the most effective trick has nothing to do with that

You come back from vacation, open the door, and suddenly you’re greeted with a strong sewer smell that certainly wasn’t there when you left. The Internet has been filled with advice to avoid this problem: from carrying a cup of orange peels to throwing away half a kilo of coffee grounds. The only problem is that, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, each one is more surreal than the last.

What can we do so that our house does not smell like lightning? The first thing is to understand that this fashion that runs rampant on the Internet is not a meaningless article industry. Nameless experts, tricks that “come straight from Central Europe” and slightly eccentric ideas: what we usually find are creative and ineffective solutions, to be honest.

The example of orange peels is perfect to understand it. “Throw orange peels down the toilet once a week“, say some advice. And the truth is that the peels are scented: they release essential oils (limonene), but their concentration is very low and, of course, not enough to degrease or unclog the pipes.

In fact, if we go to the fine print, we see that the ‘trick’ does not even recommend ‘flushing’ them down the toilet; Just put them in the water in the cup for twenty or thirty minutes. That is to say (and in short) it is nothing that really helps…

…but at least it’s not the coffee trick. That’s true. Coffee grounds are much worse.: above all, because they cake and settle in elbows and siphons. With repeated use, in fact, they end up reducing the flow rate of the pipes as if it were cholesterol. It is not something that happens suddenly (pouring a spoonful of coffee into the water is not going to flood your house), but it does not seem like the most reasonable practice (cost-benefit).

And they are not the only tricks. In fact, the problem of using the toilet as a trash can is enormous in our country. Only Isabel II Canalin the Community of Madrid, removed around 33,000 tons of solid waste from its treatment plants in 2024. About four kilos per person.

In the end, according to the urban water association (DAQUAS)these wastes make water purification more expensive by around 10 and 15%. And, perhaps that is why, all the management companies repeat the same thing: only pee, excrement and paper go down the toilet.

And then how do we solve the problem? For them, you have to understand a little how modern bathrooms work. For practical purposes, under every sink, sink and shower (also inside the toilet) there is a trap. It’s that ‘u’ shaped curve that holds a plug of water and blocks odor.

What usually happens in summer is that these siphons dry out and stop working. In this way, odors rise to the rooms.

So what is usually recommended is to let the water run well so that the siphons are full and, if necessary, add a little food oil (which makes a film on the water and makes it difficult to evaporate). If this doesn’t work, there may be a blockage or a ventilation problem, but it certainly won’t be solved by filling the toilet bowl with lemons.

Image | Amit Lahav

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