Dealing with Persistent Bathroom Odors

My bathroom drainage system is just bad. Sometimes it smells like the sewer out of nowhere. You can smell someone's normal poop after they go. It gets worse with ileostomy. Siblings and parents keep complaining, and I am already wiping the toilet with wet tissue after every emptying and spraying a crap ton of room spray, and they keep complaining. I feel like this is not a me problem; it's the bathroom problem, but I keep getting embarrassed and shamed. Any tips? 🫠

The best thing would be to get the drain repaired. Room spray only lasts for 5 minutes.

Would have done this years ago, but the house drain system is beyond repair. It was a flaw when it was built, sadly.

If it were me and I couldn't get it fixed, I would move.

IGGIE

Hi haibahafifah, my home bathrooms have very strong, efficient exhaust fans that eliminate any odor in about fifteen minutes. When I'm away from home, I use M9 drops by Hollister that eliminate odor almost all of the time. I'm not embarrassed to use a public or friend's bathroom anymore.

My Ostomy Journey: Jearlean | Hollister

I would love it if this were an option too!

This is why I'm struggling too; Indonesia doesn't seem to distribute ostomy deodorizer. I knew this would happen, and I tried searching for it and gave up. I really wouldn't mind if they just stopped complaining three times a day because I can't do anything about it, and it's not really my fault!

Do you use M9 after every empty, and how much do you put in the bag? I hear about it all the time, but I have never used it.

Regards, IGGIE

Of course, it's not your fault, and I understand your struggle; I've been there. Other members on here have suggested using a pinch of baking soda in their bag to reduce odor. It's worth a try.

Morning, Iggie. I only use M9 when away from home, and I use it every time. They suggest using up to 12 drops each time, but I just give the travel-size bottle a good squeeze.

Haibahafifah, could you empty it into a scented bag, close the top, and throw it in the trash, avoiding the bathroom drainage system completely?

You can also try singing Tic Tacs, the little mint sweets. They have been tried by a few in this group.

Hi all, what I do when I have bad odors is light a candle, especially after a food like fish or chili.

Yeah, like was said before, try M9 drops. And look into getting the bathroom fixed. Also, point out that other people's shit doesn't smell like roses either.

The scented bag sounds doable. I'll look into if we have it here. I'll try the baking soda too. Thank you!

Gotcha will buy Tic Tacs if baking soda doesn't work!

All great suggestions from our members. Tried and true experience here means a lot when stuck on an issue.

A hack I learned, which might show immediate results, is to flush as you empty.

It's a one-step process you can try next dump.

Might be awkward at first, but think about the gravity pulling everything through the drain with no residual smell.

All in one step. One flush. If you don't need two hands to handle your bag at output, keep the other on the lever to flush.

And away goes trouble down the drain.

If all else fails...give family clothes pins to wear. Or nose plugs.

Candles are better than these automatic and plug-in air fresheners. I bought them all. Nothing beats a candle if no small children are around.

Treating the bag is the next best thing. Although you say you searched and didn't find anything.

Search again.

M9 for me is the best.

Tick Tacs need to be crushed to work effectively.

Baking soda I hear is the cheapest and most effective way to go.

You have many options and suggestions now.

We all went through this.

We know what works and what doesn't.

Please comment with your experience for others to learn these tricks and hacks.

Fun times!

If the house plumbing is bad, there's not much you can do if it can't be fixed or you don't want to fix it. The gases (smell) are going to come back up from the pipes. If there's a window in the bathroom, you can open it or use an exhaust fan, but that'll only help as long as the fan is on or the window is open.

Is Lysol disinfecting spray available in your area? Works very well to neutralize odors, not just cover them up. Maybe try tossing on a little baking soda before flushing.

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Is the sewer smell coming from the toilet, or from the sink or shower drains? When my bathroom gets that sewer smell, I pour a little bleach down the drains and do not run any water for 30 minutes to an hour. I also look to make sure there isn't a bunch of hair clinging to the stopper. If the smell is from your bag, I would try what everyone else suggested. I use a spray called Ozium, and it works wonders. Hope this helps. 👍🏻

Good answer!!! Reminds me of an old saying when I was a kid. We used to say… “skunk smells its own stink!” 🦨🦨🦨

Bag smells; we may be able to deodorize—poor sewage systems will take a whole different fix! Family members take a whole different fix as well… perhaps a very large dose of empathy! jb

I have also found Pine-Sol or some cleaning fluid as a pretreat in the toilet, and post helps. But yeah, a drain that's compromised is a bad situation for dumping chemicals in.

Something will work.

Odor is caused by the food you eat. Onion and garlic? P.U., call the EPA!! Adding deodorizer helps with the odor. I found M6 works best. When you sit on the throne, put some TP in front of the bowl. It catches the splash. All pouches work a bit differently; experiment. Option: Buy or build an emptying device. Many models to choose from. I invented one two years ago. I used it while hiking the Continental Divide, often many miles from a toilet. I posted it with info on Iggy's and Henry's page. Twist the end and tie off. Drop it into the doggy park barrel or trash.

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Truly understand! Even pre-ileostomy, our hall bath w/shower had a very strong sewer odor. We figured out that it was the drain trap drying out due to infrequent use. A regimen of pouring a quart of water in the drain followed by a dose of ZEP Drain Care (an enzyme product) fixed the problem. I do this every two or three weeks now and have had no further issues. You could try this at every drain, but if you believe your drains are faulty, you truly have no choice but to deal with it. It may be a costly repair, but it only gets worse when you have sewage spilling into your home.

With the ileostomy odors, my husband noticed it in our master bath where natural ventilation does not exist. We already had an oversized exhaust fan to handle the moisture issue, and I let it run for about 15 minutes after my visit. Then a good spray with Ozium Deodorizer. Things improved. Adding M9 drops at every empty knocked the rest out.

Hello, a friend with an ileostomy told me about Devrom tablets, sold on Amazon. They help eliminate odor and have a nice banana flavor. Try them out—hope they help!

G-Day EA,

Do you mean to take the tablet or to put down the drain? If the drain, I hope you meant Aroma and not Flavor.

Regards, IGGIE

Thank you for all the tips. I will be trying them one by one!

I get that everyone recommends I get deodorizer, but it is truly not available in Indonesia. I have asked 10 different shops and dived into various websites; they just don't distribute them here, and for the time being, it won't be an option!

If you are using your sink to rinse your bag out, you may want to pour Javex and water down the overflow. I had to do that as stuff seems to get into the overflow, and it's not great. Every time I use the sink, I put plain water down the overflow, and every few days I use Javex, and it has really helped. As for your toilet, the wax ring may need to be replaced as the seal may be broken. If nobody in the family is handy, you'll need a plumber. I have an exhaust fan in my bathroom, which helps too. If you don't have one, a small fan facing outside in the window might help. I know you feel like this problem is your fault, but it's more a design flaw in the bathroom that can be addressed.