When there is an unpleasant smell coming from the kitchen, most people usually think that the garbage is the cause. However, there are times when the smell persists even after taking out the trash and cleaning every corner of the room. If you are dealing with this embarrassing problem, it is time to look into your kitchen drain. Many are the times when solid food particles, grease and other organic matter gets clogged inside the drainage pipe. The unpleasant smell comes from the rotting of this organic food matter. As long as you have singled out the kitchen as the main source of the foul odour, you can try the following steps to get rid of it.
Removing the garbage from the trap
If you look below your kitchen sink, you will see a U-shaped pipe which joins the sink to the general drainage pipe. The pipe is supposed to be a trap for all the food particles that are poured down the sink. To remove garbage from the trap, you have to remove this pipe and then manually take out all the dirt clogged inside it. On the other hand, if you have a garbage disposal system in the kitchen, you only need to run it to get rid of all the garbage trapped inside.
Pouring hot water down the drain
The food particles in the sink drain rot because of bacteria action on them. The bacteria can be killed by simply pouring boiling water down the drain. Just boil some fresh water and pour it inside the sink. After pouring the water, do not touch the sink because it will be hot and can burn your skin. For maximum effectiveness when using hot water to kill smells, make sure that you add a teaspoonful or two of baking soda to the water which you want to pour down the drain.
Using bleach, vinegar and lemon juice
If you use baking soda and the smell does not clear, add a little household bleach down the drain. You can also mix in vinegar with some hot water or pour lemon juice down the drain. These three items are handy in eliminating bad smells.
These are a few guidelines that you can follow to eliminate bad smells from your sink. Note that the best solution for a smelly sink is avoiding the accumulation of solid food particles in the system altogether. If the smell persists after these hacks, do not hesitate to call in a plumber at a company like A and C Plumbing to help you figure out the problem.