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Five Cleaning Tips for a Smelly Kitchen Sink

You are standing in your kitchen and smell something like rotting flesh from a zombie. You go through your refrigerator and toss out all those science experiments that have been sitting in there for months. You check the garbage in the trash can and change the bag.

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You try adding some baking soda inside the trash can. You even try cleaning all the crud out of the microwave, running the clean cycle on the oven, and mopping the kitchen floor. Yet, that funky smell does not go away.

Chances are, the smell is coming from your kitchen sink. Think about all the things you pour down the drain or put through the garbage disposal. All of these things can start to form bacteria if they get stuck, trapped, and cling to the inside of the drain pipes or inside the disposal itself.

Sometimes, a smelly kitchen sink could be an indication that you will soon be dealing with a clogged kitchen sink. Long before your sink clogs up and your smelly kitchen causes you to book a week-long stay at a five-star resort and spa, here some great tips you can use to help get rid of the funky smell:

  1. Run hot water down the drain for about five minutes. If grease or other sticky substances are stuck to the inside of pipes, hot water can help get rid of them.
  2. Sprinkle baking soda down the drain, then pour an equal amount of vinegar down the drain. The foaming action of the two will help remove bacteria, food particles, and other items stuck to the pipes. Afterward, run some hot water down the drain.
  3. Use a micro-plane to put shavings from citrus fruit rinds down the drain. Next, slowly pour boiling water down the drain. The citrus rinds will release oil that help get rid of funky smells.
  4. Sprinkle baking soda down the drain, and then pour down an equal amount of lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice will create the same effect as vinegar, but without that vinegar smell.
  5. Put ice, salt, and small cut-up citrus rinds in the garbage disposal. Once these things are in the disposal, turn it on. The ice and salt help clean the blades and remove bacteria and food particles, while the citrus rinds freshen up the air.

You may also use tips one through four to help try to get rid of unpleasant odors coming from your garbage disposal. It is a good idea to get into the habit of cleaning your kitchen sink drain and/or garbage disposal at least every other week to prevent funky smells.

If you are having to clean your sink every week to keep the funky smells at bay, then the problem could require the assistance of kitchen sink plumbing experts. In some cases, the buildup on the inside of your drain pipes could be excessive and require a good professional drain cleaning.

There could also be an issue with your sewage drain lines, where raw sewage is backing up into the drain pipes. When this occurs, the smell could be coming back up the pipes and into your kitchen from the sink.

For assistance in getting rid of funky smells coming from your kitchen sink or garbage disposal or to schedule plumbing service to have your pipes cleaned, please feel free to contact MET Plumbing & Air Conditioning at 281-599-3336 today!

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