12 Easy Solutions to Fix Smelly Sink and Blocked Drains in 2023

It can be extremely annoying if you have a blocked and smelly sink in the kitchen. Foul-smelling odors resembling the filthy odor of rotten eggs can just make you not even visit the kitchen and skip cooking altogether! Well, there are various causes of such foul smells, and the primary one is drain blockage. These blockages can be caused by grease and oil buildup in the drainpipe, food particles, tea leaves, and pieces of cloth, etc. Bacteria then starts to eat up this waste causing it to decay and release toxic gases. It is these gases that smell awful and ruin your kitchen’s vibe!

However, if your kitchen sink is releasing foul-smelling odors, they might be originating from the sewer and reaching the kitchen sink drain because of a defective U-bend. The U-bend is supposed to be filled with water to prevent sewage gases from reaching the sink. In case your U-bend is damaged, water might be leaking out of it causing the sewage gases to rise to the sink. To solve the problem of a defected U-bend, you will have to seek professional help!

However, if your smelly sink is not because of a defective U-bend, we are here to save your day!

There is a lot of noise on the internet about dealing with blocked and smelly drains, to the point where all this information becomes overwhelming. That is exactly why we are here!

Here are some amazing tried and tested hacks for you to try out that will make your blocked drain as good as new:

Non-toxic Mechanical Solutions to Clean Smelly Sink Easily

1. Traditional Plunger

Sometimes, you will be astonished at the effectiveness of a good plunge at opening a blocked drain. All you must do is hold a plunger, position it over the drain in a way to ensure a tight seal around the drain, and then engage your arm muscles for a great plunging force.

The better the suction force is, the better the blockage will be released. Followed by this, add some boiling water into the drain and you are good to go.

2. Air Blaster Plunger

The air blaster plunger is a great alternative to the traditional plunger. Because it is much faster and clears the clogged drain within a matter of seconds. It comes in a complete kit with various kinds of suckers suitable for different drain types such as bathtub, kitchen sink, basin, etc.

This plunger uses the incredibly high blasting pressure of compressed air to remove clogs in the drain caused by anything i.e., oil and grease, tea leaves, cloth, hair, etc.

Although the air blaster plunger is much more effective compared to the traditional plunger, it is more expensive. However, it does the job of a plumber and can be used multiple times. Actually, it can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Source: Amazon AeKeatDa

3. Sink Snake Clog Remover

The slim stainless steel snake-like clog remover is easy to dredge almost all your home pipelines. It can handle blockages and catch hair or lost small items effectively out from drains without any chemicals. It’s durable and reusable for deep pipeline cleaning. Prepare several sink snakes for different pipes. Be careful with the sharp edges in use.

Source: Amazon Forlivese

4. Water-powered Drain Cleaner

It’s a water-powered drain cleaner by connecting the water pulsating valve with a hose and cold water faucet. The pressure of water will expand the valve and lock the valve in the pipe, then the full force of water will flush blockages. Before buying this drain cleaner, you should know the exact size of your pipes.

Source: Amazon Drain King

DIY Solutions to Clean Drain Cost-effectively

These do-it-yourself hacks are the most cost-effective drain opening solutions you will come across. What’s best is that for these hacks the furthest you will have to go is your local grocery store! let’s run you through some of the best of these DIY hacks available out there:

5. Baking Soda and Vinegar

For this method, you will need baking soda and vinegar in a 1:2 ratio i.e., half cup baking soda for 1 cup vinegar. Using this ratio, you can double or triple the recipe based on your requirement.

Now, all you must do is firstly pour the baking soda down the blocked drain.

Once this is done, it is time to pour the vinegar. However, do not pour the vinegar directly over the drain hole. Rather, start pouring the vinegar a little left or right to the drain so that it can trickle slowly on its own into the drain.

After doing this, you will suddenly notice a foaming reaction in the drain, which is the star of the show. This foam is basically breaking down all that grease build-up, killing all the bacteria, and breaking up the food particle stuck to the drainpipe. Leave the smelly sink as-is for as long as possible, preferably 2 to 3 hours.

After the time is up, use a skewer to poke through each tiny hole in the drain to get rid of the gunk that is still stuck to the drainpipe.

Following this, pour around 2 cups of boiling water down the drain and as soon as you do that, you will notice all the waste oozing out into the sink. That is when you know the method has worked! Just clean the sink now and you are good to go.

6. Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Hydrogen peroxide is the best non-toxic multipurpose chemical that you can use for house cleaning purposes. It is an amazing product to get rid of smell-causing bacteria and works very well for disinfecting purposes.

For this hack, a 3% food-grade hydrogen peroxide will work well for this hack. But if you want to go a step further, accelerated hydrogen peroxide is also a safe and excellent option. Both options are easily available at any grocery store and pharmacy!

So, for getting rid of the blocked and smelly drain, all you must do is to pour 2 heaped tablespoons of baking soda into the drain followed by a cup of hydrogen peroxide. Leave the drain as is for an hour and then pour 2 cups of boiling water into it. This is it! It’s all you have to do. Then your kitchen sink drain will be as good as new if the odor is not from a defective U-bend.

However, for this method to be effective, make sure the hydrogen peroxide you buy is in a dark bottle to keep it safe from sunlight. In addition to this, make sure to store the hydrogen peroxide in a dark cabinet somewhere. Exposure to sunlight denature hydrogen peroxide and renders it ineffective, hence preventing it from delivering the desired result.

Chemical Solutions to Get Rid of Smelly Sink Fast but Carefully

There are several chemical drain cleaners that you can find on the shelves of many stores. Regardless they are powder or liquid, the process of chemical unclogging is melting and decomposing. They are based on enzymes that eat up the waste causing the blockage. However, the efficacy of these products is limited to only slight blockages and odor.

7. Enzymatic Deodorizer Sticks

This little stick is a good helper to eliminate smelly odor, unclog grease buildup, and improve water flow by throwing it in the drain. It is suitable for various pipelines and can last as long as one month. The purpose is to prevent blockage caused by grease buildup, not unclog all blockage caused by hair or trash.
Before purchasing these sticks, find a well-rated brand and make sure they can be fully melted in the pipes.

8. Enzymes Drain Cleaner and Maintainer Liquid

Most liquid enzyme drain cleaners can effectively break down food waste, fat, sludge, toilet paper, and starch buildup in the drains. When you choose drain cleaner chemicals, pay attention that if the ingredients will do harm to your pipes and if it’s earth-friendly. Using a drain maintainer regularly helps drains stay open and improves water flow as well-maintained pipelines don’t get blocked and foul odor.

eco-friendly chemical drain opener can clean sink safely

Source: Amazon Ecos

9. Active Oxygen Drain Cleaner Powder

Be careful in using these chemical cleaners as they release toxic gases and may corrode your skin and drainpipes. Wear gloves before use just in case of any accidents.

Keep in mind the types of pipe it’s not suitable for.

Take the chemicals away from the kids and pets.

If you are not sure what kind of chemical drain cleaner to buy, ask your friends what they use or test before pouring them into the drain. However, the best way to dredge your blocked drain is to go for mechanical solutions.

Upgrade Strainer to Prevent Blockage

As the old saying goes ‘Prevention is Better than Cure’. Make small upgrades in all water bathtubs to prevent everything from entering the pipelines. The following are some useful small items to catch your junk debris.

10. Plastic Hair Strainer

The hair strainer can not only catch your hair but also your jewelry.

11. Stainless Steel Tub Strainer

stainless stell tub strainer hair catcher

Source: Amazon TubShroom

12. Drain Backflow Preventer

There are various backflow preventers in the market. They can effectively reduce or stop odor backflow and bugs from the floor drain sewer. Before purchasing these products, you should: