Why Does My Kitchen Sink Smell Like a Sewer?

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Foul smells coming from your kitchen are far from ideal, as nobody wants the place where they prepare and eat food to smell bad. There are a number of reasons why this could be, but in many cases it is kitchen sinks which are the culprit. Any bad smells coming from this area of the kitchen have to be dealt with quickly because if left unchecked the smell & dirt will only get worse. Thankfully there is usually an easy fix as to why your kitchen sink smells. Below is a list of some of the common causes and solutions to these various issues.

The Grease Problem

We are often told not to throw fat down the drain and this is because it can solidify in the pipes causing blockages and bad smells. However even if you are not doing this, food waste can often be greasy and this fat can end up lining the sides of the wastage pipe. This in turn can lead to more food particles getting stuck to the pipe causing further issues such as blockages. To alleviate this problem, simply mix up some vinegar and baking soda, and pour it down the sink. Wait ten minutes and then pour boiling water down the drain, repeat this step until the smell disappears.

Raw Sewerage

If you have cleaned the drain and you find that there is still a foul odor in the room, it may be that something has gone awry with your plumbing system. Your plumbing is designed in such a way that it removes waste and sewer gases from the system and drives them out of the home. These gases are toxic and if you feel that this is the issue then you’ll need to get the plumber out quickly. Not only do these gases smell bad but they also present a health hazard; especially given that people use kitchen sinks to clean items. Issues here could be a blocked P-trap or potential a leak in the system.

Clean The Sink

Sometimes it may not actually be a deep issue in the sink that is causing the problem, and it may simply be that the sink itself just needs a good clean. There are some sink materials, such as materials typically used for black kitchen sinks, which have a texture that has many small holes in it. If you have this kind of sink then you have to put a little more effort into cleaning the surface. The best thing you can do with this kind of kitchen sink is allow it to steep in boiling hot water, with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. If this doesn’t work then try using cold water, ice cubes, citrus peel and some kosher salt to remove the grit and the grime from the surface of the sink.

Make sure that you take action when you first smell something bad with your kitchen sink and this will ensure that the issue is solved quickly before it gets worse.

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