Home remedies to banish nasty kitchen drain odors
Even though we keep our kitchen clean, unpleasant odors sometimes emanate from the drain. How can we deal with them? Chemical agents or professional help are not always necessary. You can use tried-and-tested home methods.
4:23 PM EDT, October 2, 2024
Unpleasant odors from the drain can have many sources. Food scraps, coffee grounds, and various liquids often end up there, which can’t always be avoided. Even with regular cleaning, situations may arise where leftovers accumulate in the pipes and start to rot, causing an odor.
Stores offer many products to clean and unclog drains blocked by leftovers. However, before we go shopping, let's try home methods, which can be equally effective and much cheaper.
The best home methods for cleaning the drain
The power of vinegar and additions
To avoid using detergents, which are expensive, ineffective, and sometimes even harmful, it's worth trying simpler home methods. One of them is a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. You should pour half a cup of baking soda into half a cup of vinegar and then pour the mixture into the drain. The ingredients will kill microorganisms and remove the unpleasant odor. If you repeat the treatment weekly, the effect will last a long time.
If you don’t have baking soda, you can use table salt. Pour half a cup of salt into the drain and flush it with boiling water. The hot water combined with the salt will remove the accumulated leftovers. If that doesn’t help, consider using boiled water with vinegar.
Don't tolerate vinegar? Go for lemon
For those who can't stand the smell of chemicals or vinegar, lemon is the perfect alternative. Squeeze the juice of one lemon, mix it with three tablespoons of baking soda or salt, and pour it into the drain. Besides cleaning, it will leave a pleasant citrus scent.
