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Housekeeping

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Original poster

What am I missing?

32 replies

WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:02

My son had a bit too much to drink on Wednesday night, came home an puked in the downstairs loo - when I say in the loo, i mean in the room rather than actually getting it in the loo.

He rushed in the room and puked but the lid was down....

Anyway, he was in no fit state so I had to clean it all up, was on door, floor and wall tiles, but mainly on the toilet. It was 2am so i cleared it, anti bacced it and left it at that. Gave it a better clean next day but could still smell it today - doesn't smell of sick, sort of smells like skanky seaside.

So today I completely removed the toilet seat and soaked it in disinfectant. cleared under all the fittings, re-cleaned everywhere with disinfectant and zoflora, mopped the floor with added zoflora etc, toilet bleached, one of those toilet duck things stuck into toilet - still has damp sea rotten crab smell.

What am I missing? Why does it still smell? Room is literally only a door width wide by 6 foot at most. All that's in it is loo and sink, bottle of bleach and loo roll and antibac wipes. It's tiled to above height of sink and has sealed lino floor. There is a radiator but I've wiped outside and no evidence of any splashes near it - it's behind the door.

Appreciate that this should really be DSs job - but given I've now done it 3 times and it still smells, I'm not sure that getting him to do it would be productive. I've given him other jobs to do.

Any ideas before I just brick it up and move?

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 28/08/2020 22:07

Could it have splattered up the walls and ceiling?

Onestepup · 28/08/2020 22:09

Bleach the plughole and overflow in the hand basin in case the smell is in the pipework. Bleach toilet brush if you have one. Clean walls and skirting board with anti-bac if you haven't already. Get a Dettol spray and squirt upwards so it goes round the whole room (leave the room as soon as you've sprayed, obviously).

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:09

There was a little bit on the walls which is bathroom paint so washable, ceiling is white and puke was not - it looks clean. I got the door and the woodwork.

OP posts:
embolass · 28/08/2020 22:12

Burn a candle Scatter some bicarbonate of soda all over the floor and some down the toilet and plug hole
Leave overnight hoover/sweep up in the morning and pour boiling water down the plug hole and toilet. Bicarbonate is a great deodoriser!

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:19

Sink is one of those tiny ones and there was no sick in it - i had it filled with zoflora water when I was washing down the tiles again and then cleaned it after. I bleached outside of the toilet brush and also cleaned the bleach bottle with a antibac wipe. I ditched the toilet roll and replaced the towel. There is no skirting board. tiles go down to floor. My only thought now it that maybe the seal round the lino isn't perfect and some might have seeped under the lino?

I sprayed oust. I've now left the door open but DH keeps shutting it. I swear he's been for about 10 pees in there since I've cleaned it! It doesn't have a window to air it.

DH suggested neutradol but I want the source of smell dealt with not masked really. he can't smell anything but doesn't have any sense of smell so no surprise.

DS had eaten a rice dish with chorizo, mackerel and egg before he went out so that might explain the peculiar smell. It doesn't smell of sick.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:21

I have bi carb so i'll give that a try too - it is a dampy smell as well which is maybe due to the 10 litres of spray I've used...

I'm hoping that if I leave the door open and maybe even stick the radiator on for a bit that might help? Or maybe make it worse... Confused

OP posts:
EnoughAlready2020 · 28/08/2020 22:23

I think zoflora makes smells worse. I was puppy sitting and it had diarrhoea all over my sons bedroom floor Envy I used zoflora and it still stank for weeks. Sorry I know that doesn't help you now!

SingingWaffleDoggy · 28/08/2020 22:24

When you say “floor and wall tiles” do you mean the floor is tiled too? If it’s lino maybe it’s gone down the edge of the toilet stand thing under the edge?
If not, I would think it is the drains. He probably was sick in the sink and it’s sat in the u-bend 🤢

SingingWaffleDoggy · 28/08/2020 22:25

Sorry cross posted

Nighttimefreedom · 28/08/2020 22:27

I think it might just need a really good airing but not quite sure how you manage it with no window.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:28

He definitely wasn't sick in the sink but obvs may have splashed.

Here is a photo but it was much worse when I put the lid down.

Photo was to show DH why I didn't get to bed until 3am

What am I missing?
OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:30

Sorry, not sure where the photo is?

Yep you are right about the airing. I'll wait until DH heads upstairs and then chuck some bicarb about and bleach down the sink too.

OP posts:
OhTheRoses · 28/08/2020 22:32

Frankly without a window I think you'll have to brick it up. Except, are you sure it isn't smell by association because the memory of cleaning it up is so ghastly. DS once had a chum for a sleepover sickover. Honestly I have never seen so much vomit. I had to have the carpet, armchair and curtains professionally cleaned. And I threw away the duvet and pillows. Boak. Can smell it now 20 years later.

Skyliner001 · 28/08/2020 22:33

You should have made him clean it.

OhTheRoses · 28/08/2020 22:33

Christ! Destroy the photo. That made me heave. I could smell it from looking.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:37

Yeah I did think of that but that's the weird thing, it never really smelled of sick. It had that rotten sea smell from the get go.

I do have a really sensitive nose and it did smell before the zoflora - I only tried that today, prior to that was normal anti bac and bathroom cleaner. DS1 who was the culprit swears he can't smell anything (but I would think is just trying to minimise it for his own protection!) however, I'll have DS2 back home tomorrow and he can give a view.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:43

@Skyliner001

You should have made him clean it.
Yes, I appreciate that he should have done it but he was in no fit state when he did it and also had his hair and beard covered in it, and I didn't fancy leaving it until the next day. Which funnily enough he was still in no fit state. I could have got him to do it today but that would have been a waste of time as, if i've not managed to get rid of the smell with 2 cleanings, I really don't think he was going to do better.

It's not something he makes a habit of tbh. He's been suffering with anxiety and depression. last summer he finished Uni in march and then did not see anyone or leave the house at all other than with us until he went back in late September. This year he's been out 3 times with friends so despite the issue with the puke, i'm trying not to discourage him from going out. I made him hoover upstairs and downstairs and clean the main bathroom today.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 28/08/2020 22:47

He says he drank more than his friends, they met up at a friends and took their own booze - I think he just took too much and he's be nervous. this is only the second time he's met up with them since he left school 2 years ago, 1st time was when they first started being allowed to meet up outdoors (maybe July?). He also met up with a mutual friend of his and DS2s the other week and they went to the pub and he was fine.

I'm thinking his choice of dinner plus the drive back didn't help

OP posts:
lazyakita · 29/08/2020 09:29

I'm really sorry to hear about his issues with anxiety, I can relate! I am, however, glad he helped you elsewhere around the house after this episode :)

Have you tried an enzyme cleaner? You can buy them in spray form, they're usually for dealing with pet accidents but work on anything organic as they destroy the proteins and get rid of odours. A good substitute is biological washing powder. Dissolve some in water and clean everything again. And yes to leaving bowls of bicarb out. Coffee grounds work brilliantly at absorbing smells, too. Good luck!

lazyakita · 29/08/2020 09:30

I should add, dissolve bio washing powder in warm water, not hot. Water that is too hot kills the enzymes and renders it ineffective.

Original poster
WaxOnFeckOff · 29/08/2020 10:00

Thank you. I put bicarb over the floor round the loo and round the edges of the lino last night and popped some with vinegar down the drain.

I'm sure I have some pet cleaner spray somewhere so I'll dig that out. We don't use biological washing powder due to allergies but a dishwasher tab might work?

Not assessed smell yet but will sweep/hoover when I've showered and collected the shopping and see what still needs done.

OP posts:
userxx · 29/08/2020 10:04

🤮🤮. I can't unsee that photo.

I think you just need to air the room for as long as possible, not easy with no windows though!

leafeater · 29/08/2020 10:07

Chorizo, mackerel and egg GrinGrin

lazyakita · 29/08/2020 17:00

@WaxOnFeckOff

Thank you. I put bicarb over the floor round the loo and round the edges of the lino last night and popped some with vinegar down the drain.

I'm sure I have some pet cleaner spray somewhere so I'll dig that out. We don't use biological washing powder due to allergies but a dishwasher tab might work?

Not assessed smell yet but will sweep/hoover when I've showered and collected the shopping and see what still needs done.

We don't use bio due to allergies, too! But it might be worth getting some if nothing else shifts the smell. Good luck :)
Palavah · 29/08/2020 17:05

Throw out the loo roll?