help! my bathroom smells like a public toilet?

Question

and it has been scoured with bleach and a toothbrush. It is upstairs and in a 20yo house in the tropics

Answer 1

Consider:
You may have a leak under the toilet. Watch for leaks when you sit down :) Watch for water escaping at the base.

You may have had pee get under the linoleum or carpet. Pull up whatever the flooring is. Then paint with KILZ (from walmart or lowes) as it destroys every odor and stain, goes on just like paint. Then put down new flooring.

Clean all surfaces, including all walls, with a mixture of 1/2 white vingear, 1/2 water..vinegar takes out odors better than febreeze etc.

Check everything else, like old cabinets that may have been stained/peed on, furiture in the room that has absorbed odors that you are getting rid of, fabrics of any kind in the room that may have absorbed old odors.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Check if there are some water outlets in the bathroom which remain unused. If yes, then pour some water in those drains, the bottle trap of the outlet will get filled with water & block the entry of smell; coming from the gutter (sewerage), through the water drains, the bathroom. In most of the case the smell is coming from the water drains. Further, if this doesn't help then may be a drains elbow (also called as trap) may have broken, due to which the water is not logging in the outlet trap. To check it, take a torch & open the lid of the water outlets & check if the little bit water logging at the bottom. If there is no water, probably your trap is leaking or broken. Or possible there is no trap (on 1st floor some people dont install traps). If there is a trap & the water is not logging then, you can apply a thin coating of White cement in that trap (do it carefully the cement may not block the drain). Incase there is some leakage in the trap, you need to fix it fast or else it risky to the construction (roof) as the constant water seepage may cause some construction damage to the roof.
You can also check the leakage by viewing the ceiling downstairs, under & AROUND the bathroom floor. If you see the some ceiling paint dislodging then sure there is leakage happening.

Answer 3

That can be caused by a compromised wax seal. If your handy you can pull the toilet up and replace it. If not call a plumber.

Answer 4

riss is onto something.....u could also haVE A BROKE OR CRACKED DRAIN....ANIMALS COULD HAVE MADE A NEST IN THE FLOOR.....BUT YOU DON'T KNOW UNTILL YOU TEAR UPNTHE FLOOR AND OR WALLS.....IF THIRE IS A PLUGGED AIR VENT....THE TOILET WILL NOT DRAIN PROPERLY OR AIR VENT ANY SMELLY GASSES

Answer 5

sewage seeped into and stayed in the floor.replace the floor

Answer 6

stop eating food that gives you nasty shits