Because your kitchen is the heart of your home, it’s important to keep it clean and to smell fresh. But sometimes you might still notice the foul smell despite your kitchen being sparkling clean. This is far more common than you think and you may notice that at times, even your bathroom smells like sewage but the reason is the same. It could also be because of a tough clog, in which case be sure to check out our guide on how Drano works so you can deal with clogged sinks and drains at home.
Rotten food and kitchen plumbing issues are some of the causes of an unpleasant sewer smell in your kitchen sink. Well, if you’re really not sure about what’s causing that disgusting odor from your kitchen sink then this article is for you. Below are some of the reasons why your kitchen sink smells like sewage.
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Reasons Why Your Kitchen Sink Smell Like Sewage
Food Debris in the Drainpipe
When you go to the kitchen sink and flip the switch, do not be surprised to find that there’s no water coming out. Cleaning and disposing of your food waste in the disposal garbage doesn’t completely clean your drain pipes. Food waste can get stuck and cause blockage.
You should remove food debris from the drainpipe using a vacuum cleaner or similar tool to avoid such a situation. Grease buildup can also accumulate and cause a clog which prevents water from flowing properly into the drain. You need to learn how to unclog the kitchen sink before anything else. Regularly using a plunger or plumber snake will help you deal with the problem.
Greasy Drain
This is also another cause of foul sewer smell in your kitchen sink. The accumulation of grease and oil in the drains can also cause a blockage, so it must be removed to restore the flow. If left unattended, fat and oil can harden in the drainpipe and rot gradually, leading to a rotten odor in your kitchen and the entire house.
You can also remedy this by not pouring oil and grease down the drain. Other than causing an unpleasant smell, it can lead to pipe blockage. Try to run a baking soda and vinegar solution in the drain and wash it down with boiling water.
Clogged Vent
If there’s a sewer smell coming from your sink and a greasy drain or trap is not the problem, a clogged vent might be letting sewer gas into your kitchen. Clogged vents prevent the flow of sewer gas out through the drain, so they are retained in your home, giving it an unpleasant odor.
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It’s always difficult to identify and remove a blockage in a plumbing vent, so it’s best to call a professional plumber to clean your vent line and check the drain pipes. This can also be remedied by cleaning the drain vent. Use a ladder to climb the top and clear any debris that is clogging your drain vent.
Dirty Garbage Disposal
There’s a certain type of smell that comes from the garbage disposal. It’s formed as a result of some types of food that are kept in it for too long, especially those containing fat, oil, and grease. This is because bacteria form on these foods and emit a noxious odor when they decay.
Inadequate running water in the garbage disposal and food particles can rot and get stuck in the bottom of the unit. This leads to an over-accumulation of food particles which rot and produce a bad smell inside it. Dumping too much food at once and worn-out garbage disposal parts can also cause dirty garbage disposal.
Sewer Smells
Another common type of smell coming from the garbage disposal is a sewer smell. This happens when the drain between the sink and the sewer becomes clogged. Your house plumbing is designed to contain harmful gas, flush away sewage and provide you with clean and potable water.
If the sewer gas is smelling in your kitchen, the smell can be leaking from the sink trap or plumbing vent. The sink trap is located underneath your sink. This can bring some irritation, plus health hazards. Pour baking soda once a week into your sink to remedy this. If you try this and still smell sewer gas, it’s time to call the help of a professional.
P-Trap Malfunction
If you hear some gurgling noises in your drain, then there is a high possibility of the P-trap malfunction. The sound of water draining into the sink should be smooth and quiet. If it sounds bubbly or smelly, these are warning signs that something might have gone wrong with the trap.
The p-trap isolates the drain line from the fixture, blocking the irritating smells. It holds water at the bottom of the curve. So, if it becomes dry, it would cause a sewer smell to come from the sink.
How to Deal with Sewer Smell in Your Kitchen Sink
Hot Water and Dish Soap
A simple remedy to this problem is filling the sink with hot water and adding a few drops of dish soap. Let it sit for a while and see if the gurgling goes away. If not, then you might have to get your trap replaced or repaired.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
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Pour one cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by the same amount of vinegar, and let it sit for 10 minutes. While waiting, boil a pot of water, then pour that boiling water down the drain to flush the baking soda and vinegar. This will help eliminate the sewer gas that caused the gurgling sound in your kitchen sink drain.
Citrus Peels, Ice Cubes and Salt
Remedy your kitchen sink smell by throwing some ice cubes, kosher salt, and coarse salt into it. Once you have done that, fill the kitchen sink with boiling water for 10 minutes, then run the cold water to check if the smell is gone. Add lemon juice to give your sink basin a fresh smell.
Place a couple of citrus peels in the disposal, then grind them up with the disposal running. Make sure you run water while grinding so that you don’t end up with stuck-on food debris in your garbage disposal. If your drain is clean, but the smell persists, you might be having a plumbing issue.
Bio-Enzyme Drain Cleaner
Bio-enzyme drain cleaners are environmentally friendly because they do not emit toxic fumes like some chemical drain cleaners. They’re also safer for kids and pets since they are non-toxic, biodegradable, and do not emit fumes.
Bio-enzyme drain cleaner is mixed with water to form a powerful cleaning solution that can cut through grease, grime, and any other rotting food smell.
FAQS on Why Your Kitchen Sink Smell Like Sewage
Why does my kitchen sink smell like rotten eggs?
The reason why your kitchen smells like this is that there’s too much accumulation of grease and fat in your drains. You can wash it away by running baking soda and vinegar in the boiling water.
How do you get rid of the sewer smell in the kitchen sink?
Dump a cup of baking soda into the drain, let it sit for 15 minutes, pour half a cup of vinegar, and leave it to work for a few minutes. What you need to do next is run the hot water for a few minutes.
Final Thought on Why Does Your Kitchen Sink Smell Like Sewage
As you can see, the kitchen sink is the most used area in your kitchen, which makes it emit foul odors over time. It’s usually because of the food particles or grease that are stuck in the kitchen sink drain. As you’ve seen above, getting rid of the sewage smell is not a difficult thing after all. For rotting food smells, chemical cleaning methods are the best, but for sewer gas smells, try to check and fix your systems.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens
