How Do You Clean A Smelly Kitchen Sink?

Beginner Info, Kitchen, Sink

How Do You Clean A Smelly Kitchen Sink
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So, how do you clean a smelly kitchen sink?

Let’s find out…

Before we dive deep into the discussion, let’s find out why your kitchen sink smell horrible?

Does it make sense?

Why does my kitchen sink smell horrible?

To be honest, from my past experience and knowledge, all I can say is that there are mainly two types of horrible smells that come from any kitchen.

  • A rotting food smell that will mainly come from the junk stuck in the drain or garbage disposal
  • Another type of smell is the sewer smell that comes mainly the gas leaking in through the drain trap or vent

Do let us know in the comment section if you’ve found out any other type of smell coming out of your kitchen.

Moving further, we would be discussing every aspect of the kitchen sink smell in order to help you make an informed decision.

Would it be wrong if I’ll say that a sink is undoubtedly the workhorse for any kitchen small or big?

Have you ever thought of what will all the debris, specks of dirt, and grease will do that you put down on a daily or weekly basis?

For your information, all the food particles, debris, and specks of dirt are capable of accumulating quickly and causing horrible smells.

Is the foul smell mainly due to rotten food particles?

I wouldn’t deny the fact that the main reason behind most of the kitchen sink stink is the rotten food particles but at the same time, you should also be aware of the fact that there can be many other causes of your kitchen sink smelling foul.

Don’t worry, we would be discussing each and every reason in detail.

You know what, grease and oil can coat inside of your pipe trapping food particles that should be flushed out.

Sewer Smell

The design and health of your house plumbing system need to be perfect to prevent any last-minute misadventure.

Are you aware of the fact that plumbing in your house is designed to contain harmful gases, flush away sewage, and also provide you with clean and potable water?

So, if you’re smelling sewer gas in your kitchen then the probability is very high that something has gone wrong with your plumbing system.

Of course, the smell is irritating for your nose but at the same time, you need to understand that there is more to it.

From my past experience, I can affirm that it may lead to health hazards.

So, you need to act very fast when your kitchen is having a smell of sewer gas.

And, things can become worst if you’re someone who has a compromised immune system because inhaling sewer gas for a longer duration can take a toll on your health.

P-Trap

As the name suggests, a p-trap is the curvy part of the pipe under the sink that looks like the letter “P” or “U”.

What actually it does is, isolate the drain line from the fixture that blocks irritating smells.

The trap under an individual fixture works by holding water at the bottom of the curve to block the smell.

So, if you’re keeping the P-trap dry it would cause the sewage smell to emanate from your sink.

Blockage

There is a small cap at the lowest point of the curve that allows you to check for blockages and clear them up if found.

Clear the blockage and run the water for a few seconds to fill the trap back to optimal levels.

Leak

The connections on either side of the P-trap are easy to remove.

First and foremost, you need to unscrew the connections and remove the P-trap.

At the same time, you need to be aware of the fact that it may be full of water.

Thoroughly check the pipe and make sure that it doesn’t have any leakage.

However, if you somehow find any leakage then, in that case, you need to get a replacement of trap of the same size.

Moreover, if you’re not able to find out any leakage then the best thing that you can do is to replace the P-trap and move on to the next potential cause.

Clogged Vent

In layman’s terms, every house has got at least one main vent that exists through the roof.

Not only all fixtures are supposed to be vented but also should possess a diameter of at least four inches.

The reason why I’m saying so is that it allows for the air in the piping to “vent” so that the water can move through the pipe freely.

On the other hand, if the vent is clogged then it can slow the water from draining properly.

How Do You Clean A Smelly Kitchen Sink?

By inculcating simple hacks, you can clean a smelly kitchen sink without any hassle.

I’ve personally tried these hacks and have also recommended them to the clients of izzysmarthomeguide.com.

So far, the feedback that we’ve received is amazing and mind-boggling and I hope that you’ll also get benefited from these steps.

Baking Soda

After you’ve washed your dishes and utensils, you need to sprinkle baking soda into your kitchen sink.

The next thing that you need to do is to scrub the sink, drain, and faucet area, if needed, take the help of elbow grease.

For reaping the maximum benefits, you need to make it a regular habit of sprinkling baking soda.

It will consume no more than a couple of minutes but doing it regularly can keep the horrible smell coming out of your kitchen sink at bay.

The thing that I really like about baking soda is its non-toxic nature.

It is capable of killing the sink stinks before it spreads just because of its capability to neutralize acidic pH odors.

Make Your Own Highly Effective Cleaner

Well, if you’re a DIYer like me, then I’ve got a piece of good news for you.

Yes, you guessed it, right.

You can make a highly effective non-toxic cleaner on your own that can help you to get rid of NOT so good smell coming out of your kitchen sink.

First and foremost, you need to prepare a solution of vinegar and water in equal proportion.

Also, add at least 30 drops of essential oil into the spray bottle.

Peppermint, rosemary, cinnamon are some of the essential oils that we recommend using with the solution.

Once you’re done with making your own non-toxic cleaner, the next thing that you need to do is to spray the mixture on the basin and allow it to settle for at least 15 minutes in order to optimize the end result.

Now, you need to wipe the solution with a damp rag.

Replace Nasty Sponges With Cotton Rags

Frankly speaking, nasty sponges can do more bad than good to you.

The reason why I’m saying this is because they may grow bacteria and will eventually smell.

Moreover, a sponge may act as a foul air-freshener pod.

So, I would suggest you should replace the nasty sponges with cotton rags for both washing dishes and surfaces.

The good thing about cotton rags is that you can reuse them after cleaning in a washing machine.

Making cotton rags are easy, all you need to do is to cut up old t-shirts and towels and put them to use.

Even Ice Can Do The Trick For You

I know many of you would be wondering how ice can help in getting rid of the stinky smell, right?

Well, if your sink is equipped with a garbage disposal then all you need to do is to grab 12 ice cubes from the freezer, and toss a few down the drain at a time.

Don’t forget to add 10 drops of essential oil and flip the switch.

Once you’re done with the aforementioned step, the next thing that you need to do is to run hot water for a few seconds.

Trust me, it will do the needful for you.

Use Your Fruit Drawer Finds

All you need to do is to cut lemon in small pieces, toss them into the disposal, and flip the switch.

In fact, orange peels and lime wedges are fragrant too.

The scent is clean and invigorating.

For the best result, you can use a lemon half, sprinkled with baking soda to scrub the basin first.

What actually happens is, natural citric acid will dissolve stuck-on food and overall freshen up the entire sink.

Refrain From Leaving Dirty Dishes In The Sink

If you’re using dishwasher for washing the utensils then nothing could suffice it, trust me.

However, if that isn’t the case, then my suggestion would be to NOT leave dirty dishes in your kitchen sink.

It goes without saying that letting dirty dishes sit in your kitchen sink will give birth to foul and irritating smell.

Unfortunately, food particles and residues when exposed to oxygen present in air will make them smell foul because the rotting will start.

You don’t have to wash the dishes just after your meal rather plug the drain, fill it with hot water and detergent, and slip the utensils into the soapy water.

In simple words, give your dishes a bubble bath.

To be precise, soaking will make the cleaning of utensils quicker and easier.

Get Rid Of Grease

It’s a known fact that grease and other hot liquids that get accumulated during the cooking process can stink.

Always, refrain from pouring them down the drain because it will do more bad than good.

We highly suggest you shouldn’t use hot grease, fat, or any heavy liquid down your kitchen sink drain.

Not only can it lead to clogging of pipe but also can eat away at materials in your drainage system.

So, you might be wondering what needs to be done, right?

Well, the best thing that you can do is to allow the grease and the left over cooking liquids to cool.

Use paper towels to sop up as much as you can, and dispose of them in a heavy-duty garage pail bag.

And, don’t forget to move the trash outside after this smelly task.

Wrapping Up | How Do You Clean A Smelly Kitchen Sink

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for being with us till the end.

Secondly, I would like to bring to your notice that I along with my core team have put loads and loads of effort in coming up with this idiosyncratic superlative piece of information.

And, in case, you liked our effort then please do share this post with the like-minded people and the ones who are in need for it.

After all, sharing is caring, isn’t it?

Cutting long-story-short, we’ve tried to the best of our capabilities to answer to the question, how do you clean a smelly kitchen sink?

Do let us know in the comment section, if we missed out anything, we would be more than happy to inculcate it in our post if our core team finds it genuine.

That’s all, as of now :):)

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