We use our kitchen and bathroom sinks as part of our everyday activities. We certainly are not expecting to be smacked in the face with stank when we approach this part of our homes to prepare meals, do dishes or get ready for our day.
The right solution for dealing with under sink smell will depend on whether it is the earthy, moldy type or the more pungent rotten material type. Either way, we’ve got you covered.
How to Get Rid of Smell Under Sink
1 Bleach and Water Clean-up
If you have noticed an earthy stank coming from under your sink, you’re probably dealing with mildew. You’ll want to nip this one in the bud before it blossoms into a full-blown mold issue by mixing up a solution of bleach and water and putting it into a spray bottle. Spray the inside of the cupboard under your sink and open an window. Leave the house for at least a couple of hours. Let the product air dry and it should solve the stank problem quite nicely.
2 Dry it Out With Baking Soda
Mildew thrives in a damp environment. Introducing baking soda will help because it will absorb moisture. It’s an inexpensive, non-toxic solution to this problem. Simply pour some baking soda into a shallow bowl and place it under the sink. Leave it there and allow it to absorb the odor. This solution will take some time to work, so you will need to be patient with it.
3 Activated Charcoal Odor Absorber
Activated charcoal is another good choice when you are looking for a product that will absorb odors. You can find it in pet stores that sell aquarium supplies or in hardware stores. It will probably come in a mesh bag. Take it out of the bag and place it on a foil pie plate or a low dish under your sink to absorb odors. The best part about choosing this option is that you can refresh the charcoal by placing it in direct sunlight for a few hours. It’s a natural, recyclable solution to get the smell out from under your sink.
4 Fridge-It the Smell Out
If you are looking for an easy way to get the smell out from under your sink, buy FRIDGE-IT Odor Absorbers. These small purple cubes are available online or at kitchen gadget stores. Place them under the sink and they will immediately get to work soaking up any gnarly reediness so you won’t have to deal with it when you open your cupboard.
How to Remove Smell from Drain
1 Snake the Problem Out
The source of the stank may be a buildup of hair, soap scum and toothpaste. Buy a small plumber’s snake at a hardware or building supply store. Read the instructions before gently feeding it down the drain to remove the blockage. Once you have removed the blockage, run some water down the drain, add some bleach and flush out the drain again.
2 Clean Up Your Sink Overflow Hole
A buildup of bacteria in your sink overflow area can cause it to become stanky. This is the hole near the top of your sink. There are are couple of ways you can deal with the funkiness and get your sink area smelling fine again. Fill a bucket with some vinegar and water. Pour it into the overflow hole to kill the smell. You can also use a bleach and water solution if you wish. A quick fix if you don’t want to try pouring water down the hole would be to spray Clorox Cleanup or a similar type of bathroom cleaner into the overflow hole and down the drain to get rid of the smell.
3 Scrub Out Your U-Trap
Remove the trap (the U-shaped piece right under the drain) and give it a good scrubbing to freshen up the area under your sink. There could potentially be years of gunk in the trap that needs to be removed. Put some baking soda on an old toothbrush to scrub it out and make it look like new. Replace the trap. The baking soda will leave the trap smelling fresh.
4 Boil the Smell Out
Pouring some boiling water down the drain may be enough to sterilize it and calm down a smell issue in some cases. The easiest way to do this is to boil the dater in a kettle and pour it directly down the drain. Let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes and repeat.
5 Pour Some Vinegar on It
Since white vinegar is a good, all-purpose deodorizer, you can count on it to help you out when are looking for a solution to a stinky sink issue. It won’t harm your pipes and it’s a cheap solution to this problem. Pour a cup directly down the drain. For best results, use it full strength, and don’t use the sink for some time after you pour it down the drain. You’ll want to give the vinegar time to work through the pipes. After 30 minutes, flush with hot water to get rid of the vinegar smell.
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