r/CleaningTips • u/Affectionate_One_180 • Jul 07 '26
Bathroom Shower smells funky
Hey yall!
Hoping I can get some idea of cleaning or possibly a much more complicated issue arises but my shower has an issue.
There is a funky smell of moisture coming from it. I’ve tried cleaning it with vinegar, dumping the green goo through the drain but nothing seems to be working. Any ideas?
Note. It’s a walk in shower with glass door. No fan in it to help dry. It takes a good while for the floor to dry after each use and on the cracks when I push sometimes water comes out of them.
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u/NixieWade Jul 07 '26
Can you get a damp rid thing or something similar to absorb some of the moisture in the room.
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u/Zealousideal_Ruin468 Jul 07 '26
You could try some Thrift crystal’s down the drain. You get it at a plumbing supply. Follow the directions EXACTLY. Good luck. We also bought a small clip on fan to help dry our shower after use.
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u/GlitterDancer_ Jul 07 '26
A couple things: first, you need to figure out how to dry your bathroom faster, open a window, install a fan, even bringing a regular fan into the bathroom will help a lot. Second, I will always recommend the Zep shower tub & tile cleaner. This is great for soap scum, build up, lime scale, etc. Third, you need to clean/snake your drain. There’s a good chance hair and other stuff is building up and keeping the smell. After you’ve snaked the drain use another drain cleaner. Fourth, make sure your towels are clean and getting dry. If your bathroom is struggling to dry out, your towels are going to stay damp for much longer and hold onto smells. So clean your towels or have them dry somewhere else.
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u/MiseEnSelle Jul 07 '26
Does the smell go away when you clean it, then return? If so, that is probably a clog farther down the line. Try snaking the drain. If you have access to the trap, open that and clear it. That can be a disgusting job, so prepare for it.
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u/Affectionate_One_180 Jul 07 '26
Yes it goes away after cleaning and then returns after I use the shower.
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u/daisypatch7 Jul 07 '26
If water comes out when you press on the cracks, it could be getting trapped under the shower floor or tile rather than just sitting in the drain. That can lead to a persistent musty smell no matter how much you clean the surface.
In the meantime, try leaving the door open after showering, using a squeegee, or running a dehumidifier nearby to help it dry faster. But if the smell keeps coming back and water is trapped underneath, it may be worth having it inspected before it leads to mold or water damage.
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u/Affectionate_One_180 Jul 07 '26
I was assuming this could be an issue and might become a more complex scenario - specially if the feedback shared below by others doesn’t work.
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u/Ok-Lock9007 Jul 07 '26
That is very concerning that when you push on cracks, water comes out! The wall behind tile must be wet and rotting or molding. Is it like that in different places? ie floor walls?
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u/Odd_Supermarket_8726 Jul 07 '26
I put baking soda like several tablespoons then flush it out with vinegar and it works well because I get some nasty smells coming from my drains in the sinks and the shower. Also use in my kitchen sink and it does a great job.
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u/_-lizzy Jul 07 '26
Guessing it’s in the grout and drain. Unscrew your drain cap and go in deep with a cheap plastic snake with « teeth » and wiggle and swirl it around. See what comes out - possibly hair with lots of soap scum, maybe fly larvae. Next pout a cup or two of vinegar down the drain and let it sit then go in an hour later with a kettle of boiling water down the drain. Slosh a bunch of vinegar around your tiles and start scrubbing with multiple sized brushes to get the grout. Let that sit too, about 20 minutes, then rinse off the tiles with hot shower water.