Stinky bilge

[Ade123]

Hi again,
Have cleaned, mopped and wiped bilge clean, although there are a few corners i can't reach under sole. Have sprayed, hosed and pumped out but still we are greeted with horrible stench when we board particularly in the front cabin where the bilge juice collects, making bedding towels and clothes left on board smell. Engine room is as clean as possible. I have tried starbrite bilge cleaner deoderiser to no effect.
I appreciate it might be a common problem and to be honest I can live with it but the missus moans incessantly. (for a change)
Any tips apart from get rid of the missus!
thanks
Ade

 

[hlb]

Dunno. Do your windows leak, is stuff getting musty??

We had an interesting do this morning. I was laid in bed with the porthole open, suddenly there was this bad egg smell. I reconed it was from the holding tank breather, which is close by. Never had it before, but then it's not normally warm enough to have the port hole open.

Are you leaving as much as possible open, when you leave the boat, wardrobes fridge, bog door, you need air to circulate.

 

[smileygirl]

do you have a holding tank??? these are often a source of stink. the other cause can be the heads when first used on board after the boat has been left a while.

the holding tank and its associated plumbing will need seriously emptying and repeated flushing etc to stop nasty niffs. the heads you can fit deodourisers in line with the flush water supply. once you have located the main source open as many panels,covers hatches etc that you can find as the smell gets trapped behind cupboards etc then leave them all open and let the wind blow through for a few days

I have just rebuilt my macerator pump because of nasty niffs. the cause was the macerator pump seal leaking slightly into the main bilge when the holding tank was pumped out.

 

[nonitoo]

I swear by Bilgex used regularly when needed.

Tom

 

[hlb]

I also have a little spray thingy of pet deorderant, that I keep in the forward bilge near the holding tank, Just now and then that needs a spray, smells all gone in seconds.

But I think only damp can really make clothes smell, try a dehumidifier, especially in winter ours runs all the time. Maybe you dont use the boat enough, it got damp in the winter and never dried out properly.