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Cincinnatus · Sep 20, 2009, 12:20 PM

Hi, I am dealing with a mildew problem in the downstairs bathroom near my fourier. At first it was unclear where the mildew smell was coming from. It was very strong and my kids refused to use that bathroom.

The first thing we tried was to remove the sink. It was 30 years old, and rusted and we wanted rid of it anyway. We removed it along with the vanity top and put them both in the trash. The smell remained strong.

We then found that the toilet tank was leaking. The bolts were corroded and that was the source of the problem. Just how long it had been leaking is unknown. Probably dripping on and off for a couple months. We removed the tank and cleaned it thoughouly but we did not reinstall it because the smell in the bathroom was still not great. Better, but not great.

We wiped down the ceramic tile floor, the toilet base and the wood sink cabinet with hydrogen peroxide. Still, the smell was not gone. Strangely, running a fan on the area made the smell worse.

Do we need to rip out the cabinet and the tile floor? Because that is just about all that is left that can be done. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cincinnatus

hkstroud · Sep 20, 2009, 01:04 PM

Did you block the drain pipe?

mygirlsdad77 · Sep 20, 2009, 04:11 PM

Do you see any signs of mold(rotted wood, or sheetrock). Did you remove just the toilet tank, or the complete toilet. If just he tank, remove the bowl too. Then plug the drain as Harold suggested. You may have a bad wax ring(toilet seal) causing this smell. If after plugging the toilet drain pipe the smell goes away, then you can reinstall the toilet(or a new one) with a new wax ring and new closet bolts and you should be set. Please let us know if blocking the toilet drain works. Lee.

Cincinnatus · Sep 30, 2009, 08:06 AM

Hi. Thanks for working with us on this problem. Here is a progress report. Since the smell continued we wanted to be thorough so we removed the sink cabinet. We found that it had absorbed quite a bit of water. We put it in the garage to let it air out. It actually does not smell bad at all. But the bathroom still smelled. We decided to remove the ceramic tile. It was painful but we had always hated that tile anyway so we weren't sorry to see it go. So now the only things left in this bathroom are the toilet bowl and the plywood floor. There is no evidence of any water damage, mold or even mildew on the floor. But the room smells horrible. We figure it must be coming from the toilet. I covered the back of the toilet with plastic to keep anything from falling down the hole. But we have to wait until my husband gets a day off work before we can pull the bowl up and get to the wax seal. That has got to be the problem. I will let you know when we get there.

mygirlsdad77 · Sep 30, 2009, 03:25 PM

Yes, please let us know. Lee.

ballengerb1 · Sep 30, 2009, 03:57 PM

That water went somewhere, the toilet leaked for some time and all the water soaked into some part of the room, if not the floor then into the wall baseboards. Hydrogen is great for cleaning an infected wound but not a bath. Many folks will says bleach works and it does to a certain extent. I would go to a home center and buy a mildewcide removing kit sold near their paint department. This mold is no longer on the surface and needs remediation, not wiping down. The cabinet might be better off in the dumpster and do a whole room remodel

Cincinnatus · Oct 3, 2009, 07:36 AM

Thanks for sticking with me guys. Here is the latest. We pulled up the toilet bowl yesterday. The wax seal was pretty moldy and gross. The floor was still wet under the toilet. Not damaged but wet. The smell was unbearable at times. We took the toilet outside in the yard and cleaned it thoroughly with Tilex. I also scrubbed up the white ring that formerly connected to the wax seal. It was glued to the pipe so we couldn't remove it. The room smells 95 percent better but there is still that 5 percent smell. There is nothing left in the room now but the plywood floor. The plan is to go to the hardware store and buy a mildewcide of some kind to treat the floor and walls before we proceed putting down the cement board and new tile and repaint. Does anyone have any suggestions on a type of mildewcide? Will any mildewcide do? Should I look for a fogger? We plan on doing this today so please answer soon!

mygirlsdad77 · Oct 3, 2009, 11:12 AM

Sounds like you found the culprit. Did you make sure to plug the toilet flange/pipe after removing the toilet? IF not, that's were your 5% smell is coming from, its sewer gas coming up through the hole. Plug it off while toilet is off, let the room air for a day and let us know if it smells like new. Lee.