How to get rid of a bad smell from your sink?
A beautiful bathroom, new shiny tiles and modern fittings. It could be perfect - if not for the bad odour coming out from the sink. It is a common issue which might appear in a house as well as in an apartment. Is it your problem as well? If so, you should check how to get rid of a smelly sink drain. It’s not as difficult as it seems.
Why does your sink smell?
There are many causes of a smelly sink. Bad installation, incorrect drain connection or wrong, low-quality equipment are common factors. In some cases, one can eliminate the bad odor from the sink by purchasing a proper drain with a metal strainer.
Other causes for a smelly sink drain involve too extreme exploitation of the system or the contrary - its sporadic use.
Not cleaning the kitchen or bathroom sink at all is also a common cause. It leads to one issue - a clogged sink drain.
Another reason for a smelly sink is a bad ventilation system - but it’s a completely different issue. Depending on the space the unpleasant smell concerns - adequate solutions must be applied.
A clogged kitchen or bathroom drain - what is the issue?
A sink is a central point in every bathroom. It is used many times throughout a day - especially if a larger number of people live in the house. If the sink is not regularly cleaned, it might result in a clogged drain. It’s even more important when one shaves over the sink. In this case the hair might flow down the drain and clog the sink.
It is quite similar for the kitchen sink. Food residues are a side effect of meals preparation and washing the dishes. Without regular cleaning, a clogged sink and the foul smell in the house is difficult to avoid. Probably everyone would like to avoid that.
How to get rid of the smell from your sink?
You can easily remove the bad odour from your sink with salt. Just put 3-4 tablespoons of salt into the drain and leave if for half an hour. Then rinse it thoroughly - use cold water.
It is the most popular method, which works if there are residues inside which cause the unpleasant smell. If you are sure that the plumbing system in your house has been installed correctly, the simple method to avoid a smelly sink is proper hygiene and the mentioned salt.
It might happen that the issue was ignored for so long that the pipes have been clogged. In this case one has to unblock the pipes.
Check the home remedies for clogged pipes - the best way to unclog your sink
If the clogged sink means blocked pipes, you can use a very easy method with baking soda, vinegar and boiling water. How to unclog the sink with this method?
It is very easy. Just pour a glass of baking soda into the drain and pour boiling water over it. After 15 minutes add another glass of soda and a glass of vinegar. The mixture will start to fizz up. Pour more boiling water after another 15 minutes. The clogged sink has no chance - the problem solved. Baking soda and vinegar for pipes is a commonly known and frequently used method since many years.
What else can you do to unclog the sink? You could use the basic object which should be in every house - a plunger. It can be used both for kitchen and bathroom sinks. How to unclog a sink? Just press the cup to the drain. When the plunger forms a seal around the drain, just move the handle. The suction will move the clog.
Chemicals for a clogged sink
If home remedies don’t work and your sink remains clogged - try using chemicals you can buy in every supermarket. This way, you can remove the obstruction and kill the bacterias and the unpleasant, foul smell from your sink.
Preventive measures - a clogged sink will not be an issue for you
Both home remedies and store-bought chemicals can be used not only in case a problem occurs. It is also recommended to use them as a preventive measure, from time to time, e.g. once in a month. This way you can significantly reduce the risk of a smelly or clogged sink.
For kitchen sinks - as another prevention, you can invest in a special strainer to put it in the drain. It protects the piping by stopping larger elements which could cause a clogged sink and force you to unblock the drain.
What if nothing works?
It is possible that despite using all the presented methods the problem of a smelly sink still persists - even if you have managed to unclog the sink. What to do then? How to remove an odour from the sink? The most likely cause of it is a faulty plumbing ventilation system. The water is probably sucked out from drains which causes the smell in the sink.
The only solution for that is calling a specialist, and possibly reconstructing the system. This will remove the smell from the sink permanently.
A well designed plumbing ventilation system contributes to the comfort of using sanitary appliances. Modifying the installation at the stage of construction is no problem at all. It is much more difficult when the building is already finished. It might also generate additional costs. Of course a building with a faulty plumbing ventilation can be inhabited, however the unpleasant smell might be troublesome.
FAQ
How to unclog a sink?
To unclog a sink, use baking soda, vinegar and boiling water. After pouring boiling water and soda into the drain, pour another portion of soda and add vinegar. Then rinse it with boiling water.
