# Dirty Mop Smell Near Toilet -- How To Fix? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762 "2012-11-03T15:14:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762/1 "2012-11-03T15:14:39Z")
The title pretty much says it all, but here are some more (gross?) details: This is NOT a “sewer” smell. The toilet TANK has visible mold within. We’ve tried combating that with drop-in-tank chlorine tablets, but they only seem to work for a few days, at most. No visible mold anywhere else around or in the toilet itself. No carpet to get wet, which might need to be pulled up – just nice, well-grouted tile on the floor and wall surrounds. How to eliminate this unpleasant odor? Help! ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762/2 "2012-11-04T13:15:45Z")
Is there a boy or man in the house who does not aim accurately? Urine will flow underneath the toilet where it cannot be cleaned. I would try cleaning where the toilet meets the floor as thoroughly as possible and then caulking it really thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762/3 "2012-11-04T14:06:04Z")
> [@Atomic\_Mama](#): > > The toilet TANK has visible mold within. We’ve tried combating that with drop-in-tank chlorine tablets, but they only seem to work for a few days, at most. For this problem I did the following - flush the toilet, then as the cistern is refilling empty a large bottle of white vinegar into the cistern (or stir it into a full cistern with a stick or something), leave overnight [or as long as you possibly can]. Flush, repeat. Depending on how bad the mould is (and mine was in an unused en-suite) you might need to do this several times. It might also help to empty the cistern and stop it refilling while you scrub the sides with a brush. I have also found that lemon juice (the type that comes in a bottle) added to a bucket of warm water for mopping the floor helps reduce smells. If someone is going and missing, then dusting the floor with bicarb of soda helps (sweep it up every day) YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762/4 "2012-11-04T14:26:03Z")
Forget the tablets, use liquid bleach. Kills mold, kills bacteria, kills odor. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762/5 "2012-11-05T01:49:49Z")
Bleach does not kill mold. [http://www.normi.org/articles/bleach-mold.php](http://www.normi.org/articles/bleach-mold.php) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762/6 "2012-11-05T04:24:17Z")
> [@Zulema](#): > > Bleach does not kill mold. > > [http://www.normi.org/articles/bleach-mold.php](http://www.normi.org/articles/bleach-mold.php) Yes, it certainly does, particularly on a non-porous surface like porcelain or glazed bathroom tile. Your link is targeting roof mold, which is a whole other problem, as are surfaces like wood or sheetrock. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-mop-smell-near-toilet-how-to-fix/639762/7 "2012-11-05T15:33:59Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > Is there a boy or man in the house who does not aim accurately? Urine will flow underneath the toilet where it cannot be cleaned. I would try cleaning where the toilet meets the floor as thoroughly as possible and then caulking it really thoroughly. Don’t caulk around the base of the toilet. If there is a leak from the wax ring where the toilet meets the soil pipe, you want to know about it ASAP. You don’t want the leak being contained under a caulked-in toilet.