As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to Prevent Nasty Smells From A Kitchen Sink

Nasty smells from a kitchen sink is a common problem. Unfortunately, for many of us, the first sign that there is an issue with our drains is a foul smell. It is often the case that pipes will remain free-flowing and appear fine from the outside, yet the problem may be hidden internally and can grow out of control if not dealt with immediately. Cure and prevent nasty smells from a kitchen sink by following our advice below:

Curing Sink Smells

Start With the Basics

Before throwing all kinds of chemicals down your sink, it is best to start with boiling water. If fat and grease is responsible for your blockage, then hot water is likely to melt it and clear the blockage. Also hot water is great at killing bacteria, which can be a source of the smell. However, hot water is not always the answer as it cant dissolve particles like eggshells, or hair.

Baking Soda

Using baking soda is a simple and inexpensive method to clear your kitchen sink pipes. The reaction between the baking soda and vinegar, along with hot water will loosen up any debris that has built up in your drains.

Start by pouring a full pot of boiling water down the drain.
Add half a cup of baking soda. Then leave the powder to sit for a few minutes.
Next add a mixture of hot vinegar and hot water (about 50% mix).
Cover the drain with a plug if you have one, and leave for about 10 minutes.
Flush once more with hot water.
Your sink should now smell a lot better. You can repeat this from the beginning if necessary.

Preventing Sink Smells

Pour Boiling Water

The hotter the water, the more bacteria it will knock out as it cycles through your kitchen sink drain. This is the easiest step to combating kitchen sink smells, one that we would suggest doing weekly.

Cleaning & wiping

Cleaning & wiping is an important activity in the kitchen.

What Goes Into Your Sink?

What is going down your sink on a regular basis? If you are frequently throwing some left over food and fats down there, this may be the source of your bad smells. If food and fat are allowed to build up within your pipes, it can stick to your pipes and be hard to remove. Food inside your pipes can then rot and attract bacteria, causes horrible smells. Make sure as much food as possible goes inside your appropriate waste bin. It is also a good idea to have a waste trap, like the one below to capture any waste food before it enters your sink hole.