Does your bathroom smell like urine whenever you take a shower? Urine smells can sometimes be an issue in your bathroom when someone pees in the shower, and the urine is washed down the drain. Many people often assume the urine and odor will quickly wash away, but that isn’t often the case.
You may still notice a lingering urine smell that makes your shower experience very unpleasant. So, it’s always best to avoid the urge to urinate in the shower and train your kids and family members to do the same.
And in case your bathroom smells like urine after a shower, you can get rid of the odor in your shower drain by thoroughly cleaning it with strong cleaning and deodorizing ingredients.
What Causes Bathrooms to Smell Like Urine After Shower?
Here are the most common reasons your bathroom might smell like urine after a shower:
1. Dry Drain Traps
If you have no idea about the source of the urine smell, inspect the drain plumbing, as the floor traps at every fixture should keep odors from entering the room. Ensure that all drains, especially floor drains not used regularly, are occasionally cleaned by running water through them. This keeps the traps filled with water, ensuring no odors seep back to the house.
2. Accidental Urine Splashes On the Bathroom Floor
Consider always sitting on your toilet seat, even when peeing, to ensure the urine does not splash on the bathroom floor. As odd as it might sound, many men who urinate standing up often have a “sprinkler effect” where urine droplets separate from the pee stream and splash on the bathroom floor. A “splashing effect” can also occur when the urine strikes the toilet water.
Fortunately, this scenario is less likely with modern, deep toilet systems. So, while males may not see the droplets separating from their pee stream, it’s still possible.
Consider cleaning your carpet and see if males in your family can sit down to pee. Also, lift up the carpet to check for stains that may be stuck underneath the carpet pad or subfloor.
3. Poor Cleaning Regimen
Some homeowners aren’t keen to clean/scrub their toilets weekly. It is just not their thing to do it every week. Try cleaning your bathroom once or twice a week if you have people in your home that don’t like to clean the toilet.
The easiest way to eliminate foul odor in the bathroom is to clean it with toilet bowl cleaner every time (also under the RIM). Change the chemical cleaner every other week if one doesn’t work, but don’t mix chemicals.
4. Kids Peeing On Bathroom Walls and Floors
Kids are curious beings, and it’s not uncommon to find them peeing on the shower and bathroom walls. Wash the walls and windows and see if that’s the case. Are warm air ducts under the toilet allowing warm air to circulate? Maybe your child pees in them just to have fun.
Lift the toilet lid and have a look. You might even find a grill that is completely covered with pee spray. Thoroughly clean the entire bathroom, including those tiny crevices, to eliminate the urine odor.
5. Broken Seal
If there is a bad seal or nothing under the toilet, urine smells could seep back from the toilet outlet. There should be a ring that covers the toilet seat to keep the air and water in the sewer system out of your house.
If you get a strong smell every time you flush the toilet, it means that the toilet cleaner did not solve the issue. It’s often occasioned by a cheap foam ring that’s not wide enough to fill the gap between the toilet bowl and the floor. Since it is not wide enough, air from the sewer system passes through it every time you flush the toilet. Strangely, you may never notice any water leaks on the bathroom floor.
If it is not leaking, you can easily check it by pulling up on the toilet and looking under it to see what is under there. You can get better wax rings by buying two kinds of wax rings: a normal wax ring and an extra thick wax ring.
Always keep off cheap-looking foam rings on the toilet seats because they cost more to maintain. If you put the right wax in the hole, it will come out fine and have a good seal on your toilet.
6. Damaged Vent Stack
The possibility that the vent stack for your bathroom is broken is minimal. Always work with an experienced plumber to install your toilet and have a city inspector review the work before signing off on it.
There should be a clear path from the stack in the wall behind the toilet up to the roof. Take a quick look at each roof vent (the little chimney that sticks out from behind the shingles) and see if you can see it. It might be that a bird nest or some other dead animal has plugged the vent hole in the roof.
How to Get Rid Of Urine Smell In The Bathroom
It is disgusting to think about (and also to write and read about) the smell urine can create in a bathroom. We may talk about how to clean up after our pets all day, but when it comes to human pee, we kind of freak out. But knowing where that horrible, smelly odor that sticks in your nose is coming from is the first step to conquering it.
Because it’s extremely uncomfortable to talk about it, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be discussed. Because, let’s face it, urine smells really awful.
If you and I are here today, then getting rid of that pungent smell of urine in your bathroom has become our goal, as it should be. You want your bathroom to be a place where you can comfortably do things like singing embarrassingly while you’re in the shower. And you shouldn’t have to worry that your guests will find offensive smells from the toilet.
We’ll help you have a bathroom that looks great and smells great. So, without further ado, here are some proven ways to get rid of urine smells in bathrooms:
Fix Where the Urine Smell is Coming From
First things first! If your toilet is really dirty, then the area around it will make it smell bad. If you are not cleaning these areas, you will have to call an emergency cleaner to take care of them.
You may also want to sprinkle tinkle all over your toilet. It is possible that your urine smells musty from areas you have neglected during your bathroom clean-up, such as:
- That area above the toilet seat and below the tank
- Toilet seat hinge caps
- Toilet seat lid
- Bidet attachment
Also, check the things that live next to your toilet because sometimes kids and men might miss their mark. Clean the following areas as well:
- Stools
- Garbage cans
- Rugs, bath mats, as well as decorative towels
- Extra rolls of toilet paper
- Shelving units
- Caddies full o’ stuff
- Plunger and toilet scrubber brush
What if you’ve cleaned everything, and the bathroom still smells like pee? Where could the odor be coming from? Plumbing is often the next culprit for enduring urine odors. The smell may become trapped within the wax toilet bowl gasket.
This fixture can wear out after a few years and should be replaced. You may need to call a professional plumber to help out in this case.
Deep Clean the Toilet
Clean everything inside and out of your toilet from top to bottom. Clean the toilets with a specialized cleaning product or use dish soap and warm water.
This step is way more involved than just cleaning the toilet, but you can easily get into the nooks and crannies of your toilet by using a toothbrush if you really need to. Remove the seat completely to clean the hinges on your toilet.
Use a store-bought cleaner that you can buy in stores and scrub the inside of the toilet really well. Be sure to scrub down and over the entire top of the toilet to get under the trim on the edge of the toilet.
It is important to use something extremely strong and contains bleach. Be sure to open all the windows and turn on a fan to allow for maximum airflow when you use strong cleaning products.
Finish by sanitizing your throne and shower. A product like Microban Bathroom Cleaner keeps your surfaces clean for up to 24 hours after cleaning them. It also reduces odor. You might also want to do a final cleaning on the outside of the toilet with a product like this one, like putting the cherry on top of a cake.
Clean Items Around the Toilet
Clean all items near the toilet, like the cabinets, stools, garbage cans, etc. Launder and dry your bath mats and rugs, and wipe down the walls surrounding the toilet.
There is a good chance that urine smells may be lingering on the floor near your toilet. Clear the floors first. Sweep or use a Swiffer to clean under the rugs or carpets.
You might want to get down on your hands and knees and soak a wet, soapy rag in the caulk between your floor and the toilet. Make sure to clean up any soapy residue that you have left by using a clean, wet rag.
Deep Clean Drains
This is easier than it sounds, but trust us — it really works. And if the smell is coming from your drain, clear up any hair that is trapped in the drain catcher. If this is the culprit, flush the drain with hot water and dish soap. Use a good de-clogger to get stuff out of your drain. Follow the directions on the product label for excellent results!
Keep the Bathroom Smelling Fresh
Keep your bathrooms clean by doing daily wipe-downs and weekly deep cleans. You can use a product called Febreze Small Spaces to prevent unpleasant odors from lingering for up to 45 days. We love these products; they smell like fresh fruit and ensure there is no trace of urine.
It’s also important to flush a bowl of water near the toilet every week to prevent odors from escaping. We’ve got a couple more great ways to make your bathroom smell nice for a relaxing bath time—if you like that.
Wrapping this Up!
Now you don’t have to actively threaten your partner, roommates, or children by leaving them a note on a mirror saying, DO NOT PEE ON THE FLOO! You’ve got the tools and knowledge to help freshen up your bathroom and toilet, and you can finally get rid of that disgusting urine smell from your precious, sacred bathroom.
It will allow you to go back to using your water flosser, applying a nice mouthwash, and washing your teeth, all in peace, without worrying about that subtle smell of pee disturbing your peace.
It’s very important that you have a good routine for cleaning your bathroom. It should involve regular deep cleanings and cleaning the toilet thoroughly every week.
Pay attention to the tiny spaces under the toilet seat and between the tiles. You never know where that pee will hide. Clean those places with soap and water and possibly some disinfectant.
