There’s sewage in my walls... any tips for the smell?

[RightThenFolks]

So the pipe coming from the back of our toilet started leaking. Plumber fixed it, thankfully, but not before the contents of the last couple of flushes had seeped through to our kitchen ceiling. And now the house stinks Husband thinks the smell will go once it dries up... will it? If not, is there anything I can do? It’s very much a load bearing wall (used to be the outside wall before extension).

I think the smell will go too once it dries, based on fact dry cow dung etc does not smell

In the meantime, help it dry (ventilation, maybe a dehumidifier). There are ozone machines to remove stink but at £150-ish that’s a big expense for a temporary problem

I feel for you : I also have an - off sewage smell in a new house. Have established it’s probably coming from a pipe which was not capped off properly in building work by previous owners (I have people coming in to fix this week 🤞🏼) but have some experience re the smell!

So: candles etc not v effective. What has been good is replacing it with a clean smell (laundry powder when doing washing!) but on your case it’s about letting the ceiling dry out and see how you go

I would look into what parents use to clean nappy bins.

Thank you both. @DespairingHomeowner I very much appreciate your firsthand knowledge! I thought about the cow pat thing but then thought how much cat pee smells even when it’s dry?

There are lots of articles online about how to get pee smells out of floors etc (bicarbonate, vinegar etc), but these tend to relate to repeated soaking by pets (over years). I don’t think 2 flushes worth will have same effect! I do think best bet is to start by letting it dry

Putting bicarbonate of soda or bowls of charcoal in your room won’t hurt. I’d wait a few weeks & see. As it’s kitchen can you get some heat going to dry things out a bit?

Tbh, I think the issue might be more that it will go & might then be reactivated by damp/humidity, but I’d wait & see

Worst case, you can cut out the bit of ceiling that got soaked but I dint think it will come to that

Try to get a fan set up near a window in the kitchen to push air out: then open another window so air can be pulled in (cross breeze), I’d do this alll week any moment it’s not raining & reasses

Also see if you can buy/borrow a dehumidifier (they are useful to have anyway): drying out the ceiling as fast as possible would also prevent damp etc

You could zoflora mop your floors to manage smell while you are waiting / use lots of cleaning products

I find neutradol somewhat helpful

We had a sewage downpipe leaking into the side of the house. Trying to cover the smell was a total failure.

After trying lots of things (and spending lots of money) the only lasting cure for the smell was to chop out all the affected wood, plaster and brickwork and replace it. No smell at all now.