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Why Does My Kitchen Sink Smell Like Sewage? (Answered)

The kitchen Sink is one of the most commonly used parts of the kitchen that is used to wash the dishes. It is important to keep the kitchen sink fresh and clean to maintain the hygiene of your kitchen. But sometimes the kitchen sink can smell very bad. 

In today’s article, we will discuss the reasons why your kitchen sink can smell like sewage. 

Kitchen sink smells like sewage 

People always want to keep their kitchen sink smell fresh and clean. However, due to the buildup of food and a breeze in the drain pipe, it can cause the kitchen sink to smell like sewage. Smells coming up to your pipes from the sewer can also make the kitchen sink smell like sewage. 

The kitchen is one of the most important parts of our house. Generally, people like to keep their kitchen clean and fresh so that they can maintain the hygiene in their house. Apart from cleaning the kitchen and making it look fresh, you need to have the kitchen smell good as well. 

The reason why people want to keep their kitchen smell fresh and clean is that it is the place where they prepare all their food. That is why there is a high chance that the kitchen may accumulate order and smell inside it. 

In some cases, it is very common for the kitchen sinks to smell very bad. In most cases, the kitchen sink may start to smell like sewage. 

This could be very frustrating and disturbing for you and you need to clean the kitchen sewage or detect the problem so that you can get to know what will solve the issue. 

However, some of the symptoms that can be noticed when your kitchen sink smells are the water may be draining slowly or not at all. 

In addition to that, the smell that is coming inside from the kitchen sink is of rotting food or rotten eggs. Below is a brief discussion on what causes your kitchen sink to smell like sewage: 

Rotting food: 

One of the most common things that can lead to smell inside the kitchen sink like sewage is rotting food inside the kitchen sink. Generally, during garbage disposal, rotting food may get stuck in the drain and remain there for a long time. 

As a result, it may cause the kitchen sink to smell disgusting like sewage. This is very common for most House owners to have rotting food inside the kitchen sink pipe. 

Sewer gas: 

In some cases, the sewer gas pipeline in your house is connected with the kitchen sink drain pipe. 

As a result, if the plumbing vent or drain trap is leaked or broken, the sewer gas can easily come inside the kitchen sink pipe and make your kitchen smell like sewage. 

If you notice any issue like this, you immediately need to inspect and observe the kitchen sink pipe and figure out if there are any leaks in the plumbing vent or drain trap.

Grease or fat accumulation: 

Generally, when you wash the dishes in the kitchen sink, the grease and fat accumulated on the plates can go inside the kitchen sink pipe and remain there for a long time. 

As a result, it can cause the grease and fat to grow bacteria and bad smell which can lead to the decomposition process of the fat and grease. In addition to that, it can lead to a bad smell in your kitchen. 

That is why you need to take care of the drain pipe carefully and check for any grease or fat accumulation inside of it.

Can I pour bleach down the smelly kitchen sink drain?  

Sometimes bad smells coming out of the kitchen sink can be very disturbing and frustrating for you as the kitchen is the place where you prepare the food for everyone. Having a bad smell in the kitchen will disrupt the hygiene of your house as well as the kitchen. 

In most cases, the bad smell coming up from the kitchen sink can be caused due to the accumulation of fat and grease inside the kitchen sink or the accumulation of rotten foods inside the drain pipe. 

However, there are some easy solutions to this problem. You can try using bleach to keep the smell away from your kitchen. You need to add half a cup of domestic thick bleach cold water solution. 

Finally, bore the solution inside the kitchen sink. The bleach solution will help to eliminate bacteria and clean out your kitchen drain to improve the smell. This will hopefully solve the kitchen sink smelling issue and provide you with a fresh and clean smell from your kitchen sink.

So, you can pour bleach solution down the smelly kitchen sink drain to resolve the issue.

How do you get rid of the sewer smell in the kitchen sink?  

Having smelled like sewer coming from the kitchen sink can be very disturbing and frustrating for you. Generally, people like to keep their kitchen sink smell fresh and clean because the kitchen is the place where they prepared the food. 

However, due to prolonged use, it is very normal for the kitchen sinks to accumulate fat and grease inside the kitchen sink drain and cause a bad smell to build up inside it. 

In some cases, the rotten foods can go inside the kitchen sink pipe when you wash the dishes and remain there for a long time. These rotten foods can cause bacteria buildup and a bad smell due to decomposition. 

That is why it can be the greatest concern to keep the kitchen sink clean and fresh. However, the kitchen sink smells can easily be fixed. 

You just need to unclog the blockages and clean the pipes with a readymade chemical or homemade solution so that you can get rid of the bad smell coming out of the kitchen sink. 

If you are looking for a homemade solution, you can try the following solutions given below:  

Boiling water solution: 

The boiling water solution is one of the most effective and easiest solutions to clean a kitchen sink drain pipe. 

You just need to boil a pan full of water and slowly pour it down the plug hole. Remember to pour a splash at a time and wait for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, your sink drain pipe is ready to use. 

White vinegar solution: 

You can try pouring a small amount of white vinegar down the plug hole so that the drain pipe can be rinsed. Let the vinegar stay for 30 minutes and then rinse it with clean and hot water. 

Chemical-based cleaning solution: 

There are several chemical-based cleaning solutions available that are non-toxic and eco-friendly. You can use them to clean the kitchen sink drain pipe. 

In addition to that, the chemical cleaning solutions work by eating the food debris without causing any damage to the pipes. 

They are also available in most hardware stores or supermarkets. But you need to always take safety measures before applying the cleaning solutions in the kitchen sink.

How do I prevent my kitchen drains from smelling like sewers?  

Having a bad smell coming out of the kitchen sink can be very disturbing and frustrating. In addition to that, you might need to put a lot of effort into cleaning the kitchen sink and its drain pipes. 

Keeping the kitchen fresh and clean is important because that’s where you prepare all the food. In addition to that, the foods need to maintain proper hygiene when being prepared. 

If you have a bad smell coming out of the kitchen sink, it will reduce your appetite. However, Kitchen drains smelling like sewers can be a very common issue for most people. 

The main reason that can cause the kitchen drains to smell like a sewer is due to accumulation of dirt, fat, and grease inside the kitchen drain pipe. You can fix the issue by unclogging the kitchen sink drain pipe and cleaning it regularly. 

Below is a brief discussion on how you prevent the kitchen drains from smelling like a sewer:  

Pour hot water regularly: 

The best way to get rid of the bad smell coming out of the kitchen sink drain pipe is to pour hot water regularly. That will eliminate all the bacteria and prevent this kitchen sink from smelling bad. 

Pour baking soda: 

It is highly recommended to pour baking soda inside the kitchen sink drain at least once a week. During this time, you will not be able to use the kitchen sink for a while. 

Check the drain pipes: 

You can also hire a professional plumber that will help you to check the kitchen drain pipes to see if there’s any dirt accumulated inside of it or not. 

Final thoughts 

Generally, the bad smell coming out of the kitchen sink is mostly caused due to accumulation of food, dirt, and grease inside the kitchen sink drain pipe. You can simply clean the kitchen sink by pouring vinegar and baking soda and washing them frequently.