Smelly Sinks Are the Worst. Here Are 10 Ways to Get Rid of the Stench

Even when we diligently use a sink strainer or garbage disposal, we work our kitchen sink drains hard. Inevitably, food particles, grease, and other not-so-lovely things make their way into the plumbing and we wake up one morning to a smelly sink drain. Blech! Now what?

Thanks to intel from our Kitchn readers and my fellow editors, I’ve got 10 ways you can kick that stinky sink drain to the curb (and keep it from coming back).

Start by letting a sink full of hot, soapy water flush through the garbage disposal while it’s running. This is the first step, and may do the trick!

• Put a stopper in the sink and fill it with several inches of hot water.
• Add a squirt of dish soap.
• Turn on the disposal and unplug the sink to let the water flush through. (This is different than simply running the tap like we usually do since the disposal will actually fill with water.

If you suspect the stinky culprit is indeed the disposal, we’ve got you covered with a few more tips for freshening up a garbage disposal specifically.

If you’re still getting a funky smell, the next step is to make sure the disposal blades are clean and clear of lingering gunky food particles. The combination of ice cubes, coarse salt, and lemon is a three-punch cleaning wonder, as told to us by our readers.

• Throw a few ice cubes and a handful of kosher salt down the disposal. (The ice helps knock food off the grinder while the salt scrubs the sides.)
• Repeat with another round of ice cubes and kosher salt.
• Grind up a few lemon peels in the disposal for added freshness.

A cleaning shortcut? Freeze lemon wedges in white vinegar, and then crush it in the disposal! Here’s how to do it with ease:

• Slice a lemon into small (quarter-sized) wedges and place in muffin cups.
• Pour distilled white vinegar into the cups.
• Let the cubes set up in the freezer overnight.
• Remove the cubes from the tray, and pop a few down the disposal.
• Run a low stream of water and flip the switch.

The simple power of hot water is not to be underestimated. If you’ve just boiled water for something — a bit of pasta or a pot of tea, for example — don’t let it cool off on the stove. Instead, pour it down the sink. This may be enough to take care of milder drain smells (particularly in older, weaker pipes). If not, keep going down this list to amp up the cleaning power, but as you’ll notice, every tip on this list ends with a good hot water flush!

The most popular trick among Kitchn readers for getting rid of a smelly sink drain? A bubbling, baking soda-and-vinegar mix, washed down with very hot water. Here’s how to get the most out of this natural cleaning concoction:

• Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain.
• Let it sit for 15 minutes (don’t run any water).
• Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar down.
• Watch the bubbles, hear the pops and fizz, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
• Run hot water. (The hotter the water, the more bacteria it kills so we recommend using a big kettle full of boiling water.)

Some readers swear that adding coarse salt to the tried-and-true baking soda and vinegar combo offers just enough extra abrasion to break up the gunk. Here’s how to get the job done:

• Pour 1/2 cup coarse salt down the drain.
• Next, pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain.
• Finally, pour 1 cup vinegar down the drain.
• Cover the drain to the get the bubbles working in the drain only (takes about 30 seconds).
• Pour a kettle of boiling water through to get it all out and dissolve any remaining salt.

Like vinegar, lemon juice also creates a bubbling reaction when it comes in contact with baking soda. It’s not as economical as vinegar (being without a garbage disposal, you’d have to actually juice a lemon since you can’t grind up an already-juiced-and-zested wedge), but it does smell much nicer!

• Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain.
• Let it sit for 15 minutes (don’t run any water).
• Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup lemon juice down.
• Watch the bubbles, hear the pops and fizz, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
• Run hot water. (The hotter the water, the more bacteria it kills so we recommend using a big kettle full of boiling water.)

If after dealing with a terrible smell all you want is to smell something really, really great, then put a few drops of your favorite essential oil down the drain post-baking soda cleanse.

• Pour in about a half-cup of baking soda
• Then, dribble in a few drops of essential oils — eucalyptus, tea tree, and mint are favorites of mine.
• Let it sit an hour or so, or overnight if you like
• Finally, rinse down with boiling hot water.

The next time you clean your coffee maker, repurpose all that hot vinegar and use it to de-stink your drain! The procedure couldn’t be easier:

• Add a cup of baking soda down the drain.
• Pour your leftover hot vinegar from cleaning your coffee maker.
• Voila! You now have a stink-free drain.

Prevention is of course the best remedy, and the secret to keeping your drain smelling fresh is to sprinkle baking soda down your drain periodically. You can do this after you wash the dishes or just once a week, but it’s especially useful when you’re headed out of town and won’t be using your sink for awhile.

Which of these tips — or any others not listed here! — have worked for your smelly sink drains?