8 Ways To Get Rid Of Stinky Sink Odor

It can be hard to accomplish daily kitchen tasks when there is a persistent foul odor which doesn’t seem to go away.

Dirty sinks and garbage disposals can be major culprits of unexplained odors and cleaning them out will most probably do the trick.

Given below are the ways to get rid of stinky sink odor. 

1. Hot Water And Dish Soap

Doing something simple like flushing hot water down your drain can instantly make a difference in the way your kitchen sink smells. If there are small traces of grease or food debris stuck in the drain, it will flush them out and eliminate the odors associated with them.

Make sure you use boiling water because it kills more bacteria and loosens grease. Flush it down the drain and repeat the procedure for a few times. You can also pour dish soap down the drain for more effective cleaning. Follow up by pouring boiling water.

2. Salt And Lemon Scrub

Scrubbing the kitchen sink will help get rid of lingering germs and other hardened stains which might be contributing to the unpleasant sink odor.

Salt works well as a natural cleaner and is also easily available so there are no excuses to avoid cleaning your sink. Lemon can help combat the stinky odor and replace it with a pleasant citrus smell.

Take a lemon piece and dip it in some coarse sea salt. Scrub the lemon along the sides of the sink and extra hard on areas with stains. You can finish by disinfecting the sink with hot water or simply rinsing it.

3. Ice And Salt For Garbage Disposal

Food particles can get stuck in the garbage disposal and this can cause a foul odor if they are left to remain for a long time. The grinding ice cubes will sharpen the garbage disposal blades and clear it from accumulated food particles.

A combination of coarse salt and ice cubes can clean the blades because of their abrasive action. You should follow up by flushing the drain with hot water to get rid of any lingering debris.

4. Lemon And Orange Peels

Citrus fruit peels will not only remove food residue from the sink drain but will also give off a natural and pleasant scent to replace the stink. You can use either orange or lemon peels for this.

Take a few peels and drop them in the drain while the garbage disposal is off. Turn on the garbage disposal to grind the peels. The citric acid will do the cleaning work and freshen up the sink.

5. Baking Soda And Vinegar

Sometimes stinky sink odors are due to clogs in the drain. Unless you unclog the drain, these odors will continue to persist even if you scrub your sink. Baking soda and vinegar is a simple but effective way to dislodge small clogs in your drain.

Pour half a cup of baking soda in your drain and follow up with half a cup of white vinegar. Secure the drain opening with a stopper or rag cloth to prevent the mixture from fizzing out. Leave it for 15-30 minutes and flush your drain with hot water.

6. Borax

Borax is a very efficient cleaning agent and it is also effective in removing drain smells. You can use it in any of the 2 ways given below.

• Pour ½ cup of borax down the drain. You can also combine it with ½ cup of salt. Follow up by pouring 2 cups of hot boiling water. After 30 minutes flush the drain with normal water.
• Take a few tablespoons of borax and grind it along with a couple of ice cubes in the garbage disposal. After 15 minutes flush the drain with water.

7. Essential Oils

If you are a big fan of essential oil smells, why not replace the sink stink with them?

You can use any kind of essential oil but we recommend using lemon essential oil for that pleasant citrus aroma. Combine a few drops of lemon essential oil with ½ cup of white vinegar.

Pour it down the drain and leave it for a couple of hours. Finish off by flushing with hot water. You can also use baking soda in the above mixture.

8. Clean Out The P-trap

Clogs in the P-trap can contribute to unexplained foul odors in your kitchen. If the clog is in your P-trap you can open it and clean it out.

• Unscrew the two coupling nuts which connect the trap to the drain pipe.
• Clean the trap and remove the clog using pliers or other appropriate tools.
• Reattach the coupling screws and tighten them properly after reassembling the trap.

Conclusion

Establishing a proper sink cleaning routine will help keep the stinky odors at bay. It can be something as simple as flushing your sink with hot water every morning or disinfecting it with natural cleaning solutions.