Skip to Content

Why Does My Bathroom Smell Like Rotten Eggs or Sulfur?

Bathrooms can be considered as one of the most important parts of a house. So it is crucial that you keep your bathroom neat and clean. However, bathrooms can start producing lots of foul smell due to a number of reasons. 

Today, we are going to discuss why your bathroom might smell like rotten eggs or sulfur and what to do about it. 

Bathroom smell like rotten eggs or sulfur

Bathrooms can start smelling like rotten eggs or sulfur due to a problem with the water supply, the pipes, the sink, the drain, the toilet, the water heater, the faucets, and the pressure tank. All of these problems are fixable and it is easy to get rid of the rotten eggs or sulfur smell.

Let’s discuss in detail about some of the reasons why your bathroom can start smelling like rotten eggs or sulfur.

Problem with the water supply:

The water supply of the bathroom might be the reason why your bathroom smells like rotten eggs or sulfur. First of all, we need to remember that there might be both cold water supply and hot water supply in the bathroom.

The pipes leading into your bathroom might be facing a build up of bacteria if both cold water supply and hot water supply smells like rotten eggs or sulfur. 

If the hot water supply of your bathroom smells like rotten eggs or sulfur, then the problem lies with the water heater. 

You will be able to tell that the water supply of the bathroom is the reason behind the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur after turning on the faucet. Because when the faucet is turned off, the bathroom will stop smelling like rotten eggs or sulfur.

Problem with the pipes:

The pipes leading into your bathroom can often be the reason behind the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur. The pipes can start developing rust in them due to the infestation of bacteria and other toxic materials. 

So the water coming into your bathroom through these bacteria infected pipes will smell absolutely terrible. Unclean and rusty pipes can definitely make your bathroom smell like rotten eggs or sulfur. 

Problem with the sink:

The sink of your bathroom can sometimes make the entire bathroom smell like rotten eggs or sulfur. The bathroom sink can get clogged up due to several reasons. Build up of excessive dirt inside the sink can make it smell really bad. 

Most of the time, the sink can get clogged to build up human hair and other chemical materials used in the bathroom. 

Human hair and other materials will essentially block the passage of bathroom sinks and emit a smell similar to rotten eggs or sulfur. A clogged sink is not the sign of a clean bathroom. 

Problem with the toilet:

It is believed by experts that the toilet of your bathroom can also be the reason behind the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur. Just like the bathroom sink, the toilet can become clogged up due to build up of different materials. 

A clogged toilet possesses the capability to make the entire bathroom smell like rotten eggs or sulfur. You will need to check the condition of your toilet on a daily basis to make sure that it does not get clogged up. 

Problem with the sewer line:

According to experts, the rotten eggs or sulfur smell in the bathroom can be caused by a clogged up sewer line. It is very similar to a clogged up bathroom sink. 

The sewer line can start emitting a terrible smell into the bathroom if it becomes clogged up due to build up of smelly and toxic materials. 

Problem with the pressure tank:

The pressure tank is tasked with the responsibility of supplying cold water into the bathroom. So if the pressure tank becomes infected with bacteria somehow, then it would not be able to supply fresh cold water into the bathroom. 

Unclean and infected cold water flowing into the bathroom can make it smell like rotten eggs or sulfur. 

Problem with the water heater:

The responsibility of the water heater is to supply hot water to each part of the house. However, the water heater can also become infected with bacteria. A bacteria infected water heater will supply contaminated hot water into the bathroom. 

This will as a result make the entire bathroom smell like rotten eggs or sulfur. 

Problem with the faucets:

The facets of the bathroom can start building up rust and corrosion. Dirty faucets will make the water flowing through them smell really bad. That is why a bathroom will stink like rotten eggs or sulfur if the faucets are contaminated.

Are the sulfur and rotten eggs smell in the bathroom dangerous?

The smell of sulfur and rotten eggs in the bathroom are not good signs. It usually means that there is something wrong with your bathroom. Most often than not, the rotten eggs or sulfur smell is caused by clogged toilets, clogged sink or clogged drain. 

The different parts of the bathroom become clogged up due to the infestation of bacteria. The smell of rotten eggs or sulfur can often carry the bacteria in the air and you can end up inhaling them.  

So the smell of sulfur and rotten eggs in the bathroom are potentially dangerous for your health. It also does no good for the condition of your bathroom. 

The upstairs bathroom smells like sulfur: what to do?

The upstairs bathroom can start smelling like sulfur all of a sudden. But there are some steps and methods you can follow to solve this problem. Let’s discuss in detail. 

Inspect the water supply:

The sulfur smell in the bathroom can be caused by many things. First of all, you will need to find the root of the problem. You will need to take samples from both cold water supply and hot water supply and find out if the water supply is the reason behind the sulfur smell. 

If the hot water of your bathroom smells foul, then you will need to fix the water heater. The pressure tank will have to be fixed if the cold water is the reason behind the smell of sulfur. 

Inspect the sink, toilet, and drain:

If the water supply of your bathroom smells alright, then you will need to inspect the sink, toilet, and drain of your bathroom. Because these things can become clogged up and emit sulfur-like smell due to infestation of bacteria. 

You will need to unclog these things using bleach and get rid of the sulfur smell from the bathroom.

How do you get rid of sulfur and rotten eggs smell in bathroom?

Getting rid of the sulfur and rotten eggs smell in the bathroom might seem like a difficult task. However, there are some steps and methods you can follow to accomplish the task. Let’s discuss them in detail.

Fix clogged up pipes:

The pipes responsible for supplying water into your bathroom can become clogged up due to build up of dirt and bacteria. You will need to unclog the pipes to stop the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur in the bathroom. 

The help of a professional plumber can be sought regarding this issue. 

Fix the water heater:

The supply of hot water into the bathroom can cause the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur due to a faulty water heater. Bacteria can build up inside the water heater too and can cause problems. 

You can try to purify your water heater using nothing more than hydrogen peroxide to fix the issue. Sometimes replacing the anode rod of the water heater works too.

Fix the pressure tank:

The supply of cold water into the bathroom can become infected because of a faulty pressure tank. That is why it is important to mix bleach into the water of the pressure tank. 

Purifying the water inside the pressure can improve the quality of cold water supply into the bathroom and can get rid of the rotten eggs or sulfur smell. 

Unclog the sink:

Clogged up sink can cause the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur in the bathroom. That is why unclogging the sink using bleach and other disinfecting materials can effectively get rid of the terrible smell of rotten eggs or sulfur. 

Unclog the toilet:

The smell of rotten eggs or sulfur inside the bathroom can be caused by a clogged toilet too. It is possible to unclog the toilet with the help of bleach, vinegar or baking soda. These disinfecting materials are great at getting rid of the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur.

Final Thoughts

Unclogging the pipes, the sink, the drain, and the toilet can often get rid of the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur in the bathroom. Purifying the water heater and pressure tank can also improve the quality of water supply and prevent the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur in the bathroom.