What is the fastest way to remove the smell from the previous toilet user's business?

Question

It might have happened to you. One needs to use the toilet, but the room has that lingering eau from the previous user.

There's no air freshener spray or perfume to use. All one can use is what's already in the toilet. Let's assume it has a sink, the toilet flushes, the door swivels, and there's a towel and toilet paper.

The toilet doesn't have a window, only one of those fan vents, building code specification compliant.

The bathroom is clean, there's no spilled fluids or biological material in the toilet or the siphon water. It's just the lingering smell in the room.

How can one remove / mitigate the smell of the previous occupant's business so one can comfortably use the toilet? Since one needs to go, it should be the fastest possible.

My previous research showed that moving the door back and forth (without slamming it on the door frame) cycles the air in the room the fastest, but I'm wondering if there's any faster way.

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The answers in How to remove a urine smell from a bathroom? involve using chemical products, which are not available in the scenario above.

Answer 1

Take a box of matches with you. In case of smells after your business or from the previous user, strike a match and extinguish it again immediately. It doesn’t remove the smell, but makes you not notice it anymore.

This doesn’t remove the fecal smell, but the sulfur compounds from striking the match cover the undesirable smells. Therefore there’s no need to leave the matches burning for a while, simply lighting them is enough.

Answer 2

The fastest way is also the ONLY way to remove the smell: "remove" the air with the smell.

Either open the door (no electricity required, the smell will dilute into the entire flat / house.

Or use a ventilator, like in any civilized country. The ventilator can be operated automatically with the lights. It is the best if the ventilator has the function to delay the turn-on (there is no need to remove fresh air at the beginning) and the turn-off (when the lights are turned off, there is still some smell left, which needs to be removed).

How to electrically wire those ventilators: we welcome you on Electrical Engineering SE.

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The real life-hacks:

1. If you need to go in-there shortly, take a big breath of fresh air outside, and then hold your breath inside. I do this occasionally myself.

2. If you need to be there for a longer time, breath deep and fast at the beginning. You will have those particles of farts and sh!t in your lungs anyway - but at least your brain gets accommodated with the stink and you will not feel it any more.

NOTE: Inhaling various fumes (like the fumes of burning / burnt matches, or from various chemicals, including deodorizers) can be a lot more dangerous to your health than plain discomfort.

Answer 3

If you need to go in there now . . .
My hack is instead of trying to remove the smell, prevent it reaching you.

• clip a clothes peg/pin on your nose

or pinch the nostrils closed with one hand (if you can manage your business like that :)

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