For the last several months I have been dealing with a very strange musty/musky smell in my bathroom.

It does not smell like sewer, and I have had the sewer lines in front of my house checked and they are fine. I have also had a new wax seal and had new "guts" installed on the toilet in the bathroom (due to a running toilet).

The smell never really goes away, but does lessen in intensity when my husband takes a shower (the bathroom is used on a daily basis), the exhaust fan is running, or when it rains.

We have a slab house, and are on county water and sewer. There are no visible signs of mold or mildew anywhere in the bathroom. I do not believe it's a dead rat/animal because I KNOW what that smells like (we had a rat problem several months ago and after vigorous use of traps, we were declared rat free). Coincidently, the rat problem and the mystery odor seemed to start at the same time, but again, this is not a dead animal smell.

I have tried all kinds of drain cleaners in the sink and the tub (I feel like it's coming from the tub- it seems more concentrated there), and just about every kind of air fresher and odor eliminator out there.

I'm at my wits end here. When the bathroom door is open, I can be across the house and smell the musty/musky odor.

Anybody have ANY ideas as to what I need to do here?

Thanks in advance

Truthfully it sounds like you have a mold smell. It can be hiding behind the walls. You might want to seek out a professional in your area and see if that is a problem for you. Mold is nothing to mess around with and some of it can kill you.


Here are some links that might help you.

Ref:

What does mold smell like?

CDC - Mold - General Information - Facts About Mold and Dampness

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Originally Posted by califdadof3

Truthfully it sounds like you have a mold smell. It can be hiding behind the walls. You might want to seek out a professional in your area and see if that is a problem for you. Mold is nothing to mess around with and some of it can kill you.

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I know it sounds strange, but it ALMOST smells kind of sweet when you first walk into the room... for about 5 seconds... and then yuck

How old is your house? Is it possible that you have a drum trap for the tub that needs a new cover? Even if it does turn out to be this simple I would suggest you heed the advise about a mold expert!

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Originally Posted by CHayn

how old is your house? Is it possible that you have a drum trap for the tub that needs a new cover? Even if it does turn out to be this simple I would suggest you heed the advise about a mold expert!

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Our house is about 15 years old. I do not think it is mold. There is no sign of leaking anywhere (and this doesn't smell like mold- I know what that smells like- my in-laws had a bad case in their bathroom).