A smelly toilet is not something that anyone should have to put up with. Yet, it’s a problem that can afflict even very tidy homes! Bad musky odours can creep up on us, gradually getting worse without us really realising it. Then suddenly it becomes an embarrassment, an annoyance, and a potential source of conflict in an otherwise happy home.
But it’s all totally unnecessary. We shouldn’t have to worry about our toilets smelling and we can get rid of that smell coming from the toilet, with early preventative actions. Here are three simple steps to make sure that you are never embarrassed about the smell of your toilet again.
To avoid a smelly toilet you need to clean it regularly with a good toilet cleaner and maintain freshness in between cleans with a toilet rim block. For a reliable toilet cleaner chose from the Bref Total fragrance range. Ideal for regular use, these fresh-smelling cleaners will keep your bowl clean, shiny and limescale free. If your toilet bowl is really dirty, then once in a while, you may need something stronger. Use Bref 10x Effect, one of the toughest cleaners on the market, to get rid of dirt and limescale both above and below the water line.
Once your toilet is thoroughly clean, you want to keep it that way. So, in between cleans, make sure you also use a toilet rim block to keep your toilet constantly smelling fresh. Rim blocks work with every flush to ensure cleanliness and to release a pleasant deodourising fragrance into your loo. They get rid of urine smells and other smells and ensure hygiene standards are maintained.
Bref’s Power Aktiv rim block ensures maximum effectiveness with a quadruple process every time you flush. It fights dirt and cleans your toilet, it prevents the build-up of limescale and brown stains in your toilet pan, it ensures that your toilet is hygienic and germ-free, and it releases fragrance to create a fresh smell in your toilet and bathroom. All this adds up to a sparkling and fresh-smelling toilet bowl, with very little additional cleaning work required. If you’re the sort of person who might forget to do the weekly clean once in a while, the toilet rim block is an absolute essential.
It seems an obvious point, but fresh air is a pretty essential commodity. Sometimes smelly toilets are blamed, unfairly, when it is the room itself that is to blame. Decent ventilation and air movement is essential not just to odour relief, but especially to clearing damp and steam, which so quickly lead to mould if left to linger. Providing this ventilation can be as simple as raising awareness: Yes, if all the mirrors are steamed up you need to open the window! If there is no window to open, open the windows around the toilet – just to create some air movement. Otherwise you will get mould.
More fundamentally, installation of extractor fans can make a big difference to a poorly ventilated space – and are surprisingly easy to install (depending, of course on the exact nature of your space).
If there is absolutely no way to easily ventilate the room, then you could also consider purchasing a dehumidifier to combat the mould-inducing dampness. Even relatively cheap and small units can help a lot.
Once you’ve got the fundamentals right, (a well ventilated and sanitised toilet) then you’re ready for the final touches. Bring your toilet to life with natural herbs and flowers and create a real ambience, both visual and fragrant. Potpourri is the easiest way to do this. Maintenance free and quite powerful, potpourri gives a strong rich scent that covers any less-pleasant lingering odours.
In a similar vein, but different, you can experiment with more unusual bowls of dried herbs. Mint is a lovely and less usual fragrance that also keeps its potency for a long time and survives well in damper environments. Dried flowers make a lovely addition to any toilet, not just smelling but looking great too. Lavender, yarrow and thistles, all bunched up and hung off mirrors or curtain rails, bring a touch of countryside charm. Just beware that these pretty plants can get mouldy themselves, so do need to be regularly replaced.
If dried flowers aren’t your thing, then another way to naturally combat smelly toilets, is to create your own air freshener sprays. These are pretty simple to mix for yourself and many people prefer them to manufactured air sprays. Most recipes use essential oils mixed with alcohol and water. You can make them in as many flavours as you like and mix and match till you find your perfect deodourising scent.
There are many household problems that require our routine and thorough attention. Bad odours from your bathroom is not one of them. You will always need to dust, you will always need to hover, and you will always need to scrub, to keep your home respectable. But, when it comes to a smelly toilet, you don’t have to do anything but forget about it, providing you put these basic measures in place. Hygiene, ventilation and a sweet smelling natural fragrance. They all come in forms that require minimal or no maintenance. Just follow these three simple steps and never worry about a smelly toilet again.
Do I smell something? Stop worrying about your toilet. Follow our three simple steps and you’ll never ask this question again – You’ll know your toilet doesn’t smell.