Get Rid of Your Stinky Drain

Have you ever walked into your kitchen only to detect a foul smell? You start looking around—it’s not the garbage can, and the nasty odor is clearly not the fridge. No, the cause seems to be an icky and pungent kitchen drain. Fortunately, with a bit of detective work and drain-cleaning efforts, you can eliminate that annoying stench and say hello to freshness!

What Causes a Stinky Drain?

Your sink can develop an offensive odor for many reasons. Identifying the cause is the best way to begin freshening up your kitchen and stopping a recurrence. The most frequent offenders include:

• Bacteria: A kitchen drain clogged with food particles, grease buildup and other crud is a breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms that produce unpleasant odors as they feed.
• Plugged drain: Blocked pipes can lead to stagnant water and bacteria growth, making the smell worse.
• Sewer gases: If the P-trap below the sink dries out, sewer gases may waft from the drain, triggering a lingering sewer smell. This oftentimes happens in seldom-used plumbing fixtures
• Plumbing flaws: From DIY mishaps to missing traps or drain vents, plumbing issues can allow nasty smells to enter your living space.

Ways to Clear a Stinky Drain

Here are four tried-and-true strategies to cure pungent drain odors:

• Hot water: Heat a mixture of water and vinegar until it nearly boils and carefully pour it down the drain. The hot water clears out the debris and vinegar counteracts the scent.
• Baking soda and vinegar: Get started with the hot water strategy explained above. If it’s insufficient, dump a cup of baking soda in the drain and follow that with two cups of hot vinegar. Watch it fizz and leave it for an hour. Then, flush the drain with more hot water to tackle stubborn gunk and bacteria.
• P-trap cleaning: Don your rubber gloves and put a bucket below the P-trap. Unscrew the pipe by hand or with a wrench, if necessary, and take the pipe out. Dump the contents into the trash, flush any leftovers out of the pipe and reattach your sink’s plumbing.
• A note on bleach: Although bleach is an effective antibacterial agent, bleach is not recommended for cleaning drains. It can harm your pipes and may create toxic gases, so avoid the use of bleach in this scenario.

How to Keep Your Drains Smelling Fresh

It’s not hard to keep smelly drains under control with a little maintenance. Here’s what we encourage:

• Operate your garbage disposal and rinse with cold water for 20 seconds after grinding up food to totally flush particles through the pipes.
• Rinse the drain once a week with a gallon of near-boiling water to stop the buildup of odor-causing debris.
• Run water down rarely used sinks to keep the P-trap filled. For extra protection, put a small amount of mineral oil in the drain, because that slows down evaporation.
• Sprinkle a handful of baking soda into the drain and follow that with hot water to absorb and counteract odors.
• From time to time, follow up the baking soda treatment with a cup of white vinegar for a deeper clean. Leave it there for 30 minutes, then clean the drain completely with hot water.
• Grind lemon or orange peels to leave your sink smelling nice and clean.
• Utilize enzyme cleaners to stop the buildup of odor-causing residue without turning to harsh chemicals.
• Hire a pro to check your plumbing occasionally. This can help find odor-causing issues before they become a big problem.
• Don’t pour grease and other food items into the drain that can easily clog or decompose, such as coffee grounds and fibrous vegetables.
• Try using mesh strainers to catch food scraps and other debris before they get caught in the drain. After that, empty the strainers into the trash to keep your pipes flowing easily and smelling clean.
• Schedule professional drain cleaning to ensure a properly done job. Licensed plumbers have the tools and knowledge to deal with tough clogs and smelly problems. Plus, they can supply you with personalized advice specific to your residence’s plumbing system.

Get Experienced Drain Cleaning in Canada with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

If your efforts to clean the stinky kitchen drain don’t work, it’s time to call in the professionals. Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing is known for fast, enduring plumbing solutions in Canada, including professional drain cleaning. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee means we’re dedicated to your complete happiness.

So, the next time your smelly drains make you want to gag, reach out to the knowledgeable pros at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Make your appointment by calling 866-397-3787 today!