To want to know what the frigging smell is??

[MrsTawdry]

I live on the 2nd floor of a block of flats. There are only 4 flats in the building. On my floor there is us and our neighbour.

Below are two elderly residents...a couple and a single lady.

every now and then the communal entrance STINKS to high heaven. It's a farty, poopy sort of smell.

It's not bad cooking although there are a few dishes which the single lady makes which reek...no...this is different. It's as though someone's gone into the hallways and just farted for half an hour and then gone in!

I know nobody is doing this...so what's the stink? I hate spray air fresheners but need to dull the smell.

Sounds like bad drains. Contact your landlord

Oh you're right! We share one...an outside drain I mean.

Maybe the elderly residents are serial farters.

Could it be a stink bomb.

Put some boiling water down the drain followed by soda crystals (bit of white vinegar if you have some) leave for as long as possible and then pour on more boiling water.

It could be drains or it could be incontinence pads. One of my neighbours in the block had double incontinence and every so often bags of rubbish would be left outside her flat for half an hour or so until one of her carers (or one of us) took them down to the bins. She wasn't able to do it herself. It didn't take long for the entire block to stink in a similar manner to you describe. It really was disgusting but we just put up with it because she really was very ill. (She subsequently died).

I too think it could have something to do with incontinence pads. My old friend lives in a retirement apartment block and there are one or two poor souls who use pads. Their flats absolutely stink of them. The carers who attend these particular residents come and remove the bin-bags from their flats about every 2 or 3 days, by which time they're humming to high heaven.

Or it could indeed be someone going into the hallways and 'farting for half an hour' as you suggest!

Don't mean to be morbid but have you seen the elderly residents lately?

Is the floor hard floor or carpet? If it is hard floor and mopped and the mop has not been left to dry the mop goes smelly. Then when the floor is cleaned next time it leaves a horrible smell, even when it's dried.

I mop the floors in the communal area with a clean, bleached and boiled mop and always fresh water so it's not that. Both sets of elderly residents are quite sprightly...not an issue with getting to the loo I shouldn't think. They're all alive too

I will try the soda down the drain Norfolk thanks for the tip. If I call the housing Association they will take weeks to come out I just know it...so I will lift the lid and get some boiling water etc down there.

I thought the same, I'd be knocking on the elderly neighbours doors checking they were ok.

"Farted for half an hour" - this just had me in fits for some reason!
Thank you Mrs - today is a day when I need a laugh.

Sapph I was envisioning it though! that's literally what it smells like!