How to REALLY get rid of boy smell in the bathroom-from a mom of 3 boys who has tried and tested every solution out there for getting rid of urine smell in bathrooms!!
I’ve been wanting to write this post for quite some time but kept putting it off because, well, it’s just not a “pretty” thing to talk about. If you search Pinterest for tips for this situation you’ll find tons of articles and I have tried them all over the years. One solution in particular that has been pinned a lot didn’t do a thing for my boy’s bathroom-then I realized the author had only daughters! How could she possibly truly understand the full extent of little boy nastiness that can occur??? Today I’m here to tell you that as the mother of three young boys (all under 9) that this is how to really get rid of boy smell in the bathroom!
First off, I didn’t take a ton of pictures for this post-I’m not filling my blog with toilet pictures, it’s icky. Second, this is not one of my natural cleaning posts. I’ve tried four hundred different combinations of baking soda and essential oils and they did NOTHING to get rid of the pee smell in my boy bathroom. I had to pull out the big guns to get the job done.
Is your grout sealed?
It’s important to know if your grout is sealed-it will make a big difference in how much your bathroom retains the stinkiness and how difficult it will be to clean. I gave a full tutorial for how to refresh and seal grout when we were at our last house-you can find it here. If your grout is not sealed I highly recommend you seal it after a thorough cleaning to help make cleaning easier in the future.
Start at the top
Now for the cleaning-I recommend bleach-I use this cleaning spray. Start at the top of the toilet and wipe it down with (thick) paper towels. Don’t just pay attention to the obviously soiled areas-believe me when I tell you that there is a fine layer of miscrospray over the entire area. I know. It’s gross. But it’s true and if you don’t get every inch of the porcelain you can’t expect for it to really be clean.
As you make your way down the toilet be sure to wipe around the area where the toilet seat attaches to the bowl and then wipe down the sides of the toilet bowl exterior and all around the bolts at the bottom-this is a huge problem area for my little guys. I also use the bleach on the tile about a foot out from the toilet base as well.
The Secret Weapon
Now for the secret weapon to get those hard spots-this gel bleach pen is the bomb. Lift the toilet seats-you’ll see some small bolts that attach the lid to the bowl-this is another secret space that urine can accumulate and cause that yucky smell. It’s tiny so it’s hard to clean but I apply a little of this bleach gel to the area, let it sit a few minutes then use a Q-tip to wipe it out. (Prepare for nastiness when you do this-it’s gross as can be!) I also use this bleach gel on the caulk around the base of the toilet. Again, let it sit then wipe up with paper towels (I never use sponges on the toilet cleaning-it grosses me out!)
The Finishing Touches
Finally I clean the bathroom floors with my steam mop because the high steam temperature really helps get the area clean and removes any bleach residue that might be left.
Okay, there you have it-my essay on cleaning boy pee-pee bathrooms. I promise to be back to more appealing subjects tomorrow!!
Anybody have anything to add? I’d love to hear your tips on what has or hasn’t worked for you!
You might also like my kid’s bedroom cleaning checklist, kid’s bathroom cleaning checklist or all of my cleaning tips and tricks!
Ashley says
Do you recommend this same method for waterproof laminate floors? We can’t use a steam mop on our floors but I think I can use bleach…I’m just worried my laminate might be harder to get the smell out of, I do keep rugs in front of the toilet so maybe that will help.
I have done everything possible to teach my 3 boys (all under age 9) how to properly use the toilet but they are so dang busy all the time and worried they will miss something that when they go pee they just hurry as fast as possible. I think I will do the black light and show them how disgusting it really is, even after I clean.
And I will make the sit from now on, I did that when I first potty trained but it sounds like I need to go back to that!
Melissa Riker says
I honestly haven’t had any experience with it Ashley. I would think it would be fine but you may want to test it in an inconspicuous spot first or see if the manufacturer has any guidelines. Sorry not to be of more help!
Evelyn says
I was a better parent than most then, because a good mother teaches her boys to sit down on a toilet and stand ONLY at a urinal. As per their design. That is how keep from it being there to have to clean it the first place. Anyone who questions those designs, well, have your son or hubby pee with nothing but a blacklight on. It literally goes everywhere!! Even coats toothbrushes! Standing at a toilet to pee is barbaric and super gross.When a male pee’s standing at a toilet, it is far more that the toilet getting coated with urine. Mothers, teach your boys right. Yuk!!!
Carrie says
The black light is the best way to find urine splash; walls, flooring, and of course, on every toilet surface. Bleach is great, but I accidentally discovered something even easier. Lysol Spray. Used with paper towels and a toothbrush if needed, you’re good to go.
Kim says
I put white towels on the floor. I spray the entire bathroom down with bleach and scrub. Next I rinse with hot soapy water and put the towels in a trash bag and I am done. I also put towels inside the shower, so that I don’t slip while cleaning inside there.
Stephan says
As a middle aged man raised in Europe I have to tell you I can’t believe American men still stand over their toilet seat to pee. It was proven that urine splashes up to six feet away from the bowl when used that way. It is disgusting. Teach your husband and boys to bloody sit down. It is a toilet SEAT, not an urinal.
Kate says
Oops! That’s Dad who, and discreetly- my bad.
Kate says
For the gent stench, I find straggle hairs (your boys are too young yet – but even you’re own or pets’) exacerbate the problem. I keep a second brush attachment for my vacuum and use that before the deep clean and by itself between -prevents a vehicle for gunk to stick to. Thanks for the gel pen tip – it’s working a treat! As for the speedy clean, be sure your entrance (the first place they see) is clean; the few minutes spent on a window/doorknob wipe and shaking out the welcome mat go a long way to setting the tone of the first impression. Cap it with a clean and FRESH-smelling bathroom (a later boost to the impression should it be waning…).Thanks to all y’all for sharing. To the Dad whom remembers the ‘if you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie’ I say ‘good on yer’ and make in my house wipes available discretely that can be used for both body (no harsh chemicals) and bath fixtures (no lotion) and are flushable.
Denise says
On a side note… My best friend lives in Sweden and is an Urologist. She told me they have done studies that show males should pee in the sitting position at least once a day to totally empty there bladder. When they stand a little “old” urine always remains and can lead to cancer.
Bob says
There’s another way to deal with this problem. I am a dad who taught his son the meaning of respect for all things. So, since he and I share the same type of “equipment,” I tried to impress upon him that he needs to take care when he relieves himself. If we make a mess, as will sometimes happen, we are responsible to clean it the best that we can. No punishment, just personal responsibility. Just sayin’
L.McFarland says
I spray the entire toilet with diluted detol and finish with a hand held steam cleaner. No scrubbing!! This gets in all the crevices and sanitizes. I also encourage sitting.
Melissa says
I’ll have to try that!! Thanks! ~Melissa
Melanie M. Santiago says
Thank you for the tips, I almost lost hope on that! I only have one boy at home and clean the half bathroom where he likes to pee everyday, but the smell is still disgusting! I will try clorox and teach him to sit instead.
Suzanne says
I encourage my son and husband to sit down and go. Even with proper aim, the force of urine from standing creates a spray effect that lands everywhere-even on the wall next to the toilet. When I do heavy-duty cleaning of the toilets, I remove the lids and bolts and clean all with soapy, bleach water. I believe the Japanese encourage their boys to sit and pee in the absence of urinals. It really is cleaner and prevents the smell. Standing and peeing is for the outdoors;)
Melissa says
Yes-I’ve definitely noticed that as well Suzanne!
Rachel says
I also use clorox to clean my boys bathroom. I also use it to kill the germs my oldest brings home from school. He uses paper towels for his hands instead of a hand towel. That way I don’t have to wash the hand towel all the time and instead of him using toilet paper he uses those flushable wipes. His bathroom seems to stay cleaner.
Diana says
My husband taught my son (when he was little) to sit on the toilette- though only at home. Never had the problems u guys are describing!
Chris says
This is a great site. My solution to make the toilet easier to clean was a more expensive one piece toilet which has the tank connected to the base.and only the seat is separate . Anyone might think this is an expensive item, except to me 20 years of not having to clean the space between the tank and the seat still makes me smile.
Melissa says
Oh wow, I’ve never heard of those-I’ll have to look them up-thanks for the tip!! ~Melissa
Martha says
There are several toilet seats available that can lift off for cleaning!!!! I can’t tell you how elated I was to learned of these. Only a mother o boys can appreciate such a thing, I just lift the caps and remove the seat, wipe with bleach and the thick paper towels, reattach the seats and boy bathroom heaven.
Melissa says
Oh I need to find those when we move out of this rental Martha! Anything that would improve the situation!!
Kathy says
I moved into a house with a lingering urine smell around the toilet, I missed the area walls included with urine be gone an enzyme based spray problem solved
Gail says
Sometimes when nothing seems to work, it may be from an old, dry, cracked, wax ring that is causing a slow leak under the toilet. That means, removing the entire toilet from the floor and replacing the wax ring.
Melissa says
good tip Gail, thank you!
Heather says
Ewwww, old wax rings can be quite nasty. Good advice tho.
The wax ring is basically a gasket, sometimes toilets get pushed over a teeny bit by repeated use and/or by heavier people. Even a little mis-alignment can cause leakage, and you can’t thoroughly clean this stickywax due to its nature.
Installing a new wax ring is a project but worth the hassle if your clean bathroom continues smelling like pee.
Jewelz says
Also a mom of 3 teenage boys, I have found you can’t stop at the floor. Most toilets are next to a shower tub or vanity. I once had a glass shower enclosure next to my boys toilet and wow…it really showed that little boy pee splatters afar. I sometimes think they have pee wars or pee in the dark of just plain have bad aim. But you have to spray down and wipe the surrounding walls. Also I remove my toilet seat every few months and clean all the pee out from under there. Many toilet seats have little flip covers that you can just pop it right off. While it’s off I stick it in the tub or shower and give it a really good wash down.
Missy Murphy says
As a Mama to 2 boys and now Mimi to 2 grandsons this is so true. I got a little nauseated ? reading your post because you do what I do ! The Q-tip deal is the worst but it works !! Your bathroom will smell wonderful ( for a little while !)
Now, how about helping with litter box for two old cats ???
Patty says
I am also the mother of three boys but mine are grown – 33 – 37 and 41. I had my husband empty our toilet of water and made an X at the back of the toilet. I told the boys to “aim” at the X. That worked for awhile and then it stopped. One day I exploded and I told them that if I had to clean the toilet like I usually did again – I would stop cleaning it. One of them asked if that wouldn’t be disgusting and I told him no because they were going to clean the toilet. I told them I didn’t care who did it but they would take turns cleaning the toilet. I never had a problem after that.
Melissa says
I recently got Clorox wipes for my boys for the same reason Patty. They have to clean it twice a week but eventually the smell will build up without a deep cleaning. The problem at our house is distractablity-I’ve heard having them aim for a cheerio can help too!