How to Freshen Up a Smelly Drain
How to Get Rid of Bad Odors from Your Drain
Does your kitchen or bathroom drain smell bad? While this is great when the smell of a dirty home becomes too much to bear, a smelly drain can make your entire abode feel dirty when it’s not. The good news — you can fix it (in short order) with common household products. In this guide, we’ll reveal simple, effective methods to make a stinky drain smell fresh and keep it fresh.
For professional help, check out Cleaning Services Round Rock for top-notch cleaning services in your area.
Why Is Your Drain Smelly?
Before we get into how to fix the issue, let’s first explore why drains smell in the first place.
Food Residue: Old bits of food can putrefy and leave behind smells.
Grease And Oil Buildup: These materials trap food bits as well as bacteria, which makes the odor worse.
Soap Scum and Hair: In bathroom drains, soap and hair mix to form gunk that smells.
Dry P-trap: If a drain isn’t used regularly, the P-trap water evaporates, allowing sewer gases to escape.
How to Make a Smelly Drain Smell Better Naturally
You don’t need a lot of super harsh chemicals to treat a reeky drain. Consider some natural and simple alternatives.
1. Baking Soda and Vinegar
Vinegar and baking soda produce a fizzy reaction that dislodges grime and kills odor.
How to use:
Dump ½ cup of baking soda down the drain.
Add 1 cup of white vinegar.
Let it fizz for 15 minutes.
Flush with hot water.
2. Lemon and Salt Scrub
Lemons leave behind a bright, fresh scent; salt scrubs off grease and grime.
How to use:
Cut a lemon in half.
Add a pinch of salt to the cut side.
Clean around the drain opening.
Rinse with warm water.
3. Boiling Water and Dish Soap
Hot water melts grease, and dish soap eliminates stinky odors.
How to use:
Boil a pot of water.
Add a few drops of dish soap.
Take your hot water and slowly pour it down the drain.
4. Ice, Salt, and Lemon Peels for Garbage Disposals
For smelly garbage disposals, run ice, salt, and lemon peels through it to clean.
How to use:
Toss in a few ice cubes and some course salt.
Use cold water when running the disposal.
Cutting lemon peels and running one more time.
Preventing Future Drain Odors
As great as fixing a smelly drain is, preventing odors is better!
Flush Drains Weekly
Once a week, pour boiling water down your drains to wash away grease and soap build-up.
Use a Drain Strainer
Its strainer catches food, hair, and debris before either clogs your pipes. Please keep it clean to avoid any bad smell.
Keep Your P-trap Full
For a drain you don’t use often, run water down it every few weeks to keep the P-trap full (and block sewer gases from entering the home).
Do Not Dump Grease Down the Drain
Instead of running grease down the drain, collect it in a jar and discard when it cools.
When to Call a Professional
You may need to call out a pro if your drain is still stinking after those solutions. Here are some indicators that you may need professional assistance:
The odor is emanating from several of the drains.
The smell is similar to rotten eggs or sewer gas.
Water drains slowly or is backing up.
Visit Apartment Cleaning Austin website for expert deep cleaning and drain maintenance.
Conclusion
No one likes a smelly drain, but now you know how to fix it! Using common household items, get rid of those odours and keep your home smelling fresh. Good habits and regular upkeep will keep smells from returning in the future.
If you need a deep-cleaning service, visit Cleaning Services Round Rock for local professionals.
Name: Sparkly Maid Austin Cleaning Services
Address: 200 Congress Ave. Suite 200, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 617-5979
