How to Clean a Smelly Drain

How to Clean a Stinky Drain

There are few instances where you’ll put on your investigative hat faster than when you smell something stinky in your kitchen or bathroom. After ruling out people, pets, and trash cans, there’s often only one possible offender: stinky drains.

A stinky shower drain, an odorous kitchen drain, and a foul-smelling bathroom drain can all be awful to contend with. Still, the good news is that a small amount of investigating, cleaning, and a few preventative measures may have you saying goodbye to your stinky sink drain for good.

In this article, we’ll provide some helpful information on why you have a foul-smelling drain and how to clean a stinky drain. You can be the master of how to get rid of drain odors in no time!

What Causes a Stinky Drain?

Before you learn how to clean stinky drains, it’s helpful to know why they smell in the first place! Many factors can contribute to foul odors in your shower, laundry, kitchen, or bathroom drains, including some of the following:

Gunk and Bacteria

It’s not always just water we send down our sink drains. Gunk and bacteria can also be journeying through our pipes. Soap particles, food, hair, grease, and general gunk and grime can be frequent visitors in drain pipes. Not only can they be a clog risk, but they can also attract bacteria and release foul odors.

Clogged Vent Pipes

A clogged vent pipe might be to blame if you’re dealing with a stinky bathroom sink drain or foul odors in your kitchen or laundry. If debris is located in your drain and clogs your drain vents, water can begin to pool in your sink. Over time, that standing water can become stagnant and promote bacterial growth. You may then start to notice foul odors!

Sewer Gases

Have you noticed a sulfur-like smell in your drain? You might have a sewer gas issue. A clogged or partially clogged drain can be responsible for that awful sulfur odor. As bacteria build up in the P-trap over time, it can create hydrogen sulfide gas.

However, that’s not the only cause. Empty P-traps can also allow sewer gases to rise from your drain. This issue is typically more common in sinks that aren’t used as often as others. Without any water in your P-trap, gases from your sewer line can rise out of the drain. Sometimes, a dirty garbage disposal in your kitchen can also create a sulfur-like smell!

Plumbing Errors

Have you let an overly ambitious DIYer near your pipes and drains? Rotting drain tubes, missing traps or vents, and leaks can all contribute to a foul-smelling drain. Finding a stinky drain remedy can sometimes be the least of your worries – you may need to call licensed service professionals for help.

What to Use for Stinky Drains: A List of Supplies

Are you taking your stinky drain into your own hands? You’ll need a few supplies to get started. Most service professionals recommend homeowners have the following for home stinky drain remedies:

• Water or distilled white vinegar (heated until near-boiling)
• Baking soda
• Rubber gloves
• A wrench
• A bucket
• A hose

How to Fix Stinky Drains: Simple Household Remedies

Cleaning a stinky sink drain or another drain in your house doesn’t have to be an overly complicated or scientific task. Whether you have a stinky kitchen sink drain or problematic odors in your bathroom or laundry, you may like to try some of these simple methods:

Hot Liquid

If you’ve been thinking about what to pour down a stinky drain, start with hot liquids. Bring a pot of distilled white vinegar or water to a near-boil and slowly pour half down the drain. Wait a few minutes, rinse the pipe with cold water to solidify any leftover gunk, then pour the rest of the liquid down the drain to wash it away.

Many people prefer vinegar over hot water when they learn how to clean a stinky bathroom drain or kitchen drain because it has gentle cleaning properties.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

If you’ve searched ‘Clean stinky drain with vinegar and baking soda,’ you’re certainly on the right track. Baking soda and vinegar are worth exploring to clean a stinky drain.

Run your hot faucet for several seconds before turning it off. Tip one cup of baking soda down your drain, followed by two cups of hot vinegar. Let it fizz, then flush the drain with hot tap water after one hour. The fizzing reaction of the vinegar and baking soda together may kill odor-causing bacteria and help clean any gunk stuck in your drain.

Clean the P-Trap

Whether you’re dealing with a general ‘garbage’ odor or a sulfur smell, cleaning the P-trap might be an effective solution for giving the odor its marching orders. Put on your rubber gloves and get to work. Cleaning the P-trap of stinking house drains may be how you eliminate strong odors emanating through your home.

Start by putting a bucket underneath the curved part of your drainpipe beneath the sink. Once your bucket is well positioned, you can remove the curved portion of the pipe. Empty any water and gunk from the trap into the bucket. Rinse the P-trap outside with a garden hose and reassemble it before using the sink.

Clean the Drain Vent

A clogged drain vent can often contribute to foul smells from your drains. If you suspect your drain vent is responsible for a smelly drain, make it your priority. Most drain vents can be found in a single opening on the roof. Let a competent person climb a ladder to clean away leaves and debris contributing to a drain vent clog.

Can I Use Bleach for Cleaning a Stinky Drain?

As you read any ‘How to clean a stinky sink drain’ guide, you may notice that bleach isn’t typically recommended for stinky drains in bathroom areas, kitchens, or anywhere else in your home. While bleach is an effective cleaning product for many things, it’s not something most service professionals recommend for cleaning smelly drains. It can damage pipes and release dangerous gases if it lingers in your drain and mixes with ammonia.

What to Do for Stinky Drains Long-Term

There is no shortage of home remedies when you type ‘How to clean a stinky shower drain’ or 'How to get rid of a stinky sink drain’ into a search engine. However, you don’t have to wait until you have a stinky drain before you take action. You can also take preventative measures, such as the following:

• Run your garbage disposal and faucet for 20 seconds whenever you dispose of food down your kitchen sink
• Pour a gallon of nearly-boiling water down your drains once a week
• Occasionally run water down infrequently used sinks to keep the P-trap full of water. The addition of mineral oil may slow evaporation.

FAQs About How To Fix A Stinky Drain

Many homeowners encounter plumbing woes that they’re unsure how to combat. Hiring trained service professionals for proper drain cleaning is always an excellent option. However, we’ve provided answers to some of the more commonly asked questions below:

What Causes a Stinky Floor Drain?

Floor drains are plumbing fixtures installed in floor structures to remove standing water. While they usually function at their best, they can become the source of foul odors over time. Debris, grease, soap scum, and organic matter are common causes of a stinky floor drain.

What Causes a Stinky Washer Drain?

A stinky washer drain or stinky laundry drain can be frustrating, especially when your laundry, washing machine, and clothing can smell like sewage. In most cases, a clog in the drain pipe can be to blame. Try some of our drain cleaning methods above to combat a stinky laundry room drain.

What Causes Stinky Drains in the Kitchen?

Many factors can contribute to stinky drains in the kitchen, including a clogged vent, gas, your garbage disposal unit, plumbing errors, bacteria, mold, and gunk.

What Causes a Stinky Shower Drain?

If you’ve been putting up with a stinky shower drain or stinky tub drain, you may be curious about the cause. Talk to your local service professional about possible drain clogs, dry P-traps, biofilm buildup, and leaky pipes. Drain clogs are among the most common, with soap scum, hair, mineral deposits, sand, dirt, and even small items, making their way into your drain pipes.

Contact Mr. Rooter for Professional Drain Cleaning

You don’t have to tackle smelly drains on your own. In fact, why not leave this task in the capable hands of trained experts? Whether you have stinky commercial or residential drains, contact your local Mr. Rooter Plumbing for professional drain cleaning services.

We offer licensed experts, modern plumbing equipment, and emergency services for your peace of mind. Find a location near you today.