finished in the shower.
If there’s an extractor fan, be sure to make use of that too, but don’t forget that it’s running. Otherwise, your energy bills will soon stack up. Set an alarm on your phone if necessary to remember to switch it off.
3. Clean under and around the toilet
Most of us make a conscious effort to keep our toilets clean, but have you ever stopped to look at what’s underneath on your floors? Residual urine can collect here if it doesn’t quite reach the bowl – a common problem with young children in the home. If unaddressed, this will lead to an unpleasant smell of ammonia.
This is straightforward to clean, but not always easy to reach, particularly if your toilet is installed in the wall with a tight space beneath. Clean residual urine using a floor cleaner combined with a tool which provides adequate reach, such as one of our best electric cleaning brushes. Make sure both the tool and cleaning solution are suited to your floors.
If the smell persists, look around the toilet as well for signs of urine on nearby walls or objects. If you use a toilet mat, make sure this is washed weekly on the highest temperature allowed by the care label.
4. Eliminate musty smells
If your bathroom smells musty, mould and mildew are likely to blame. Try to locate the source of the smell so you can deal with it directly.
Your shower curtain and bathmat might need refreshing in the washing machine. Use biological detergent and wash on the highest temperature allowed by the care label. If there are specks of mould on the curtain, scrub them away with a bleach solution – just make sure to rinse the curtain thoroughly afterwards.
If you keep your laundry basket in the bathroom, remember to dry towels out thoroughly before chucking them in there. Otherwise mould and mildew have the perfect conditions to grow. If the laundry basket's liner smells, wash according to the care label.
5. Toilet drops or spray
To eliminate the smell that no one wants to smell, toilet drops or spray can come to the rescue. You simply apply these to the toilet water before or after using the bathroom, and the fragrance helps mask any lingering odours. An example of this would be Poo-Pourri Before You Go Toilet Spray or Purdy and Figg Oh! de Loo.
There’s also the option to apply toilet blocks with added fragrances, such as Bloo Power Active Toilet Rim Block. These can help descale your toilet and leave you with a pleasant fragrance with each flush.
6. Diffusers, candles or air fresheners
Another option are diffusers, candles or air fresheners which can all help cover up any unwanted smells.
If you’re not a fan of the appearance of disposable air fresheners, refillable designs are also available, such as Glade Automatic Spray.
7. Upgrade the litter box
We all love our cats, but their litter boxes not so much! These can quickly build up an unpleasant smell and with many being situated in the bathroom, they too can contribute to overall aroma. But, there are ways to keep these smells in check, and keep our cats happy at the same time.
First of all, if you’ve got an open litter box, upgrading to a hooded design with a door can help contain any smells. If you can find one with an included carbon filter, such as this Catit Style Hooded Cat Pan, that can help to deodorise too. Just remember to check it regularly to keep it clean.
Not all cats will want to use this style of little box, but there are other options. Scented cat litters are widely available which will mask the scent, but experts recommend steering clear of these.
"There is a risk that if cats dislike the smell of the scented cat litter or fresheners they may start to avoid using their litter tray," says PDSA Vet Nurse Gemma Renwick. "This can lead to toileting outside of the litter tray, which can be a difficult habit to solve.
"Just like other scented products around the home, if a cat suffers from asthma or other breathing problems, scented cat litters can irritate their airways further. Therefore we would advise avoiding such products for cats suffering from these conditions."
Unscented options with odour control claims are available instead, such as Ever Clean Clumping Cat Litter. These use unscented methods, such as activated carbon or bicarbonate of soda, to help deodorise. There’s also food which claims to reduce the smell too; I myself use Royal Canin Feline Indoor Appetite Control Dry Cat Food.
If you use a clumping cat litter, you could go all out and opt for an automatic self-emptying litter box, such as PETKIT Self Cleaning Cat Litter Tray, although this would need access to a power source. This senses when your cat has used the tray and automatically collects any residue, saving you the work and the smell.
Above all, clean out your cat's litter box regularly to keep on top of smells here.
8. Bicarbonate of soda
Of course, good old bicarb can come to the rescue when it comes to deodorising your bathroom too. Place a bowl of this on the side and it will help neutralise any odours.
There are also general deodorising products you can purchase which do the same job, such as Neutradol Gel Power Orbs.
9. Empty and clean bins
Don’t forget to empty and regularly clean your bathroom bins as well. With make-up wipes, tissues and sanitary products building up in here, it can quickly become a haven for bacteria and, thanks to the moist environment, mould and mildew are likely too.
Clean the bin (both inside and out) using a damp microfibre cloth and a suitable multipurpose cleaner. Leave it open to air and dry completely afterwards. Opt for scented bin bags to help cover up any future smells.
10. Deodorise drains
Finally, unpleasant smells may be coming from the drains. As hair and soap scum build up here, it can result in an ‘eggy’ aroma if not removed. An easy fix is to regularly tip bicarbonate of soda, followed by vinegar (125g/ml of each) down the drain. The chemical reaction will help dislodge loose residue. Then rinse with hot water. Doing this monthly can help keep on top of smells.
If the blockage is more substantial, you will need to reach for the plunger and drain auger to remove it. Drain unblockers are widely available too.
You Might Also Like
