My 4-yr. old son doesn't always have perfect aim when going potty, so my bathroom constantly smells like pee. I have scrubbed the grout with a toothbrush and it still stinks. Anyone have a fool proof method? I don't want to use air fresheners to mask the smell -- I want it clean!! :)
I also have a 4yr old boy with bad aim! I have used a strong vinegar and water solution to clean well and now keep a spray bottle, filled with a vinegar and water solution, and paper towel behind the toilet. He is learning to clean up after himself and I follow up when needed! No more pee smell!!
Ask him to sit to go to the bathroom till he gets a little older and has better aim... doesn't get any more fool proof than that :)
The pee may actually be around the bottom of the toilet connected to the floor. Make sure it has a good grout around it. If not I would lift the toilet (turn off water) get some help. Clean it really well and then replace the toilet and put a really good grout seal around it..
If you have carpet in there.. pull it out.. and replace with tile. Also make sure you are wiping down the walls all around there.
If this continues, make him sit when he pees AND have him help you clean it all up.
My son is 4.
He aims well.
I have always told him "AIM for the hole in the toilet bowl." (ya know, the hole for where the toilet flushes).
And he does.
If he drips on the rim of the toilet, he wipes.
He wipes himself too.
Otherwise, they 'drip' on the floor.
Or, put a bath towel on the floor under the toilet?
So the flooring does not get, stink.
Grout, absorbs.
It is a porous material.
LOL we went through this with our son when he was three. Natures Miracle. In the pet section helps get pee smell out. Let it sit on the areas that he has hit over night. and then clean it up. Awesome stuff.
Chlorox Wipes, lysol..Yes, Vinegar too( forgot about that)!! good one girls!
Many have mentioned Nature's Miracle - i'll just add that any of the cleaners like that in the pet section work well. I buy whatever is cheapest .. look for ones that say to pour it on and keep it wet for 24 hours for the enzymes to break down the smell.
I keep some in the bathroom and just pour it around the bottom wherever the pee might land and let it seep into all the places the pee probably went, then let it just dry on its own.
After you do this once, you can get some grout sealer and seal better around the toilet too, because usually the smell is sticking around because it is seeping into places you can't get with your normal cleaning, but of course I haven't gotten around to that myself.
Natures miracle.
On another note me nephew is going to be having surgery because has an actual anatomical problem that effects his stream.
Vinegar is my go to cleaner for almost everything. Use vinegar and water to clean the floors, and toilet (inside and out). You can use a strong vinegar solution if necessary. I usually use 1 cup of vinegar mixed with 2 cups water when cleaning the toilet area. If it is really bad I would mix equal parts vinegar and water, but open a window because the smell is strong in small spaces.
We deal with this too with our 4 year-old boy...except it's not really bad aim, it's that he tries to swirl as he's going, or stand further back and see if he can still get it in the toilet. Oh yeah, lots of fun! So I keep a container of Clorox wipes handy (but out of reach). You might have to have someone also pull up the caulk around the base of the toilet and put down fresh caulk. And wipe down the toilet each time he goes - check under the seat, back of toilet, base/sides of toilet, and floor around the toilet. That should do the trick.
Keep using the potty training targets to help him improve his aim.
Show him how to clean up after himself and then watch him till you know he's got the hang of it.
Clean frequently using pet cleaning products which specifically help remove urine smells.
And when my son was that age and I was really frustrated with him, I told him if it's only pee he could use the bath tub on occasion if he rinsed it out as soon as he was finished.
My 5 year old is not perfect at aiming either but he's getting better. We taught him to aim for the drain in the center of the bowl.
i use white vinegar... it smells bad at first but the vinegar gets rid of the smell. or i use pure bleach.... my son is 3 and i have the same problem.... good luck. i hope this helps....
Baking soda? Vinegar? Bleach?
I lined the walls around the toilet and behind the lid w/cheap plastic tableclothes, cut to size and taped in place. I also lined the floors w/newspaper. I changed the plastic and paper out every few days.
DON'T PAY FOR "NATURES MIRACLE" ----- buy some bottles of just plain rubbing ALCOHOL. spunge or pour it around the affected areas..let set a few minutes, then wipe dry.
Liquid Spic and Span does a good job and does not have a lingering antiseptic smell. It's very pleasant. I just put some in a spray bottle with 1/2 water and spray around the toilet area and wipe. You could even teach your little one to clean up.
Another product I just found at Target is a natural spray cleaner that smells like grapefruit. Its wonderful.
Blessings....
I have yet to deal with potty training yet as my son is only 1 but I am a veterinary technician with lots of animals. When I was in the potty training my dogs, they of course would have accidents. I found that if I cleaned up the urine then wiped white vinegar on the area, it removes the urine scent. I have used it on tile, hardwood, carpet, and the back seat of my Jeep. (that was a holy mess) Try the vinegar. It evaporates quickly so it won't smell like vinegar for long. If you ever use it for housebreaking purposes for pets, it deters them from doing it again. FYI.
I lifted the toilet cleaned and then placed a silcone seal around the base. I then made a paste of baking soda and placed in on grout lines. Everytime I clean the bathroom it gets wiped up and a new "protective layer" gets put down. The baking soda won't hurt anything, doesn't damage grout, absorbs odor and makes it easier to wipe up. Using no chemicals is a plus. Then the rest of the potty training begins they aim for the temporary tatoo at the back of the inside of the toilet bowl(it lasts about a week). I did this for about 3 months until it was habit. I know it seems like alot of work, but my house no longer smelled like a litter box.
Ugh. Boys! LOL
The thing that works for me is (and this is a drag) but I clean my toilets--the bowl, the rim, the base & the floor around it every...blessed...day.
Once it dries somewhere--look out! Super stinky!
Have you tried using one of those steam cleaner mops - you know, the ones that heat up the water but don't make a mess and are supposed to sanitize everything too. I have a Bissel that works well. I think they call it a stick mop. You can toss the fabric cleaner heads in the washing machine. Got it at Target on sale for like $50.
