Walking into a bathroom that stinks is unbearable.
You will want to run in the opposite direction but sometimes that’s impossible as a homeowner. With this in mind, you will have to find out why a bathroom smells like onions.
A bathroom can smell like onions due to hair, grease, and soap residue in the shower drain. Once this collects and mixes, it can leave a pungent smell that is hard to ignore. To fix the issue, remove the drain cover, use a screwdriver to loosen the debris, and soak the part with soap + vinegar. Wipe it with a paper towel or cloth before reinserting the cover.
This should fix the problem and get rid of the onion smell in your bathroom.
Here is a deeper look at what you have to do when a bathroom smells like onions all the time.
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How To Fix Bathroom That Smells Like Onions
1. Prepare Your Tools
Before doing anything else, you are going to get your tools ready for the DIY job.
In this case, you are going to need a specific set of tools to get rid of the onion smell in your bathroom. If you don’t do this, you are not going to see good results.
It’s best to start by preparing the tools the right way.
These include:
- Bucket of Soapy Water
- Screwdriver
- Cloth
- Kitchen Roll
- Old Paintbrush or Toothbrush
- Vinegar (Diluted)
Use these tools and you are going to see impressive results while cleaning the shower drain.
A bathroom that suddenly smells like onions is going to be unappealing. You will want to get rid of that smell as soon as possible, which is why these tools are useful.
Take the time to get the best tools for the job and then begin.
2. Pull The Drain Cover Off
You have to pull the drain cover off.
During this process, you have to look at how the drain cover is set up in your specific tub. This is going to vary for each model and it’s best to loosen it gently.
You don’t want to tug hard and damage the cover.
Once you do this, it will reveal the drain piece inside. You will want to take this out and see what is wedged into that part of the drain (i.e. hair, debris).
Start wiping away the outside of the part and drain cover. This will begin the cleaning process before you dig deeper to get rid of the smelly debris in your bathroom drain.
3. Use Screwdriver To Loosen Debris
When a bathroom smells like garlic or onions, you have to get rid of the debris properly.
This means using a screwdriver to loosen the debris and getting all of the gunk out at once. This can also include using paper towels to begin wiping the inside of the drain too.
Just get as much out as possible.
By doing this, you are going to remove all of the residue that has gotten stuck inside the shower drain. Until you do this, the smell is not going to go away at all.
Take your time and do this as patiently as you can for maximum results.
4. Wipe Drain Cover With Soap + Vinegar
The last step is to now take the paper towel and begin whipping the drain cover after it has been soaked in soapy water + diluted vinegar.
Vinegar is a powerful cleaning agent when used wisely.
Don’t hesitate in using it. If you drench the drain cover in this solution, it will get rid of excess bacteria that have settled on the surface of the part.
Let it sit in that mixture for at least 10-15 minutes.
Once you do this, take out the drain cover and surrounding parts to start wiping them with a paper towel. This will be more than enough to take care of the issue.
Final Thoughts
These are the reasons your bathroom smells like onions.
If a bathroom smells like onions, the most likely issue has to do with the shower drain. Hair, grease, and/or other debris can get jammed inside the drain. As this adds up over time, the smell will become increasingly pungent. To fix this issue, remove the drain cover, use a screwdriver to remove the debris, soak it in soap + diluted vinegar, and then reinstall it.
This should help get rid of the onion smell in your shower.
Make sure to be thorough during this process to see the results that you are hoping for.
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