How to Clean Smells From a Drain
Drains, especially those in bathroom and kitchen sinks, can become smelly with day-to-day use. This is because bits of food, toothpaste and other gunk gets stuck to the sides of the pipes, clinging to them as they rot. Cleaning smells from a drain is simple and doesn't require any commercial drain-clearing products. The easiest way to clean a smelly drain is to use vinegar and baking soda. Both vinegar and baking soda are natural deodorizers, and the reaction between the two knocks clingy messes off of the pipes. If this treatment doesn't work, try a solution of bleach and water to kill the bacteria that is causing the smell. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Natural mixture
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1
Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain. Follow that with 1 cup of white vinegar.
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2
Cover the opening with the drain plug to force the bubbling solution down into the smelly drain.
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3
Allow the vinegar and baking soda solution to bubble in the pipe for at least 30 minutes; leave it overnight if the smell is particularly strong.
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4
Pull the drain plug and rinse the drain with hot water for about one minute. Repeat the process at least once a week to clean smells from the drain.
Using Bleach
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Combine one part beach with eight parts warm water to make a weak solution. Pour the mixture down the smelly drain.
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Allow the bleach solution to sit in the open drain overnight, or for at least eight hours. Refrain from running water down the drain during this time, and make sure to keep the door open if using the solution in a small, enclosed space like a bathroom. This will keep the fumes from building up in the air.
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Rinse the bleach solution from the sink by running warm water down the drain for at least one minute.
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Repeat the process for cleaning a smelly drain as often as necessary, especially if the vinegar and baking soda method proves to be insufficient.
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