As much as you try to prevent things getting down your kitchen sink that shouldn’t, inevitably there will be things that will, and over time you might start to notice a bed smell presenting itself. If you don’t think it’s food, it could be an issue with your pipes allowing smells to seep up the drain and into your home. Read below for some tips and tricks on how to catch those smells out without using any chemicals.
Food Smells
There are a few ways you give your drains a good clean and hopefully flush out anything lingering in your pipes, if you haven’t already tried the below, give them a go.
Hot Water
If you have a build of grease and oils, which might be also stopping food particles from running down the pipes, boil up some water in your kettle and run a decent amount of boiling water straight down your drains to try and melt away and shift any clogs. It’s good practice to do this on a regular basis.
Baking Soda & Vinegar
Give that boiling water an added boost by simply using some store cupboard ingredients. Before running the boiling water down the drain, pour 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of distilled vinegar and allow them to sit in your drain for at least 10 minutes. You’ll notice some foaming and fizzing going on which means it’s working. Finish off by pouring the boiling water down to flush it all out, giving your drains a lovely spring clean.
Sewer Drain Smells
If you think your drain has a particularly bad odour and it’s not caused by food waste, it could be an issue with u-trap under the sink. There should always be water in the u-trap which act as a seal from gases and smells leaking into your home.
Check the trap for leaks
If you notice wet patches under your sink, it could mean the trapped water is escaping from the trap, so a fix will be needed to ensure enough water is being kept inside.
Unused drain
If you have been away for an extended amount of time, or you have a sink that is not used often, the water in the u-trap may have evaporated or dried up, allowing smells to creep up. Simply run water down the drain to refill the pipe with water and stop the smell.
If the issue is not related to the u-trap, it might mean the problem goes deeper and a CCTV inspection would be beneficial, which the experts at Happy Drains can help you with.
If you are experiencing bad smells with any of your drains, we are here to help. Contact us today on 07824 757572 / 0800 849 8099 and we’ll advise you on the best next step for solving your drain issues.
