Do you have any drains in the house that are not used very often? Drains in sinks, showers, bathtubs and floors direct water into a “U” shaped pipe called a trap that holds water to keep sewer gas from entering the house.

bathtub drain

Bathtub Drain

If a drain is not used very often, the water in the drain will evaporate, which will let smelly and dangerous sewer gas escape into the house. All you need to do is turn on the water about once per month in rarely used sinks, showers and bathtubs for a short time to make sure the drain trap is full of water. For floor drains, pour about a quart or two of water into the drain. Of course, if there is a build-up of grime around the metal drain, use a Scrigit Scraper cleaning tool to quickly remove the ring of grime.