How to Clean a Smelly Drain

Have you ever gone into your kitchen only to detect a foul smell? You start searching—it’s not the garbage can, and it isn’t coming from the fridge. No, the perpetrator seems to be a smelly kitchen drain. Fortunately, with a bit of detective work and drain-cleaning efforts, you can eliminate that unpleasant odor and say hello to freshness!

What Causes a Stinky Drain?

Your sink can stink for many reasons. Pinpointing the cause is the best way to begin freshening up your kitchen and avoiding a recurrence. The most frequent causes include:

• Bacteria: A kitchen drain clogged with food particles, grease buildup and other sludge is a breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms that create unpleasant odors as they feed.
• Plugged drain: Stopped up pipes can lead to stagnant water and bacteria growth, making the smell worse.
• Sewer gases: If the P-trap underneath the sink dries out, sewer gases may waft from the drain, leading to a lingering sewer smell. This frequently happens in household plumbing fixtures that are not used anymore
• Plumbing mistakes: From DIY problems to missing traps or drain vents, plumbing issues can allow unwanted smells to enter your living space.

How to Fix a Stinky Drain

Here are four reliable ways to banish smelly drain odors:

• Hot water: Heat a mixture of water and vinegar almost to the boiling point and gradually pour it in the drain. The hot water clears out the sludge and vinegar counteracts the odor.
• Baking soda and vinegar: Get started with the hot water technique outlined above. If it’s insufficient, dump a cup of baking soda in the drain and then pour two cups of hot vinegar. Appreciate the fizz and let the solution work for an hour. Then, rinse the drain with more hot water to get rid of stubborn gunk and bacteria.
• P-trap cleaning: Don your safety gloves and put a bucket underneath the P-trap. Unfasten the pipe by hand or with a wrench, if necessary, and set it aside. Clean out the contents into the trash, wash out the pipe and reattach your sink’s plumbing.
• A note on bleach: Although it is a good antibacterial agent, bleach is not advisable for cleaning drains. It can harm your pipes and potentially create toxic gases, so avoid the use of bleach in this situation.

Tips for Pleasant-Smelling Drains

It’s simple to keep foul-smelling drains from happening with a little routine cleaning. Here’s what we suggest:

• Turn on your garbage disposal and flush it with cold water for 20 seconds after grinding up food to totally flush particles through the pipes.
• Clean the drain every week or so with a gallon of near-boiling water to stop the buildup of odor-causing particles.
• Run water into rarely used sinks to keep the P-trap filled. For more protection, put a small amount of mineral oil in the drain, because that reduces evaporation.
• Spread a handful of baking soda into the drain followed by hot water to absorb and reduce any odors.
• From time to time, follow up the baking soda process with a cup of white vinegar for a more intense clean. Let it sit for half an hour, then flush the drain completely with hot water.
• Use ground-up lemon or orange peels to leave your sink smelling nice and clean.
• Make use of enzyme cleaners to stop the buildup of odor-causing residue without resorting to the use of harsh chemicals.
• Hire a professional to inspect your plumbing occasionally. This can help find odor-causing issues before they become a concern.
• Avoid pouring grease and other kitchen scraps or substances down the drain that can easily clog or decay, such as coffee grounds and fibrous vegetables.
• Install mesh strainers to catch food scraps and other debris before they end up in drain. After that, empty the strainers into the trash to keep your pipes flowing smoothly and smelling fresh.
• Hire professional drain cleaning to ensure a comprehensive job. Licensed plumbers have the tools and expertise to deal with tough clogs and smelly problems. Additionally, they can give personalized advice specific to your residence’s plumbing system.

Schedule Experienced Drain Cleaning in Fort Lauderdale with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning

If your hard work trying to clean the smelly kitchen drain are not successful, it’s time to call in the professionals. Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is known for fast, enduring plumbing solutions in Fort Lauderdale, including professional drain cleaning. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee means we’re focused on your complete happiness.

So, the next time your smelly drains make you want to plug your nose, go with the knowledgeable pros at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. Schedule your appointment by contacting us at 954-736-4314 today!