How to Get Rid of Drain Smell

No matter how good your house smells, a clogged and dirty drain can ruin it. Bad drain smells quickly spread throughout homes and can make anyone uncomfortable. Understandably, many people struggle with how to get rid of bad drain smells.

The best way to get rid of a bad drain smell is to pour ½ cup vinegar and ½ cup baking soda down the drain. Plug the drain, let the solution sit for up to an hour, then wash it away with hot water. You can also remove bad drain smells with lemon juice and boiling water.

Household remedies often help to get rid of bad drain smells, but it’s not always that simple. Deep blockages require cameras to identify the source, and that’s when you need professional help. Follow along as we explore how to get rid of bad drain smells that won’t go away.

Why Does My Drain Smell Bad?

Drains can smell bad because of everything from dry P-traps to garbage disposal clogs. P-traps beneath drains contain water to keep sewer gases out of your home. They can eventually become dry, and that can cause sewer odors to leak into your house.

You may also notice foul odors if your drain is clogged. Oil and grease often clog drains and cause food particles to get stuck. Eventually, the food will rot within the drain and make it smell foul. That’s especially true if you don’t simultaneously run the water and garbage disposal.

How to Fix a Drain That Smells Bad

Luckily, you can get rid of bad drain smells with many household remedies, such as hot water, baking soda, and vinegar. The best solution depends on the cause of the bad drain smells, whether it be food or a dry trap. We compiled several simple ways to get rid of the bad drain smell in your home, such as:

1. Turn the Garbage Disposal On

Garbage disposals are endlessly convenient, but they can also quickly smell bad. That’s especially true if you don’t run water long enough when you turn the disposal on. Run water for at least 15 seconds each time you run the garbage disposal.

It can take up to 30 seconds for a disposal to remove food, so you may need to run water longer.

2. Hot Water

Hot water is the best household remedy to get rid of a bad drain smell. The mixture of heat and water helps remove blockages that make your drain smell bad. That said, it’s important to slowly pour the hot water down the drain.

Heat some water on your stove and keep it at a boil for one minute. Next, slowly pour the water down the drain and take breaks every few seconds. You can repeat this process as many times as it takes to get rid of the bad smell.

3. Baking Soda and Vinegar

Many people have baking soda and vinegar in their kitchens, and they are household remedies for countless problems. Baking soda and vinegar can also quickly clear blockages and get rid of bad drain smells. First, pour ½ cup baking soda down the drain, wait a moment, then pour ½ cup vinegar down the drain.

You may need to plug your sink drain if the solution bubbles too quickly. Wait 30-60 minutes, then run water down the drain to wash the baking soda and vinegar away.

4. Fill the P-Trap

P-traps, or plumbing traps, rely on water to stop sewer odors from seeping into your house. Your drain will quickly smell bad if the P-trap becomes dry. In that case, the only solution is to fill the P-trap with water to get rid of the bad smell.

Everything from kitchen sinks to bathtub drains have P-traps, and they are easy to fill with water. The best option is to simply run water for 15-60 seconds to refill the trap. That said, it’s best to enlist professional plumbers if you must manually refill the trap as that’s hard without experience.

5. Lemon Juice

Household items like lemon juice can help get rid of the bad drain smell in your home. Lemon juice is quite acidic, and that can help break down food particles and oil that are stuck in your drain. You can use lemon juice by itself, but it helps to mix it with baking soda.

Mix ½ cup lemon juice and ½ cup baking soda in a container. Pour the mixture down your sink drain and let it sit for an hour. It helps to plug the drain if the mixture starts to quickly fizz. Pour a gallon of hot water down the drain after an hour to get rid of the bad smell.

6. Run the Water Regularly

Many people notice bad drain smells because they simply don’t run the water enough. This is especially common for guest bathrooms that don’t get used often. It can also happen if you go out of town as no water passes through the drain.

Food particles stay in your drain indefinitely until you run water to wash it out. Even simple blockages full of food, grease, and oil will gradually smell worse over time. Mold can grow within drains if you don’t run the water for a week or even a few days.

Make sure to run hot water in spurts of 15-20 seconds when you get back from vacation. This will help clear blockages and get rid of the bad drain smell.

7. Hire a Professional

It isn’t always easy to get rid of bad drain smells, and you may need professional help. For example, deep blockages and mold can linger even if you use household remedies to remove them. Most people don’t have drain snakes and augers that are often necessary to get rid of bad drain smells.

Sometimes, camera inspections are necessary for stubborn drain blockages that cause bad smells. Call a professional if hot water, lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar don’t fix the problem.

Drain Boys LLC Can Get Rid of Your Bad Drain Smell

Bad drain smells are stubborn and annoying, and they can make you uncomfortable at home. Luckily, we have years of experience unclogging and cleaning drains. Our experience, knowledge, and equipment let us quickly identify and remove drain blockages. Call Drain Boys LLC at (434)-230-0144 to quickly get rid of your bad drain smell.