How to Clean Smelly Drains

Baking soda or denture tablets and white vinegar remove odors from drains

Tub and sink drains can become "smelly" because of food and drinks, dirt, grease and even hair that have not been thoroughly flushed down the drain. These odors may linger even if the drain has been unclogged. A smelly drain is often noticeable when standing away from the sink or tub, and cleaning around the drain won't remove the problem. The proper combination of household products removes smells and clogs from drains without causing any surface damage to the sink, tub or drains.

Things You'll Need

• Denture tablets
• Baking soda
• White vinegar

Instructions

1. Pour ½ cup of dry baking soda or two to three denture tablets into the drain. The denture tablets are recommended if the drain is both smelly and clogged.

2. Heat one to two cups of white vinegar on your stove or in a microwave oven. The vinegar doesn't need to be boiling hot, but it is OK if the vinegar is boiling when you proceed to Step 3.

3. Pour the heated vinegar slowly into the drain. Don't worry if a bubbling reaction emerges from the drain, as this is normal and can aid in removing odors from the top of the drain.

4. Wait 10 minutes. Flush the drain with hot water either from the faucet or water that was heated on a stove or in a microwave oven.

5. Inspect the drain. Repeat the process using baking soda or denture tablets and white vinegar until the odor is removed.

References

• Reader's Digest: 150+ Household Uses for Vinegar
• Reader's Digest: Extraordinary Uses for Denture Tablets