We just cannot shake the smell!

A very enlightening conversation with a secondary school headteacher prompted me to do a bit of digging!

Yesterday, in true Healthy Bs style, I casually asked an unsuspecting headteacher about his toilet policy expecting the common answer…the behaviour policy has to take priority and so locking the toilets during lesson times is the only solution…but no! He replied saying “If students need to go, they’re allowed to go.” They are usually asked to consider whether they can wait and frequent flyers will obviously be monitored, but he said that he’d rather have the odd student “take the piss out of the system” than risk a student facing the embarrassment of a toilet accident - I was so happy I didn’t even interrupt to ask if he’d spotted his own pun!

He also recognised that the toilet conditions spoke volumes in terms of respect for his students. He employs a cleaner to go round after every breaktime to clean the facilities and is in discussions with his facilities manager as to whether they have the funds to increase this – how refreshing!

He did say though, that despite these efforts and it not being that old a building, they just couldn’t shake the smell!

So…needless to say…research mode was initiated!

School toilets can still smell after cleaning for the following reasons:

🐝The source of the smell hasn't been removed

• Urine can soak into grout, sealant, wall joints, or damaged flooring.

• Limescale and mineral deposits can trap bacteria and odours even when surfaces look clean.

  🐝Drains and pipes

• Floor, sink or toilet waste pipes can harbour bacteria and organic matter.

• If a drain trap dries out or there’s a venting problem, sewer gases can escape into the room.

  🐝Poor ventilation

• Inadequate airflow allows moisture and odours to linger.

• Even after cleaning, damp conditions encourage bacterial growth that produces smells.

  🐝Hidden contamination

• Urine may collect behind toilets, under partitions, around pipe penetrations, or beneath flooring where cleaners cannot easily reach.

• Overflow incidents can leave residues in inaccessible areas.

  🐝Cleaning methods

• Some cleaning products mask smells temporarily rather than removing their cause.

• Using the wrong product can leave organic residues or fail to kill odour-causing bacteria.

Nick Dyke from ‘Mill Sales Direct’ advises “using enzyme-based products which not only neutralise odours but also target urine crystals that form on floors and surfaces, as these crystals won't break down otherwise. So many people keep using products that only mask the smell but never address the root cause of the issue.”

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