I recently moved in into my new rental apartment and after days of hard and intense cleaning, my new rental was shiny and clean. Except a bad sewage drain odor that was coming from the kitchen! Wow! How was I gone live in here with that bad smell? It’s impossible!
So, I took a deep breath of fresh air and start thinking of a solution in killing that bad sewage odor. I have to mention that I tried all sort of unclogging drain powders and liquids, but the smell was still present. Yes, the water was flowing perfectly, meaning that the drain wasn’t clogged, but the smell was extremely powerful! Hence, I found the perfect way in getting rid of that bad sewage odor coming from the kitchen drain using some mundane household ingredients.
But what causes that sewer odor?
- sewer back-up
- leaks from rotted or cracked drain pipes
- a clogged drain
- loose-fitting pipe connections
- a stopped-up or too-short vent pipe
- toilet’s wax ring is old
- a dry trap
So, grab the following supplies to kill the sewer odor:
- baking soda
- vinegar
- 1 gallon of hot water
- bleach
- 4 ounces of mineral oil
Steps to follow:
- Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda into the drain.
- Follow with one cup of white vinegar.
- Let that sit for two hours with the kitchen door closed.
- Slowly pour a gallon of hot water down the drain.
- After fifteen minutes, run cold water for ten minutes to thoroughly rinse the vinegar down. This step is very important, so don’t skip it.
- Pour 1/2 cup chlorine bleach into the drain and let it sit for another two hours with the kitchen door closed.
- Rinse with another gallon of hot water poured slowly.
- Let cool water run for ten minutes. By now, ample water should be standing in the “U” curve of the P-trap.
- The last step is to pour four ounces of mineral oil (plain cooking oil will work in a pinch) into the drain. The oil floats on the water in the trap and slows evaporation.
Optional: Use a screwdriver to remove the trap if you want to replace it. You can also remove the trap to clean it out.
