Restrooms are frequently cited as a source of foul odors in schools and universities — but campuses often harbor offensive smells that emanate from unexpected places, escaping custodians’ immediate attention.  

Identifying and eliminating these malodors may require a bit of detective work on the part of facilities cleaning teams. Jeffrey Pozorski, superintendent of environmental services at the University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, advises custodial staff to let their sense of smell be their guide. 

“You should always be on the lookout for things that could be a problem, but you should also be on what I call ‘the smell out’ where you actually take a good whiff as you walk through rooms and areas to detect anything that might be out of place,” he says. “Sometimes we’ll get a mouse that dies behind an area we don’t service regularly, but if we can pick up that faint scent, we can get in there and take care of it immediately.” 

Indeed, when it comes to addressing unpleasant smells, time is of the essence: Facility managers agree that the quicker the team can identify the origin of the stench, the better their chance of eliminating it. Toward this end, Facility Cleaning Decisions interviewed facility cleaning managers at educational institutions to identify the top four culprits for putrid smells and discuss ways to mask or eradicate them.  

#1. Drains 

Whether they’re in restrooms, locker rooms, kitchens or custodial closets, drains harbor odor-causing bacteria and substances, including chemicals, grease and food waste.  

According to Ricky Martinez, district custodial manager for Salt Lake City School District, Utah, grease traps and floor drains in cafeteria kitchens are a major source of odor problems — especially if they are not addressed on a regular basis. He recommends using an enzyme cleaner for grease traps and drains every day and flushing them with water or a neutral cleaner. In addition to conducting daily maintenance, the district hires a contract services company to deep-clean its grease traps once a year.  

Drains in faculty break rooms are also a cause for concern, especially if the sink has a garbage disposal.  

“A lot of people don’t run the disposal for long enough, and it starts giving off an odor,” says Martinez. “Depending on how much food you put down there, you may need to run it for more than a couple of minutes.” 

To mask garbage disposal odors, Martinez recommends running the water continuously and using a deodorizer ball that breaks open and disperses a lemon scent when the disposal is turned on. 

But even stagnant drains can reek, warns Teresa MacNeil, team manager, facilities management at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. 

“One of the problems we run into quite a bit is what we call dry drains,” she says. “A lot of custodial closets have floor drains or slop sinks. If they aren’t using them on a regular basis, you get a sewer smell coming up from the drain.”  

Such was the case during COVID when the university had low occupancy rates in its buildings. To address the issue of sewer gas buildup, custodians are now responsible for dumping water down the drains or running the faucet on a regular basis. 

#2. Trash Receptacles 

Facility maintenance managers also cite trash cans as one of the worst offenders when it comes to malodors in schools.  

“Probably the biggest odor problem for us is the bins that hold our hallway trash,” says Pozorski. “Sometimes someone throws something stinky in there right after we change the liner, and on our next check, we miss it. If it sits overnight, the next morning we have an odor problem.” 

To mitigate this issue, trash cans are checked three-to-four times a day, with the final check around 45 minutes prior to the end of the shift. Additionally, custodians use heavy-duty liners in hallway trash receptacles to avoid tears that allow liquids to seep through. 

At Sioux Falls School District, Sioux Falls, SD, Kevin Nelson, lead custodial supervisor, avoids leakage issues by equipping all trash cans and food barrels with double liners. When custodians remove the trash, they replace the used bag with a fresh liner. 

In addition to changing liners daily, Martinez encourages school custodial services to wash their cans regularly. At Salt Lake City School District, cafeteria cans are washed daily. To ease the process, one school has invested in a can washer that is activated via a foot pedal to pressure-wash the inside of the can. According to Martinez, the can washer is extremely popular. 

#3. Dirty Laundry 

Facility cleaning managers agree that nothing stinks up a locker room faster than sweaty gym clothes. In fact, dirty clothes left in lockers are the primary source of stubborn odors in that space. And although air fresheners can mask the smell temporarily, the only way to address the issue is to remove the offending items. 

“The worst smell in locker rooms is when kids leave their stuff in the lockers for a couple of days,” notes Nelson. “There’s nothing we can really do about that, other than telling the kids to take their clothes home and wash them.” 

Just as students need to take responsibility for washing their gym clothes, custodians should be held accountable for the removal and/or laundering of dirty cleaning cloths. One of the University of Minnesota’s biggest odor problems is caused by dirty mops, microfiber cloths and pads being stored in custodial closets. 

“If they’re wet and dirty and they’re stored in the closet until pickup, it can be rather smelly, especially over a long weekend,” says MacNeil. “Not only do you have an odor in the closet, but it can seep out from underneath the door and get into the hallway. Make sure you have a good schedule for picking them up on a regular basis.” 

#4. Carpets and Matting 

In many schools, especially those with young children, carpets and rugs are subject to odor-causing drips, spills and accidents. Facility staff often stock biohazard cleanup kits containing an absorbent to safely remove bodily fluids and avoid cross-contamination.  

For run-of-the-mill carpet soils, Nelson’s staff relies on extractors as well as enzymatic cleaners for set-in stains to counteract odors. When rinsing carpets after extraction, Martinez suggests a mixture of vinegar and water to neutralize residual odors.  

Humidity and moisture can also contribute to unsavory smells in carpets and matting.  Sioux Falls School District has an ongoing problem with indoor entrance matting, particularly during inclement weather. 

“Where there’s entrance matting, there’s moisture concerns, and the longer you let that moisture sit the more bacteria will grow,” notes Nelson. “During the winter, the entrances are heated, and that creates a Petri dish.” 

Custodians pull entrance mats back daily to check for moisture and dry them out if needed before putting them back in place. If odors persist, they use an enzyme cleaner. 

Floor fans and dehumidifiers also speed up the drying process if carpets become saturated. The University of Minnesota’s project crew has 24 fans readily available to deal with emergencies. 

“Some of our offices have water coolers, and periodically they’ll have an accident with one of the five-gallon jugs,” says MacNeil. “We’ll do a quick extract and put a fan in place to dry the carpet as quickly as possible.” 

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Learning Odor Control Lessons Through Trial-and-Error


POSTED ON: 7/17/2024