Stinky toilet. Yuck!

[KimProbable]

My upstairs toilet stinks and I'm not sure how to properly clean it to make the stink go away. When we moved in last summer there was a bunch of dark stuff growing under the rim and while I've managed to scrub off most of it there's still some there. Is this what's making it stinky, and if so how in the heck do I get it off?

We only use it a few times a week and I usually squirt some Toilet Duck in it once a week or so. (The Toilet Duck, by the way, was a purchase from before I switched to friendlier cleaners so I'm using up the bottle then I'm done with it.) I let it soak for a while then scrub it with a toilet brush. A few days later, though, the funky smell is back and it can sometimes be smelled from downstairs.

Suggestions?

[ErikaLeigh]

Turn off the water in it and sprinkle some BS in it.

Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then soak it down with a 50/50 Vinegar and Water mix and then scrub like heck with a toliet brush.

Should fix it right up.

[snv1492]

Is the smell a sewer smell, or is it some other funk?

[KimProbable]

Originally Posted by ErikaLeigh

Turn off the water in it and sprinkle some BS in it.

Let it sit for about 15 minutes and then soak it down with a 50/50 Vinegar and Water mix and then scrub like heck with a toliet brush.

Should fix it right up.

Thank you! I'll try this out today and I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by snv1492

Is the smell a sewer smell, or is it some other funk?

It's now sewer. It's like a musky/mouldy smell.

[Caneel]

Are you sure the smell is the toilet and not a sewer gas smell in the general area of the toilet?

I ask because we had the same problem. Turns out the trap in the bathroom was installed incorrectly and because we used that toilet infrequently, the trap would dry out and let sewer gas escape back into the bathroom.

[KimProbable]

Originally Posted by Caneel

Are you sure the smell is the toilet and not a sewer gas smell in the general area of the toilet?

I ask because we had the same problem. Turns out the trap in the bathroom was installed incorrectly and because we used that toilet infrequently, the trap would dry out and let sewer gas escape back into the bathroom.

I'm pretty certain it's the toilet as the smell is coming from the bowl.

[Naturalyst]

The black stuff you are describing as under the rim is probably mold. If you are adverse to bleach (as we are), a paste made of baking soda and vinegar should be rubbed under the rim until all the mold is scrubbed. Leave the paste for about an hour, then rinse with vinegar. Any remaining mold can give rise to more colonies, so you want to be sure to get rid of it.

[CarrieMF]

Does it flush properly? One of our toilets didn't & we had to replace it. It was our least used toilet(though still used daily). It has build up down where you can't clean & the smell was coming from that.