I Think There is Something Dead In My House

[Christine]

My bathroom has a very odd smell that has been going on for over a week now. The smell is getting stronger and it smells like something is rotting and it's awful.

My master bathroom has a 3-room setup. There is a small room that contains the toilet, shower, and linen closet, a bigger area in the middle that contains two vanities and a soaking tub, and another room off of that which is a walk-in closet.

A few times last week when it I was in the "vanity" area, I would catch a wiff of something "smelly." At first, I thought, WOW, I need to clean my bathroom even though it had been done the week before.

Then a few other times, while I was in the "toilet" area, I would catch a smell of it.

So then I started to think that maybe it was the drains. So I spent the weekend REALLY cleaning the bathroom and the drains. Still the smell is there. It is like it is coming from everywhere, but nowhere. I can REALLY smell it around my vanity and cabinet area, but when I open the cabinets and stick my head in, they are fine. When I put my nose to the drains, they are fine.

It is now smelling like something dead. We have an attic area above the bathroom that some squirrels got into a few years ago. My DH had sealed that off well and we haven't had more problems. But about 2-3 weeks ago, I had a squirrel right outside that area where they had gotten in before and the squirrel was just OBSESSIVE about something. It occurred to me that there might be another squirrel inside, but I never heard one.

So, my DH went up in there last night but saw (and smelled) nothing. Unfortunately there is a lot of blown-in insulation there so it is impossible to tell if there could be something under the insulation.

We also have a "garage" attic that is right under the tub area. So my husband will be going in there tonight to see if something got up into there and died.

But, my goodness, the smell is starting to get to me. And to think it could be anywhere--in the walls, in the attic, etc.

Have you ever had this happen to you and what did you do about it?

 

[Mermaid02]

Yes this happened to us in an apartment in college.

Probably a mouse or squirrel or something.... not fun anyhow! I hope your husband finds it and disposes of it quickly.

 

[Christine]

I guess I'm wondering--what happens if we can't find it? I'm *assuming* that eventually the smell will go away (please please).

 

[minnieandme]

Have you tried using Rid X? That happened to me when I was in my first apt and it smelled really bad. Turns out the toilet was backing up, so I put some Rid X in the toilet and that took care of that. If that doesn't work, it just may be a dead animal.

 

[Disney Ella]

It happened to me, but it was a squirrel in the chimney so at least I knew where it was. At first I thought I was just imagining the smell but then it got really bad and there was no way a smell that bad was in my imagination. I called a chimney sweep to remove the squirrel, but he couldn't come that same day. By the time he came, I couldn't stand to stay in the living room. The smell lingered for about a week after that, even with the windows open and lots of air freshener. I hope your husband is able to easily locate the animal before it gets worse.

 

[oxfordcircus]

I would do exactly what your husband is doing - going into the dark, damp places to try to locate the body without damaging the house. In my last house, I had a few rats die in various places. The first died under some cabinets. I had to rip out the cabinets to get the stinker out. We put out poinson, so then a bunch died in the crawl space under the kitchen (great weight control technique, btw). Those were easy to get out. Another died somewhere under a sub-floor. I tore up some flooring and cabinetry to try to get him out, but I never could find it.

In my experience, the smell will last a week or two if you can't remove it. Good luck to you.

Oh, is there any chance that your toilet has been bumped off the drain and you're getting some sewer gasses in your bathroom? Also, natural gas has been known to smell like carion.

 

[Christine]

Oh, is there any chance that your toilet has been bumped off the drain and you're getting some sewer gasses in your bathroom? Also, natural gas has been known to smell like carion.

If this happened with the toilet, it must have done it on it's own, but I guess that's something to check also. The first few times I smelled it (last week), the smell struck me as something from the drain (almost resembling a sewage smell), but that has quickly changed to a rotting meat/blood smell. It's unusual.

 

[oxfordcircus]

If this happened with the toilet, it must have done it on it's own, but I guess that's something to check also. The first few times I smelled it (last week), the smell struck me as something from the drain (almost resembling a sewage smell), but that has quickly changed to a rotting meat/blood smell. It's unusual.

I agree, the smells are very different. Sadly I've had both stinks in my house. If your house is on a conventional foundation, I'd say it's possible. Our subfloor rotted around the base of the toilet and allowed the toilet to move up and down a little, and the wax ring deteriorated.

But, as you say, rot is rot, and sewer is sewer.

I try to locate the body by smelling electrical outlets, A/C vents - whatever makes a hole in your wall/floor/ceiling. When you find it, you'll know. Then send in your husband.

 

[Christine]

If your house is on a conventional foundation, I'd say it's possible. Our subfloor rotted around the base of the toilet and allowed the toilet to move up and down a little, and the wax ring deteriorated.

Not proud to say that I've pretty much had my head and nose in and around the toilet all weekend--closer than I would like you to know!! Funny thing is, when I get close to what I *think* are the smelly culprits, then the smell is not there. The toilet and the base of the toilet smell fine, as do all my drains. The worst smell is just when I'm standing by my vanity or in the middle of the room. When I try to zero in or an area, it goes away.

 

[oxfordcircus]

The worst smell is just when I'm standing by my vanity or in the middle of the room. When I try to zero in or an area, it goes away.

Okay. Here's what you do: 1. go get your reciprocating saw 2. cut out the bottom of your vanity. 3. Remove dead/rotting rat from space between the bottom of the vanity and the subfloor 4. replace bottom of vanity.

Seriously, I hope it's not in that space. I had one there. Are you seeing those huge corpse flies in your bathroom? I started seeing those 24 hours before I smelled the rot.

I'm sorry you're going through this. As minor as it seems, it can be very distressing to have the smell in the house.

 

[MAKmom]

It sounds like sewer gas coming out of your drains. You might need your pipes cleaned.

 

[Christine]

Are you seeing those huge corpse flies in your bathroom? I started seeing those 24 hours before I smelled the rot.

I'm sorry you're going through this. As minor as it seems, it can be very distressing to have the smell in the house.

Actually, there *was* a dead fly on my bathroom floor yesterday and I thought that was odd. Well, now I can't WAIT to go home today!

 

[Christine]

It sounds like sewer gas coming out of your drains. You might need your pipes cleaned.

This is what I initially thought because I have smelled that odor before, but when you get close to the drains they are clean. Plus, I have two other bathrooms that aren't having this problem.

 

[Mickey527]

All I can think of while reading this post is
"there's something stuck up in the chimney and I don't know what to do but it's been there since last Christmas"
I can't get that song out of my head now, I figured I should share it with someone.

I had a dead rat in my basement one year and the stink was beyond stink.
I searched everywhere and couldn't find it and the smell started to permeate the kitchen above the odor. My kids said they couldn't smell it but I have a strong sense of smell.
I finally couldn't take it anymore and I went down the basement with a sledge hammer. I was going to break down the sheetrock if I had to until I found the smell.
I contained the smell to one area, by the dryer. I pulled out the dryer to hit the wall and there under the dryer was a who knows how many day old rat. I used a shovel and bagged it and then used three cans of that odor controlling spray. I haven't had a problem since, thank Heavens.
I seem to agree that the smell is coming from under your sink, maybe if it is a cabinet the thing is either behind it or under it.

 

[Gurgi]

 

[Miz Diz]

I had a bathroom that had a smell in the toilet area. The toilet was a separate room within the bathroom. I would clean the toilet and the smell would still be there. We used to keep the door shut, so I started leaving it open and running the fan. No luck. So we sold the house and moved.

Ok we didn't really sell it because of the smell, but we did move and now I don't have to worry about it.

 

[tiggger1]

could it be in your walls? My neighbor had a smell in her den that was definetly a rotting smell..you would smell it on and off for about a week and then it was horrible.. we check everywhere but couldnt figure out where the smell was coming from...finally we noticed the smell was coming out of a electrical socket...) turned out that a snake got caught in the wall right next to the socket and died....


we had a dead oposum under our living room in the crawl space.. we had the huge flies...and then the smell and then hubby open the crawl space window in the basement.. BINGO! He had to take off all of the fencing around the house and move a huge rock before he found it... we ended up deciding to knock down the entire room and make it our new master bedroom with a basement underneath so nothing can get under there anymore....

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Yep sounds like a dead mouse to me. We get them al the time in the winter. We are surrounded by open fields so we have lots of filed mice.

The smell will go away in about a week. My mom, who lives next door, puts out DeCon. The mice eat it but it doesn't take effect until they drink water. The DeCon makes them thirsty. Anyway, we have water issues in our basement so the mice come here for the water then they tend to die in the basement or the walls. I would suggest having DH look for water leaks since he is crawling around and since you smell it most in the bathroom area. This may help keep other ones from coming back if you can fix any water problems you may have.

Good Luck!

 

[Knight]

Maybe you could borrow a dog from someone... and the dog could help your husband zone in on the right area?

 

[tevagirl]

Years ago we had a hamster escape his cage. He was missing for a few weeks. He wound up in an empty glass juice bottle and couldn't get out. We found him by the smell. It was, beyond a doubt, the most putrid thing I have ever smelled. (RIP, whatever your name was )

I hope you solve your problem soon.