How To Get Rid of Smelly Drains in the Kitchen

If your kitchen sink smells, don’t hesitate to contact the team at RDH Plumbing, Sewer, & Drain Specialist for help in Rockaway.

Kitchen sinks sustain a lot of daily abuse due to all the grease, oil, food, and other materials that go down the drain. It’s not uncommon for those drains to emit a foul odor that could seep throughout the kitchen, even if one takes precautions to limit debris in the garbage disposal or drain. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to get rid of smelly drains in the kitchen.

RDH Plumbing, Sewer, & Drain Specialist is one of Rockaway’s trusted drain cleaning companies. We know how frustrating it can be to notice foul odors from a drain, so below, we share tips on getting rid of bad smells in kitchen sinks.

1. Remove Food Debris From the Garbage Disposal

The first step in getting rid of smelly drains in the kitchen is to remove food from the garbage disposal. Begin by unplugging the disposal or flipping the breaker connected to it to ensure your safety. Putting your hand down the drain without turning off the power puts you at risk for injury from the disposal’s blades.

Carefully remove debris inside the garbage disposal when it’s safe to do so. The smell could be from leftover food particles rotting around the blades or the sides of the chamber

2. Use Hot Water and Dish Soap

After emptying the garbage disposal, plug up the drain. Next, fill the sink with hot water and dish detergent. Once you have a good amount of hot, soapy water in the sink, unplug the drain, turn on the garbage disposal, and let the water flow through it for a thorough cleaning.

You can do this trick several times if the smell doesn’t go away completely on the first try.

3. Try Baking Soda or Borax

Even if you don’t have a garbage disposal, you can try using baking soda or Borax to clean your drain and remove its bad smell. Dump half a cup of baking soda down the drain while running fresh water. This could help keep your sink smelling fresh if you do it once weekly.

If you don’t have baking soda, try Borax. Borax is a household cleaner suitable for many purposes, like cleaning floors, clothing, and dishwashers. You can use it like baking soda to freshen your kitchen sink’s drain.

4. Mix Citrus Peels and Ice With Coarse Salt

If the smell doesn’t go away, and you think it’s coming from your garbage disposal and not the drain, consider cleaning the blades with ice cubes, lemon or orange peels, and coarse salt. Put a handful of ice cubes into the disposal with an equal amount of coarse salt, then let the garbage disposal run.

The thick particles will help dislodge debris stuck to the disposal’s chamber and blades. Repeat the process once or twice with citrus peels. The fruit peels produce fragrant oils when the blades grind them, helping the sink smell better.

5. Pour Boiling Water Down the Drain

Sometimes, all you need to eliminate bad drain smells is boiling water. This is a great option if the odor is mild enough to notice but not strong enough to stink up the whole kitchen. Whenever you boil water for cooking, pour the remaining liquid down the drain while it’s hot to flush the drain.

This tip is most suitable for metal sinks. Porcelain sinks can crack from the heat of boiling water.

6. Combine Baking Soda, Boiling Water, and White Vinegar

Another way to handle smelly kitchen drains is by mixing baking soda, boiling water, and white vinegar. One part baking soda with two parts vinegar creates a foamy mixture that can clean drains well.

Start by dumping the baking soda into the drain and pouring the vinegar on top. Then, pour plenty of hot water into the drain to kill bacteria.

Contact RDH Plumbing, Sewer, & Drain Specialist for Professional Drain Cleaning

At RDH Plumbing, Sewer, & Drain Specialist, we know how to get rid of smelly drains in the kitchen without using damaging drain cleaning chemicals. Thanks to years of training and experience, our plumbers can uncover the source of your problems and quickly handle them expertly. As a top-rated plumbing company serving Rockaway, NJ, and its nearby neighborhoods, our efficient and skilled plumbers use the latest technology to improve plumbing networks.

No plumbing job is too big or small for our professional crew. Call (908) 540-6227 for an appointment with RDH Plumbing, Sewer, & Drain Specialist today.

Author Bio:
Rob Hernandez

At RDH Plumbing, Sewer, and Drain Specialists, we will take care of all your plumbing needs. We want you to be comfortable in your home. We will take all the stress away. We take great pride in our work and make sure we keep your home clean and that you are well taken care of.