Hands down, the bathroom is probably one of the most-used rooms in a home or in a building. Its unique function makes it a necessity for everyday life. Unfortunately, the frequency of bathroom usage gives rise to some pretty odorous smells, some seemingly stubborn and hard to ignore. Instead of holding your breath, it's time for you to reclaim your bathroom and declare freedom from unpleasant bathroom odors. Here are some ways how:

Start With the Basics

Maintaining a clean bathroom is the first step in getting rid of bathroom odors. Cleaning your bathroom completely once a week goes a long way in not just getting rid of the odors, but it helps it maintain stink-free. First and foremost, open the bathroom doors and windows to get the air circulating. Start with your bathroom's countertops and basins. Use a scrubbing pad and commercial bathroom cleaner or detergent. You can also use a cleaning mixture made from three tablespoons baking soda, two cups of warm water and half a cup of ammonia for everyday use and cleaning. Move on to the bathroom mirrors, which until now you've only given the occasional rub. Use commercial glass cleaner or by dipping a newspaper into white vinegar. Apply the newspaper to the mirror and rub it all over, followed up with dry newspaper, until the mirror is completely dry. Shine the mirror with a clean, soft cloth to finish. The shower stall and bathtub are one of the more difficult parts of the bathroom to clean and maintain. For the shower stall, scrub off mildew with a bathroom detergent and spray on mildew inhibitor. Use a solution of white vinegar and water to get rid of the hard-water deposits in the shower enclosure. A cup of liquid fabric softener combined with a quart of warm water is very effective in removing dirt from glass shower doors. Bathtub scum can be remedied with powder or liquid cleanser, especially for porcelain tubs. Apply the cleanser on a damp sponge and rub it all over the surface, or use a synthetic scouring pad. Fiberglass bathtubs can be cleaned with fiberglass cleaners. You should also use commercial rust removers for rust stains. Rings around the tub can be dealt with a nylon pad. If the rings are particularly stubborn, you can use cream of tartar or hydrogen peroxide to cover it up. Leave it until it dries and wipe off, taking the rings with them. Last but not the least: The toilet. One thing to keep in mind when cleaning the toilet is that you must never mix products that contain chlorine bleach with ammonia or ammonia-based products, as the combination will produce a toxic gas. When cleaning a toilet, start off with half a cup of chlorine bleach, pour it into the bowl and leave for ten minutes before scrubbing and flushing. An alternative to this is to sprinkle a fourth of a cup of sodium bisulfate into a wet toilet bowl, letting it stand for 15 minutes before scrubbing and flushing. Rust stains can be dealt with using laundry bleach, and you can use steel wool to get rid of particularly stubborn stains. Most bathrooms have garbage cans in them. Clear out your garbage bag three times a week, and give the garbage bin a good scrubbing every week as well. Remember to wear rubber gloves when cleaning your bathroom, and be careful when handling the products you use for cleaning. Once you're done, either the smell has gone or you'll have an easier time identifying where exactly the bathroom odor is coming from.

Launder Bathroom Towels and Linens

Bathroom rugs, towels and linens are the most used and most ignored of all our bathroom paraphernalia. What we don't know is that when left alone, the damp cloth makes a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and even mildew, which can produce musty bathroom odors. Make sure that you launder and put new your bathroom rugs, towels and linens in your bathrooms at least weekly. Launder your bathroom rugs separately from your normal laundry and make sure they are cleaned thoroughly and dried completely before using again.

Check Your Drains

Drains and pipes are the repositories of all the things we wash away, and it's normal that every now and then they get clogged up. Bacteria love living in the gunk that collects in our sinks, and there are different ways to deal with them. First is the manual way: Using a plumber's snake to manually try to get gunk out is one method of clearing out the drains. Second is using products like Draino or commercial chemicals that dissolve organic materials in drains, such as hairs, skin and fats.

Check Your Toilet

Bathroom odors usually originate from the toilet, so even after cleaning and scrubbing your bathroom's throne, don't discount it from being an odor culprit so quickly. Check if your toilet has leaks and have a professional deal with it immediately. You should also flush toilets immediately after using them. If your family members or guests have trouble remembering, putting up a sign to remind them to do so will help. If the problem arises not from the toilet but toilet users who leave behind a fairly strong natural smell after using the toilet, you have a number of options. First, you can pour a little liquid bleach or bleach tablets into your toilet and let it stand for a few minutes before flushing again. Second, you can install an automatic air freshener unit near your toilet bowl that releases deodorizing scents for a fixed period of time.

Check Your Floors

Cracked floors or inappropriate flooring material for bathrooms such as wood or linoleum can also be the cause of bathroom odors. Not only are they not waterproof, but they usually develop little nook and crannies that trap water, moisture and other gunk that can't be washed away or scrubbed completely. You have the option of having to rip out your floor completely or overlaying it with a new one.

Install an Air Vent Electric Fan

Despite our best efforts, sometimes we just end up with a poorly-planned bathroom with little or poor ventilation. Combined with particularly strong natural scent, one can only do so much. A solution to this problem is to have another "flush" other than the toilet's-an air vent electric fan. The air vent electric fan will take the odors out and the fresh air in, making your bathroom smell much better. You can install the air vent fan in such a way that everytime someone turns the lights on, it will activate as well.

Deodorizing Agents

Lysol and scented candles are the most readily-available deodorizers we have at hand, but there are other alternatives as well. Keeping a box of scented dryer sheets provide a more subtle scent that lasts longer. Instead of covering up smell, you can use odor-absorbing agents to help get rid of bathroom odors. Put a half a cup of baking soda on a decorative small plate and put it on top of the toilet tank or behind the toilet itself. Charcoal briquettes also have the same qualities and be used the same way. Pet odor removal products are also a great way to get rid of the bathroom odors, as they employ a chemical that breaks down enzymes-a usual suspect when it comes to stinky smells! Preventive measures such as not smoking in your bathroom is another practical way from keeping your bathroom smell fresh. While all these suggested methods are effective, there are certain situations that may be out of your hands. If your bathroom starts smelling like a sewage, there may be something wrong with your locality's sewer system, especially if you are connected to the system. Inform the concerned authorities as soon as possible of this problem. When it comes to bathroom odors, using an integrated method of getting rid of them is probably the best way. Just always keep in mind that maintaining cleanliness is your best shot from having the problem show up at all.