How and why does lighting a match work after you've created a stink in the bathroom?

Question

I don't know why this works, but it's better than everything else! How does it work?

Answer 1

The fire will burn some of the offensive air, and the sulfur smell will overpower the rest. You're right. It's old tech but nothing works better.

Answer 2

Methane gas will get burned by the match, but it is odorless by itself. There are other compounds in the flatulence that cause the smell. This website shows results from an experiment that shows the match doesn't work to kill the smell:
http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2006/03/franklins_kite_flatulence.html
(It's the last one at the bottom of the page.)
Perhaps the other answerers are right: the smell of the burning match (sulfur and phosphorus, if I remember correctly) masks the smell of the flatulence.)

Answer 3

The burning smoking match stick overpowers the BM smell.

Answer 4

The flame absorbs the methane gas you left behind, which caused the stink.

Answer 5

Because the flame feeds on oxygen.... and the methane thats lingering in there gets sucked in as well? I'm not ganna try it. Knowing my luck i'll blow the bathroom up!

"You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"

Answer 6

I think it has something to do with the sulfur in the match head. Neutralizes the smell I guess.

Answer 7

Actually, hate to disappoint you but it doesn't really work. The match smells of burning sulfur or whatever, but the bathroom smell is still there underneath it.

Answer 8

The sulphur masks the smell.

Answer 9

The gas is burned away by the flame.

Answer 10

I don't know how or why - I didn't even know that it did. I'm going to try it out next time my son's been in there. Thanks for the tip.