How to Eliminate Kitchen Sink Odors 

Have you taken out the trash, mopped the floors, cleared old food from the refrigerator, but still smell an unpleasant odor in your kitchen? If your kitchen is spotless and the usual culprits are not to blame, your kitchen sink could be the source of the smell. Keep reading to learn why your kitchen sink stinks and how to combat it.  

What Causes Kitchen Sink Odors? 

Although the surface of your kitchen sink may be clean, the drain could be loaded with various things that are leading to sink odors. Here is what could be lingering in your sink, releasing the unpleasant odors you are smelling throughout your kitchen and other areas of the house. 

Food particles 

The kitchen sink is one of the main areas that food particles, mainly smaller pieces, can hide. These tiny chucks of food may have gotten stuck in your pipes and are rotting, causing the drain to smell bad or even a blockage in a pipe. And if cooking oil or grease was poured down the drain, it may have solidified to form a clog.  

Bacterial growth 

A dark, damp environment, like the drain, is the ideal place for bacteria to thrive. If you clean dishes that had food particles on them or wash meat, vegetables, or even non-food items in your kitchen sink, there is probably bacteria lurking in the drain releasing hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs.  

Dirty garbage disposal 

If you have a garbage disposal and you have never cleaned it or it’s been a while since the last cleaning, it could be causing the odor in your kitchen. Old, chopped-up bits of food may be stuck on the blades or trapped in other parts of the disposal, releasing a smelly odor. 

Dry P-Trap 

Sometimes, it may not be food or bacteria in your drain that’s creating a lingering odor in your kitchen. Occasionally, the culprit may be a blocked sink drain trap, also known as a P-trap. A P-trap is the P-shaped section of pipe of the under-sink plumbing; the curved bend collects water that creates a seal that prevents sewer gases from entering your home. If the water in the P-trap dries up, it will smell like rotten eggs or sewage. The water in the P-trap can evaporate due to lack of sink use or because of a blockage in the plumbing vent.  

Ways to Get Rid of Stinky Kitchen Drain Odors 

If the odors from your kitchen sink are mostly from food residue, bacteria, and a dirty garbage disposal, here are some ways to eliminate the odor. 

Boiling water 

One of the easiest, chemical-free ways to eliminate a stinky kitchen drain is to pour boiling hot water down the drain. This will help flush bacteria, caked-on grime, oil, and food particles in the pipes which may be causing the odor. You may have to repeat the process a couple of times for the best results. 

Baking soda and vinegar 

When baking soda and vinegar combine, they form a bubbly mixture that can help erode the crud in your pipes and deodorize them. Pour ½ cup of baking soda in the drain followed by ½ cup of vinegar and quickly cover the drain opening with a drain plug for 15 to 30 minutes. Then remove the plug and slowly pour boiling water in the drain to clear the mixture and any buildup.  

Note: The use of baking soda and vinegar may cause damage to pipes over time. 

Lemons 

If you have a garbage disposal that is causing your kitchen sink stink, you can refresh it by grinding the peels from two lemons for about 30 seconds. After grinding the peels, run cold water for about 5 minutes to flush the grinder. You can also use lime or orange peels as an alternative.  

Ice cubes 

Another way to clean your garbage disposal blades is by loading it up with ice cubes and turning on the disposal. You can also add ½ cup of course salt for a deeper clean. After dumping the ice and salt in the sink, turn on the cold water followed by turning on the garbage disposal. Continue until the ice cubes disappear. Repeat the process if necessary. 

Additional Tips for Eliminating a Smelly Kitchen Sink Drain 

If you’ve tried the previous methods and discovered that your drains still have a lingering odor, it may not be exclusively due to a dirty sink drain or garbage disposal. Consider these options if your drink still stinks.  

Use your sink regularly 

If you don’t use your kitchen sink often, it may cause the P-trap to dry up. Try to run the water in your sink for a few minutes at least once a week. Regular usage can start to eradicate the odor.  

Consider using a drain cleaner 

Perhaps there’s food residue, gunk, oils, or hair in your sink that’s causing odors in your sink. Even if you don’t have a block in your pipes, it could be a good idea to run a liquid drain cleaner through your pipes to reduce any buildup if there is still a lingering smell you can’t get rid of. 

Call a pest control professional 

Some creepy critters can crawl in your pipes. Perhaps a mouse or some other rodent ended up in your drain and eventually passed away. As a result, there could be a lingering odor from their dead body. It may be time to call out pest control to check to see if the stench in your kitchen sink is related to pests. If it is, a pest control specialist will be able to discover where they are entering your home and patch up these openings.  

Enlist a plumber 

If you have a clogged pipe or a blocked plumbing vent that is creating the stinky sink smell, you may need to get the help of a plumber. They will clear the clogged pipe or vent to help eliminate the bad smell in your kitchen.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

How can I prevent kitchen sink stink? 

One way to prevent kitchen sink drain smells is to focus exclusively on cleaning your drains at least once a month using the baking soda and vinegar method or lemon method. If you have a garbage disposal, consider doing the ice method at least once a month to prevent odors.  

Using a sink strainer can also help prevent small particles of food from getting into your drains. Also, avoid pouring grease or cooking oil down the drain. Instead, sop up leftover cooking oil or grease from pots and pans with paper towels and dispose of them in the trash can.  

Can a smelly sink make my dishwasher stink and vice versa? 

Yes. If your sink stinks, it may make the dishwasher smell also, particularly if they are connected to the same drain line.