Smelly drains: These home remedies help against unpleasant odors
It happens in almost every household sooner or later: an unpleasant smell can be detected coming from the drain in the kitchen or bathroom. Even with regular cleaning, food residues and other soiling accumulate in the pipes and eventually begin to smell. To eliminate the unwanted odors you do not have to resort immediately to the proverbial chemical heavy artillery: home remedies for drain cleaning clean the pipes gently yet effectively.
How and why do drains become smelly?
Whether it’s the shower, the basin or the kitchen sink: in addition to water, hair, soap residues, food scraps and other dirt naturally end up in the drain. The larger these are, the more quickly deposits can clog the drain pipes. Then water no longer drains as usual and a backlog occurs. But even without a visible clog, deposits in the drain area cause problems, including unpleasant odors. If you notice a foul smell coming from the drain in the kitchen or bathroom you should act immediately – and not only because the stench can become persistent over time: if the cause is removed promptly, you can in many cases avoid stubborn clogs and the sometimes extensive cleaning measures associated with them.
Why use home remedies for drain cleaning?
Drain cleaners are available in many varieties. Often these agents are very aggressive so that they can remove stubborn deposits without difficulty. But this is not without concern for the environment and for the drain pipes. Using these cleaners releases components that are hazardous to the environment and to health into the wastewater, which can cause environmental damage. In older houses with similarly old pipes, aggressive cleaning agents can also cause cracks and breaks in the plumbing. A water damage incident then becomes likely. For the sake of the environment and your own inteREST, it is therefore advisable to use home remedies for drain cleaning. These are often already present in many households and do not need to be purchased. Furthermore, home remedies act more gently and do not damage pipes or the environment.
Salt, vinegar, baking soda: effective home remedies against smelly drains
One of the most effective home remedies for unpleasant drain odors is a combination of vinegar and baking powder. If both are added together to the affected drain, the existing deposits usually dissolve quickly. Three to four tablespoons of baking powder and half a cup of vinegar are sufficient: when the mixture foams in the drain, it should be left to act for 15 minutes. Then flush with plenty of warm water. If the desired effect does not occur immediately, the treatment can be repeated if necessary. Under no circumstances should the drain be sealed during the contact time: the resulting pressure can cause damage to the pipes.
Something that most households probably have can also help against smelly drains: salt has a neutralizing effect and, especially for light contamination, ensures that the foul odor from the drain disappears quickly. For this purpose, pour two tablespoons of salt into the drain. After half an hour rinse with cold water, and the problem should be resolved.
Baking soda and washing soda should be in every household
At least as effective is baking soda, which has long been used in households for a wide range of purposes. The powder is particularly suitable for gentle and sustainable cleaning, but also for treating heartburn and stomach problems. To free the drain from unwanted odors, add half a cup of baking soda. Cover the opening with a damp cloth. After just five minutes you can flush with plenty of hot water.
Baking soda is available at the drugstore in small quantities or in large bulk packs. The situation is similar with washing soda, which is sold as Waschsoda or pure soda. The drugstore or the pharmacy is the right place to look. Two tablespoons of washing soda are placed into the smelly drain and left to act for half an hour. If then thoroughly rinsed with cold water, the unpleasant odors should be a thing of the past.
Dishwasher tabs provide fresh, clean drains
If you use a dishwasher in your household, you can also use the cleaning tabs intended for cleaning the appliance to clean drains. To do this, simply dissolve two tabs in half a liter of warm water and then pour them into the smelly drain in the kitchen or bathroom. Alternatively, the tabs can be crushed and added to the drain in powder form. The cleaning tabs should act for one hour before rinsing with hot water. Rinsing with hot water is generally a good idea before applying any of the mentioned home remedies, to pre-clean the drain and the pipes.
As an alternative to home remedies, commercial drain fresheners are also available that use natural microorganisms to eliminate foul odors.
Avoiding clogged and foul-smelling drains: how to do it
Drains in the bathroom and kitchen do not necessarily have to start smelling. With a few simple measures the foul odors and the associated contamination can be prevented. This includes the already mentioned flushing with hot water. If you regularly run the water as hot as possible for a few minutes and let it run, the bacteria in the drain are reduced and light deposits are flushed away by the high temperatures. Above all, food residues should be kept away from the drain: it is more sensible to dispose of them in the trash or, where appropriate, add them to the compost. Food residues in the pipes are one of the main causes of blockages and thus also of unwanted odors. Strainers for the shower and the sinks are a good idea in every household, since they keep the drain itself clean and can be cleaned easily with a few simple steps.
When the drain is clogged – clean it yourself or call a professional?
Sometimes heavy soiling occurs in the drain that cannot be removed even with the most effective home remedies. Then it is time to eliminate the causes in the pipes themselves. To do this you need to open the siphon so you can reach the actual point of blockage. In principle, it is not a problem to carry this out yourself. If, however, you do not feel confident working on the pipework, you can also hire a professional. In particular, when it needs to be done quickly, 24-hour emergency services are available. These are, of course, not free, but they quickly ensure that clogged drains and the associated foul odors are no longer a problem.