Natural Remedies for a Smelly Kitchen Sink Drain

Few things are more annoying in a home than a smelly kitchen sink. A kitchen sink drain can take on a sour, musty smell from time to time. Fortunately, there are some home remedies you can try before you call a plumber. The following are some strategies you can try to remove the smelly odor from your kitchen sink drain.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

It seems vinegar is a cure-all for many household issues. You can add cleaning a smelly sink to that list. When you add baking soda into the mix, you get a chemical reaction to help eat away at all the bacteria that is smelling up your kitchen sink drain.

To try this method, you need one cup of vinegar and baking soda. You first pour the baking soda into the kitchen sink drain. You then pour the vinegar into the drain. As soon as you add the vinegar, you will notice a fizzing and bubbling effect. This effect is not going to hurt your kitchen sink drain.

Allow the vinegar and baking soda mixture to sit in the drain for several minutes. The longer you allow the mixture to sit, the better the drain will smell. After some time passes, flush the kitchen sink drain with hot water. For the best effect, add boiling water to help wash everything away more thoroughly.

Ice and Borax

Another method to try is the combination of ice and borax. This method only works if you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen. Borax is a common household cleaner that you can use in a variety of ways. It is most commonly used in laundry applications, but you can use it as an abrasive to help with scrubbing as well. Ice helps to remove any debris that may be the source of the smell.

For this method, you need a few tablespoons of borax and a cup of ice cubes. First, pour the borax into the kitchen sink drain, followed by the ice cubes. Next, turn on the garbage disposal and let it run for several seconds. You should notice a fresher smell after you turn the garbage disposal off. You can follow up with hot water to rinse the borax away.

Ice and Salt

Similar to the borax and ice method, you can also do the same with ice and salt. This is particularly helpful if you do not have borax in your home. For this method, you need a cup of salt and a couple of cups of ice cubes. You then follow the same instructions for the borax and ice method.

Ice and Lemon

Lemon is a natural deodorizer and smells really nice when you place lemon into the garbage disposal. When you add ice, you can more easily reach the inside of the pipes with the lemon oils.

For this method, you need a large lemon peeled and quartered and one cup of ice cubes. Place the lemons into the kitchen sink drain, followed by the ice cubes. Turn on the garbage disposal and allow it to run for several seconds. You should notice a very pleasant, lemon smell coming from the drain. The lemon will help keep the drain fresh smelling and remove any buildup causing the smell.  

These methods are quick and easy ways to clean up your kitchen sink drain without using harsh chemicals. However, if you continue to notice a smelly kitchen sink drain, there could be a more complicated problem with your plumbing. If you have performed a cleaning method and you still have a bad odor, you need to call your plumber to get to the bottom of the problem.

Please give us a call at Action Heating & Plumbing so we can help you figure out your plumbing issue.