On the surface, your sink may look spotless. But this is the very drain through which much of your food waste is expelled. You may not know your sink requires a deep cleaning until you catch a nasty whiff of what’s brewing out of your sight and inside your sink drain.
Why Kitchen Drain Smells Occur
Think about how often you pour out drinks, juices, milk, or wash down yogurts, fruits, meats, bread, cereal, etc., down your kitchen sink drain. Even daily, we use our kitchen sink plenty of times to remove food waste from our plates, silverware, pots, and pans. Now, compile in your imagination seven days of using your garbage disposal for different foods, fats, and grease, and you’ll start to wonder why your kitchen drain wouldn’t stink!
Dirty Garbage Disposal
Your garbage disposal uses blades to cut up any food debris into your sink drain, preventing the easy build-up of food waste and any otherwise easily avoidable drain clogging. Unfortunately, scum from your food waste can catch on your disposal’s blades and, if left long enough, will rot and start stinking up your kitchen.
Problem With P-Trap or U-Bend
The P-trap or U-bend pipe underneath your kitchen sink retains water to block any sewage gases from entering your drain and into your kitchen. If you leak your U-bend, for instance, the water which is supposed to stay and block those dreaded smells won’t remain very long.
Also, suppose you haven’t used your sink in quite a while. In that case, the water in your trap will eventually evaporate, leaving your kitchen exposed. But this can be easily fixed by simply running your faucet to refill the trap.
How To Get Rid of Kitchen Sink Smells
So you’re faced with a stinky sink, but you’re not ready to call in the professionals. There are plenty of DIY remedies to clean your kitchen drain, including homemade cleaning solutions which you’re likely able to make with ingredients you already have.
Whether you’ve got a full-blown drain clog or would like to give your sink drain the nice deep clean it deserves, here are some options you can choose from before immediately calling your local plumber.
Boiling Water
Boiling water is a great way to soften and flush out scum build-up from the likes of soap and grease along the walls of your piping.
- Boil a pot of water.
- Slowly pour it down your drain, a little at a time.
- Wait about 5 minutes.
- Run cold water to congeal any remaining grease.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Vinegar and baking soda are even better than boiling water if you need a thorough drain clearing and cleaning solution.
- Prepare 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar (any will work, including white vinegar).
With both of your baking soda and vinegar cups ready at hand, pour half a cup of baking soda down your drain. - Next, slowly pour half of your cup of vinegar into the drain. You should hear fizzing – the chemical reaction between your baking soda and vinegar.
- Pour boiling water down your drain to give it an excellent clean flush.
Baking Soda and Salt
Salt and baking soda are another quick home remedy for clearing and cleaning your drain.
- Mix half a cup of salt and half a cup of baking soda and pour it down your drain.
- Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Finally, prepare boiling water and pour it slowly down your drain to clear away your solution.Finally, prepare boiling water and pour it slowly down your drain to clear away your solution.
Bio-Enzyme Drain Cleaner
Suppose your homemade mixes aren’t quite doing the trick. In that case, bio-enzyme solutions are non-toxic chemical cleaners that effectively eat away any remaining food debris without damaging your pipes.
You can buy another ready-made, chemical-based cleaner at your local grocer, but beware of the dangers of chemical solutions. Be sure to follow their instructions and wear protective gear as it applies.
Check the U-Bend
It’s a good idea to check out your U-bend when experiencing an abnormal amount of sewage smell from your sink. A few problems can occur, which range from a simple fix to needing the services of a professional plumber.
Evaporated water? Typically when you haven’t used your sink for some time (maybe you were out of town), the water which is supposed to stay in your U-bend will evaporate, allowing free entrance for sewage gas fumes the water would have otherwise blocked.
A leak? If you notice drippage or damp spots underneath your sink, it looks like you’ve got yourself a leak in your U-bend. Consult your trusted professional plumber for servicing the leak.
A blockage? If there’s remaining debris after you’ve flushed your drain with your drain clearing and cleaning solutions, remove your U-bend with a wrench, remove any remaining waste and clean it out with a wire brush.
How To Minimize Future Odors
As with keeping anything clean, it’s all about good habits and routine maintenance. Here are some ways to minimize the common causes and prevent future odors from spoiling your mealtimes.
Drain covers or screens are a great way to keep larger food waste scraps from building up within your drain pipe.
Before watching them in your sink, use paper towels to soak and scrape off any remaining fat and grease from your pots and pans.
Pour any leftover boiling water you’ve prepared soon down your drain to flush and clean any gunk or bacteria in your pipe.
Pour some baking soda into your drain once a week, especially when you won’t be using it for a while.
Have your trusted local plumber routinely check your piping for any leaks or other problems that could be prevented from worsening.
Find Drain Clearing Services You Can Trust at Deer Valley Plumbing
Sometimes your DIY, homemade drain cleaning and clearing solutions aren’t enough to fix your problem. We offer emergency services and same-day scheduling at Deer Valley Plumbing to clear those clogs and get those pipes flowing freely again. In addition, we provide drain-clearing methods such as hydro-jetting, which ensures you a powerful, long-lasting solution for handling any drain clogging you might be facing.
We offer professional drain cleaning services in the following locations:
Phoenix drain cleaning & repair
Glendale drain cleaning & repair
Tempe drain cleaning & repair
Scottsdale drain cleaning & repair
Cave Creek drain cleaning & repair
Anthem drain cleaning & repair
Desert Hills drain cleaning & repair
Peoria drain cleaning & repair
Paradise Valley drain cleaning & repair
And, if you’re in Colorado, check out the Fort Collins drain cleaning services from our friends at Lion Home Service today!