Bad odours coming from sinks and taps can be a nightmare that waft throughout the entire home. Luckily, there are do-it-yourself ways to clean smelly drains that will help to keep nasty smells under control.
Often, bad odours coming from drains will be the result of a build-up of food and residue. There are a variety of ways to eliminate drain odours, and some people find that a combination works best for them. We’d advise starting with the one that is most convenient for you, then trying another approach is the smell fails to budge!
Flush it
If you’re experiencing bad smells coming from drains in your bathroom, it’s likely that the smell is caused due to clogged stray hairs and other debris getting caught in soap scum within the pipe. This can quickly be treated by pouring around two litres of boiling water down the drain. Around five minutes later, follow this up with cold water, as this will help to congeal any of the stubborn grease. Finally, repeat the boiling water step one more time, as this will help to flush away and remove that last bit of congealed grease.
Vinegar
Vinegar has fantastic properties that help with bad smells within drains. Boil around one litre of white vinegar and pour half of it down the problematic drain. Rinse the drain out with cold water and follow with the rest of the boiled white vinegar. This method can help to power through any smaller clogs within your drains, helping to disguise and remove any leftover smells.
Add Baking Soda
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, baking soda and vinegar can work wonders for your drains. Start by running hot water from the tap down the drain. Turn it off and put around a 230ml of baking soda down your drain. Then, pour around 480ml of warmed up vinegar down it. You’ll know it’s starting to work, as it will immediately begin to fizz up. Leave it to do its thing for around half an hour, then return and flush the drain with boiling water.
Making one of these methods a part of your bi-weekly kitchen cleaning routine can really help to keep bad smells at bay, as well as keeping drains and pipes in a good condition.
If you’ve tried your hand at all our suggested methods and are still experiencing issues with your drains, the Happy Drains team can help. Get in touch with us by giving us a call on 0800 849 8099 or via our contact page.
