Smelly Bathroom Sink? Here’s How To Fix It.

Smelly Bathroom Sink? Here’s How To Fix It

A bathroom that gets a lot of use in a busy family home is likely to produce some unusual and even foul odors. Fortunately, the unpleasant smell of a smelly bathroom sink drain may be simple to fix. Here are a few easy suggestions to help you accomplish this.

How come my sink smells?

Bacteria buildup from grease, fat, and food that make their way down the drain is typically to blame for an odorous kitchen sink. The rotten egg smell will then develop as a result of them getting stuck in the pipe under the sink. A smelly sink in the bathroom is frequently the result of stray hairs getting lodged in soap scum that builds up in the drain.

How to stop the odour coming from your sink drain

You must remove the things that are the source of the smelly odors in your sink if you want it to stop smelling. Here are some of the best ways we’ve found to unclog drains, fix the problem, and get rid of rotten egg odours.

The use of hot water

If your sink drain smells the simplest way to clear the drain and remove the bad smell is to try and clear the stinky drain with hot water. Once the kettle is boiling, pour some boiling hot water down the drain. Put an equal amount of cold water down after waiting five minutes. This should force any remaining grease to solidify, presumably removing the obstruction and the odour.

Use a Plunger

A plunger can also be used to fix a smelly blocked drain. To clear any minor blockages, merely position the plunger cup over the sink drain and vigorously pump up and down for at least a minute. Repeat the boiling water flush one last time to get rid of any remaining congealed buildup. Make sure you have a plunger on hand in case!

Use baking soda and vinegar

Using a little bit of baking soda and white vinegar is another straightforward method for cleaning your sink drain. Pour one cup of white vinegar and some baking soda down the drain, let it sit for thirty minutes, and then run hot water through it.  They will act as a non-toxic drain cleaner to remove mould and other bacteria that could be the cause of smelly kitchen drains or bathroom sink smells.

Use Caustic Soda

If you have tried the above and the smell in your bathroom or kitchen remains, or if the water in the sink is slow to drain then you may require something stronger. Unclogging plug holes and sinks can be accomplished with great success with Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide). Grease and fat, which are the most usual causes of clogged drains, can be broken down by this substance’s excellent degreasing qualities. We advise using a 10% solution of Caustic Soda to clear a clogged sink. Simply mix one litre of water with 100g of (Caustic Sosa) sodium hydroxide crystals to make a 10% solution of Caustic Soda. It is advised to give caustic soda around 30 minutes to perform its magic and dissolve any deposits in the sink before pouring the 10% solution down the drain and letting it do its thing. After five minutes, slowly pour some water into the sink to raise the water pressure. If the drain is still not clear, repeat the process of making a solution and pouring it down the sink until it does. Caustic soda can also be used to unclog toilets, outdoor drains, and plug holes.

Caustic soda is a harmful substance that, when directly contacted, can irritate the eyes and sink. If you decide to try this procedure, be sure to wear gloves and eye protection to prevent any damage, or if you’re concerned about the hazards, try another approach.

Try to inspect the U-Bend

If the above methods don’t work, your sink’s U-Bend may be blocked if the problem remains. U-bend traps also referred to as waste pipes, are found beneath the plug holes in sinks and bathtubs. To stop drain odours from escaping, a U-Bend waste tube is typically filled with water. The simplest way to unclog a clogged U-Bend is to remove anything that is blocking it. To do this, carefully remove the u-bend pipe with a wrench, then drain the water it contained. Any leftover debris can be readily brushed away with the help of a wire brush and a flush of warm water. If you can’t remove it or think the blockage may be elsewhere then a drain snake may also clear the debris.

How can you prevent a smelly bathroom sink?

The general rule of thumb is to be cautious about what you put down your drain and to regularly take steps to clear any deposits that might form in order to prevent a blocked sink. Rather than a basic drain, we suggest selecting a drain trap with hair-catching qualities to stop hair, soap scum, and other substances from making their way into the drain system.  With regards to your kitchen sink prevent causing the smell by not pouring any grease or fat down the sink and consider fitting a garbage disposal option or an overflow drain to prevent and food or other materials that could cause a stink from entering the drain.

By using the aforementioned techniques once or twice a week, you should be able to keep your home’s drains free of any foul buildup that can harden and produce an unpleasant odour.  This should prevent the causes of a smelly sink and keeping your bathroom smelling fresh.  Obviously making sure the toilet and bath or shower drain are clean and good ventilation will also help to ensure you’re smelling only pleasant smell coming from your bathroom.

If a smelly drain is a persistent problem or if there is a strong sewage smell coming from the drain pipe then you may need to call a plumber for expert guidance because in the instance of a sewer smell it may not be an internal problem at all but rather an exterior one.