Pee-yew! What is that smell coming out of your sink? For many homeowners, a smelly sink is more than embarrassing – it’s costly. Fixing smelly sinks can be a no-brainer or a major headache depending on the cause, but for the most part it’s an easy fix. Since a wafting odor is hard to ignore, plumbing problems associated with a foul odor emanating from the pipes are usually taken care of pretty quickly. Never fear, for your favorite Las Vegas plumbers have got the explanation (and the fix) for why your smelly sink is acting up!
Smelly bathroom and kitchen sinks have a few things in common
A gross scent comes from gross things. There’s a reason you recoil when getting a whiff of a dirty sink; your body doesn’t want to be near the gross thing. If you’re noticing a scent emanating from either your kitchen or bathroom sinks, you can probably guess there’s something trapped down there which shouldn’t be. For kitchens, the most likely culprit always falls to food scraps. While an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (your garbage disposal is not a trash can!), you can still fix this pretty easily. Bathrooms might be a bit more tricky to figure out, but think of all the times you wash your hand and face. Products don’t always flush right away, and can stick to the pipes and grow bacteria, resulting in a nasty smell.
Baking soda is going to be your friend
If you want to avoid calling a plumber (we’re always happy to chat!), you can DIY most smelly sinks. For the majority of stink bomb cases, a home fix is just the remedy. Start easy by pulling out the stopper and giving it a good wipe down with some disinfectant. Food caught in the trap should be thrown out, not put back down the sink, and the disinfectant will help kill any bacteria lingering. Once the opening is clear, pour ¼ cup of fresh baking soda down the drain. Once it coats all of the debris, slowly pour in ¼ cup of white vinegar. If you’ve ever done a science fair volcano, you know where this is heading… The vinegar will react with the baking soda and foam up, allowing any clumps of icky, smelly sink-clogging buildup to be washed away. Once everything is washed away, you can put some ice cubes and even a slice of citrus fruit down the kitchen sink and run it through the disposal a few times. The crushed ice will help break up any leftover gunk, and the citrus… Well, it smells pretty and that’s good enough for us.
Serious issues may arise if the odor isn’t eliminated
If you find yourself going through the above steps and still scrunching your nose in your kitchen, the problem may be more serious than food waste. Pipes aren’t infallible, and sometimes sewer gas comes up through the trap to ruin your sense of smell for a while. Sewer gas odors are usually caused by either a leak in the u-shaped trap under your sink, or by a blockage in the drain vent. The trap under the sink works by collecting a basin of water in the ‘U’ shape and creating an H20 blockage for the gases. When there’s a leak, they come through and release disgusting smells into your home. Fortunately, this pipe is easily replaced and found at nearly any home supply store. A drain vent is just that: a vent for your plumbing. If this gets any kind of block, it can cause gas to back up and spill back into your home. Not a pretty scent. If you’re noticing the baking soda and vinegar trick isn’t causing the smell to stay gone, it’s a good idea to contact a plumber. We’re always here to help; contact Sin City Plumbing for any questions you may have regarding your home plumbing. https://sincityplumbing.com/contact-las-vegas-plumber-vegas-plumbing/
