Put an end to unpleasant odors These five home remedies will help if your drain stinks
If it stinks in the kitchen, the unpleasant odors may be coming from the drain. You don't always need chemicals to tackle the problem: these five household remedies can also help.
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- If your drain stinks, you don't always have to use chemicals straight away - household remedies can also help to clean the pipes.
- A mixture of vinegar and baking soda, for example, can effectively dissolve deposits in the drain.
- Salt and cola are also suitable for removing residues in the drain and neutralizing unpleasant odours.
- Washing-up liquid and dishwasher tabs dissolve grease and dirt.
If an unpleasant odor is coming from the drain in the kitchen or bathroom, this may be due to deposits in the pipes. After all, they are used every day and countless residues collect in them.
Whether it's leftover food, soap residue or hair - if not rinsed properly, it all collects, develops bacteria and creates a nasty smell that then rises up from the pipes and spreads throughout the home.
It is therefore important to clean the drain and pipes regularly to remove any deposits and avoid an unpleasant smell. If you don't want to use chemicals - there are special pipe cleaning agents - you should try these five household remedies:
Vinegar and baking soda mixture
Baking soda is a real all-rounder. It is said to have real superpowers when it comes to cleaning. In combination with vinegar, it can also help to remove heavy deposits from the drain. And this is how it works:
Step-by-step instructions
- Pour two spoons of baking powder (or baking soda) down the drain.
- Pour in 150 to 250 milliliters of vinegar.
- Allow the mixture to foam up. Caution: Foaming can splash - and get in your eyes.
- Leave to stand for about 15 minutes.
- Rinse the drain well with lukewarm water.
Salt
Salt gives our food more flavor, but can also help to get rid of deposits in the drain. Salt helps to dissolve stubborn residues. To benefit from this miracle product, simply pour two tablespoons of table salt directly into the drain. After 30 to 45 minutes, rinse with water - cold water is also suitable.
Coke
Tired of drinking the stale Coca-Cola that's been sitting in the fridge for a while? So if it's going to be poured away anyway, you can benefit from it right away. If you empty the Coke slowly and let it sit in the drain for half an hour or so, it will give off a pleasant smell. Rinse thoroughly with water afterwards.
Washing-up liquid
You usually have a bottle handy next to the sink: Commercially available washing-up liquid has a grease-dissolving effect, so why not use it as a drain cleaner? Products that are gentle and caring for the skin are good for soft hands, but are less suitable for thoroughly cleaning the drain. In order for the product to be fully effective, you should note the following.
This is how it works:
- As a first step, flush warm water down the pipe. It is best to let the tap run for a minute so that the inside of the pipe can heat up.
- Pour around 50 to 200 milliliters of washing-up liquid down the drain.
- Close the drain with the plug. Leave to work for about 30 minutes.
- Fill the sink with hot water.
- Open the drain again. Caution: To avoid burning yourself, make sure that you use a stopper with a chain or thread in step three.
- Allow hot water to run through, slightly loosened deposits will be washed away.
Dishwasher tabs
Most people also have dishwasher tabs at home. They not only clean the dishes, but also make the drain shine again when used for other purposes. Do you want to get your pipes back in shape with tabs?
Then follow these steps:
- Crush the dishwasher tab and put the pieces down the drain.
- Rinse with warm water.
- Leave to work for about an hour.
- Rinse the drain well under running water.
- If not everything has dissolved, add hot water. The residue of the dishwasher tab should be removed completely.
