Step into your sanctuary, the bathroom, a place where each day begins and ends. But what if, instead of a refreshing oasis, you’re greeted by unpleasant odors? It’s a common struggle, but fear not. This guide isn’t just about masking smells; it’s about embarking on a journey to transform your bathroom into a naturally fragrant haven. Using simple, eco-friendly methods, we’ll explore how to keep your bathroom smelling fresh, inviting nature’s purity into this personal space. Let’s turn your bathroom into a consistently delightful experience, naturally.
Key Takeaways
- Ventilation and Cleanliness: Regularly air out the bathroom and keep it clean to prevent odor build-up.
- Natural Deodorizers: Use baking soda, vinegar, or essential oils for natural odor absorption and fresh scents.
- Plants: Incorporate plants that thrive in humid environments to improve air quality and add freshness.
- Routine Checks: Regularly check and maintain plumbing to prevent odors from drains or leaks.
Causes of the bad smell in the bathroom
Before we begin, it is important first to identify what’s causing the bathroom to smell to determine the most suitable way to get rid of it.
So let’s have a look at some of these causes.
- Bad odor from the shower drain due to clogging
- The odor from the toilet
- Mold and bacteria on bathroom walls
- Urine on the toilet floor
- The stinky smell from the bathroom drains and sinks due to the build-up of grime and mold in the P-trap
- Poor ventilation
Now that you can pinpoint the cause of the unpleasant smell in your bathroom, let’s look at some natural ways you can get rid of it.
7 ways to keep bathroom smelling fresh naturally
You don’t need to buy strong chemicals to get rid of the bathroom odor. Try the natural methods below to ensure the bathroom smells fresh.
1. Clean the bathroom using baking soda or borax
A bad smell from your bathroom means that it needs a thorough cleaning.
You can control the odor in your toilet by doing a more thorough cleaning with perfect cleaning agents and mopping the floor regularly.
Moreover, using powerful cleaners like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and borax can help to remove mold, and mildew in bathroom walls.
Baking soda and borax are good at absorbing bad odors removing stains and destroying mold. So you can use either of them to clean the bathroom and toilet.
Simply, make a paste of baking soda or borax and water and apply it on the surfaces you want to clean such as the bathroom wall, tub, or shower.
Allow the paste to sit for around 15 minutes to absorb the odor and work on the stains. Clean with a soft brush or sponge and then rinse with water. You can remove brown stains in an enamel tub or sink this way.
To ensure the bathroom remains fresh for longer, put baking soda in a bowl and place it somewhere in the bathroom.
You however have to keep changing it after a specific duration since it loses its effectiveness after absorbing the odor.
2. Put vinegar in the toilet water tank
Vinegar can help to clean your bathroom naturally by preventing bad odor and removing grime and stains in the toilet.
The good thing is that white vinegar is safe to use so it will not damage the components of the toilet rather it will deodorize it and keep it smelling fresh.
To clean the toilet, simply
- Uncover the water tank, pour a certain quantity of the vinegar inside, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- Spray some vinegar into the toilet bowl and scrub thoroughly to remove dirt and grime.
- Once done cleaning, flush the toilet at least 3 times to rinse off as well as deodorize it with the vinegar in the water tank.
- You can also use vinegar to clean bathroom walls as well as to eliminate the sewer smell if you pour a bit in the drain.
Vinegar made it to this list because it is a natural alternative to powdered detergents, bleach, and other cleaners.
However, strictly use white vinegar because colored vinegar such as Apple Cider or Black vinegar can stain the toilet after prolonged use.
3. Use essential oils
A good reason to use essential oils is that they produce a natural aroma, which freshens the bathroom and the house.
To keep the bathroom smelling fresh, pour a few drops of your preferred essential oil onto the inner side of the tissue paper roll.
Alternatively, you can put the essential oil in a spray bottle and use it when you need immediate fresh air.
With essential oils, you don’t need air fresheners that contain chemicals and allergens.
4. Good ventilation for airflow
Proper ventilation is extremely necessary for a fresh-smelling bathroom and toilet.
Most bathrooms have tiny windows or no windows at all, yet you need clean air. There is very little you can do about the windows especially when you live in a rental house or apartment.
Thus, the best solution is to use a bathroom vent fan to promote the free flow of air in the bathroom. It will help to draw odor and moisture and thereby promote air quality.
To prevent the musty smell in your bathroom, consider turning on the vent fan after a shower to dry the moisture. This will help to prevent the growth of mold and mildew, which are the culprits behind the musty smell.
5. Scented candles
For a fresh smell in your bathroom, place the scented candles at strategic locations, and light them when necessary.
The scent of the candles not only creates a refreshing atmosphere but also masks any unattractive smells in the bathroom.
However, since you aim to deodorize the bathroom naturally, you should avoid scented candles that contain artificial fragrances, paraffin wax, and metal wicks.
Most importantly, make sure the candles are not near the curtains, towel, or any flammable objects in the bathroom for safety reasons.
You should also not leave candles unattended for long since this can be a fire hazard.
6. Bamboo charcoal
Bamboo charcoal eliminates odor by absorbing pollutant particles that cause bad odor.
You can buy sachets of bamboo charcoal and place them in different places around the bathroom to absorb the unpleasant smell.
Alternatively, you can go for a deodorizer containing activated carbon, which is the agent responsible for absorbing odor in bamboo charcoal.
Bamboo charcoal is not only used in the bathroom but also works magic in the kitchen because it combats common toxins and bacteria. It acts as an air dehumidifier.
See also: Best bath mat for reglazed and refinished tub
Conclusion
It does not matter how fancy your bathroom design is, poor maintenance may be a big turn-off to you, your family, and visitors. That’s why we decided to discuss the above ways on how to keep the bathroom smelling fresh naturally. You don’t need to use artificial air fresheners that contain toxic chemicals, which are harmful to your health. If you are having a bad odor issue in your bathroom, try the above solution. If any of them fail to get rid of the odor, you may need to call a local plumber near you to address the source of the problem.
