Most individuals don’t think about their drains until something bad happens. A smelly or clogged drain is frequently the source of this unpleasant experience.
The stench of a clogged drain can permeate the entire house. Sometimes, a clogged kitchen drain gives off a rotten-food odor, which grows worse when the dishwasher is running.
At times, your bathroom sink or shower drains may also stink like a sewer. Your washing machine’s drain can also give off that odor.
So it is necessary to clean your sinks, shower drains, and kitchen drains regularly to avoid odors. While scented candles or potpourri might mask foul drain scents, you must address the source to completely eliminate odors.
You may avoid smelly drains by learning how to clean drains and maintain them regularly. In this article, we will discuss how to clean smelly bathroom drains.
What Causes Smelly Drains?
1. For Kitchen Drains
Grease accumulation in kitchen drains retains food waste, generating bacteria and attracting pests like fruit flies, causing them to stink. You may have a dry P-trap if your kitchen sink drain smells, especially if it smells like sewer.
Under the sink, the P-trap is the curved section of the pipe. Its purpose is to hold water, forming a seal that prevents sewage gases from entering your kitchen.
Water must be present in the P-trap at all times. There could be an issue with the drain pipe or vent, which could be due to pipe damage or a blockage in your vent.
2. For Bathroom Drains and Sinks
There are a few possible causes of odors in bathroom drains and sinks. Fortunately, cleaning a stinky drain in a bathroom sink is simple if you have the right tools. A functional P-trap is necessary to clean a bathroom sink and eliminate filthy bathroom drains.
The bent piece of piping under the sink is known as a P-trap, and its purpose is to form a seal by retaining water, preventing sewage gases from entering the bathroom.
3. For Shower and Bathtub Drains
Your shower drain or bathtub drain may smell for a variety of reasons. The strength of the scents and what’s generating the drain smell will determine how to clean them.
Germs that cause odors may be feasting on debris in your pipes, and this process produces a toxic hydrogen sulfide gas that smells like sewage or rotten eggs.
Mold thrives in warm, moist environments, and mold development on the material causes a drain clog to emit a foul odor. To minimize odors and other drain difficulties, such as mold, it’s critical to clear your drains.
How To Clean Smelly Bathroom Drains
The good news is that removing the odor from your drain usually does not require the services of a plumber. Most of the time, no extra equipment is required. Nontoxic home items are used in these approaches, which you presumably already have on hand.
Many people find that using a combination of strategies is the most effective. If your drain continues to stink, try a different strategy. Here are some tips on how to clean smelly drains and maintain them in your home.
1. Hot Water Method
Hot water and dish soap can clear foul drains in the same way they clean greasy dishes. We need to boil water in this procedure and then turn off the heat.
Several squirts of liquid dish detergent should be added at this point. Pour half of the mixture into the drain gently and wait five minutes for the oily buildup to dissolve.
To harden any remaining oil, turn on your cold water tap to full blast and let it run for a full minute. Finally, pour the remaining hot water into the drain to clear the clogged drain.
2. Using Vinegar
Vinegar works as an excellent deodorizer. Dissolving biofilm or other debris also cuts through grease to assist in clearing smelly drains. Small obstructions, which are often the source of the drain’s odor, can also be broken up with hot vinegar.
To clear your stinking drain, bring four cups of vinegar to a boil, then pour half of it down the drain. Run cold water for a minute before rinsing the drain with the remaining hot vinegar.
3. Using Baking Soda
The foaming action of vinegar and baking soda can clean and deodorize dirty drains. To use this procedure:
• Run hot water for a minute down the drain to soften any accumulation in the drainpipe.
• Pour 1 cup baking soda (bicarbonate) down the drain, followed by 2 cups vinegar.
• Wait for the fizzing to finish, then run hot and cold water through the drain for one minute each.
4. Using Plastic Drain Snake
A snake hose drill, also known as a drain snake, comprises a flexible metal tube and a plastic tube containing an auger. The drill should be inserted into the obstructed drain.
Hold the plastic tube tightly in your hands and turn the handle on the flexible tube’s opposite end while you force it into the drain. If you don’t have a drain snake, a metal wire coat hanger or another piece of wire will suffice.
Make a hook on the other end of the wire and carefully slide it down the drain until the clog is reached. Pull the wire out slowly.
If your attempt is successful, you’ll normally find a clump of hair and muck connected to the hook, so be sure to clean both the hook and the washroom well.
5. By Using a Plunger
To unclog your shower drain, try using your plunger. But first, dab some petroleum jelly on the plunger’s edge to improve the seal. Place the plunger on top of the drain cover.
Fill the shower with just enough hot water to submerge the plunger’s end, and then plunge forcefully until the clogged drain is no longer visible.
6. Cleaning the P-trap
For this purpose, first, the curved section of the plumbing is disconnected from the sink with a wrench. Remove any remaining filth and water from the trap and place it in a bucket.
Using a garden hose, rinse the p-trap outside. Reattach the p-trap to the plumbing system after it’s clean, and then use the sink. Remove any trapped debris if the issue is a clogged drain vent.
If you don’t have the right safety equipment, it’s advisable to seek professional assistance. The same is true for sewer line issues, which a professional plumber can only fix.
Useful Tips For Cleaning Your Drain
Follow these tips:
1. By preventing smelly drains from occurring in the first place, you can avoid dealing with the problem of how to clean them.
2. Never pour fat, grease, and oil into the drain.
3. Food scraps should be thrown away or added to a compost pile.
4. Once a week, pour boiling water down all drains in the house.
5. The baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water stage should be done at least once a month.
6. Maintain the cleanliness of your waste disposal.
7. To avoid the p-trap drying out, run your taps frequently.