How to eliminate smell in the kitchen from the sink: looking for the cause, eliminating the effect. Smell from the sink in the kitchen - why it occurs and how to eliminate it Unpleasant smell from the pipe in the kitchen

No matter how clean the housewife is, and no matter how carefully she monitors the cleanliness of the kitchen sink, over time, the problem of disgusting sewer smell will still arise. What to do and how to deal with this? There are two ways out of the situation: eliminate the unpleasant odor yourself or seek the help of a specialist.

Causes of odor

Sometimes the reason can be very simple, and the first thing every housewife resorts to when the kitchen sink stinks is to unscrew and clean the siphon. The fact is that over time, fat and dirt accumulate in the siphon, stick to the walls of the pipe, and rotting processes begin. This is what causes “sewage odors.” But these are not all possible problems.

So, let's try to understand the main reasons for the unpleasant sewage smell from your sink, other than the above. First of all, you need to understand the structure and functionality of the pipes running directly under the sink.

We all know what a siphon is. So, every siphon must have a water seal or a so-called water lock. After each drain of water, a certain amount of liquid is retained in the S-shaped part of the siphon. The water here plays the role of a kind of plug that traps odors from the drain and prevents them from spreading throughout the kitchen.

Regardless of which siphon you have installed, corrugated or flask (also called a bottle siphon), the principle of operation of both is absolutely the same - there must always be water there as a barrier to odor. Violation of this principle leads to the appearance of a corresponding “aroma” that will become a curtain in your kitchen. So why does water stop staying in the siphon?

And how to eliminate the disgusting aroma?

  1. Often, instead of a siphon, a corrugated pipe is installed, which tends to stretch and sag over time. Even if the installation of the corrugated pipe and its S-shaped bend were carried out correctly, it will still lose its shape. To avoid this and delay pipe replacement by for a long time, it is necessary to secure the corrugation using special devices. They should be purchased together with the pipe. Another way: secure the pipe with special insulating tape.
  2. The siphon was not installed correctly. Often difficulties arise with flask siphons. If plastic pipe does not reach the water in the siphon flask, then an unpleasant odor is guaranteed, because sewer stench will seep over the water lock. This misunderstanding can be corrected by adjusting the position of the pipe. It should sink 2-3 cm into the water, but it should not touch the bottom of the flask.
  3. Also, a disgusting smell appears if the kitchen sink has not been used for a long time. If you have been away from home for a long time, and upon returning you notice that there is a smell from the kitchen sink, then most likely the problem is evaporated water from the siphon. To prevent this from happening, you should drain a little before leaving. sunflower oil in the drain The oil forms a thin film on the water, which will delay the rapid evaporation of water. Well, if you forgot to do this or didn’t know about this option, then you just need to drain more water. After some time, the disgusting smell will disappear.
  4. Probably one of the most common problems with a kitchen sink is repairing or even installing it yourself. If corrugated pipe was not installed by a specialist, it is likely that an “economical method” of installation was used. In this case, the water seal may not be formed correctly, causing water to either rise back into the sink, or not be retained and go down the drain. There are also cases of stretching the corrugation and “sticking” it directly into the riser. Believe me, you shouldn't do this.

Other Causes of Bad Kitchen Sink Odor

Sometimes the problem may lie not only in the siphon or its incorrect installation.

A disgusting odor may also appear due to the following reasons:

  • Cracking or others mechanical damage drain pipes can also cause odor. Water seeps through and saturates the walls and floor, which over time begin to grow mold.
  • Airing the riser. If the riser becomes very clogged, then when water passes through it, characteristic sounds are heard, after which a sewer stench appears. In this case, you will have to contact the housing office, because you cannot do it yourself.
  • The seal between the sewer and the drain has disappeared. In this case, you need to go over the joint with sealant again. It is best to choose silicone sealant.

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If an unpleasant smell appears in the apartment, in addition to the main problem, accompanying psychological ones arise - increased irritation of household members, the inability to stay in the room, a taboo on inviting guests and relatives. First of all, the search for the cause of the trouble begins with the water supply and sewerage system. In the event that the trouble most often comes from the sink drain hole. Only after establishing the true cause of unpleasant odors can you get rid of the problem. Failure to repair it in a timely manner can lead to the siphon becoming clogged and possibly flooding the rooms. We will tell you how to eliminate odor from the kitchen sink in this article.

Consequences of unpleasant odors in the kitchen

There can be many root causes, but the main one is a clogged siphon. This is the small curved part of the drain pipe that is located directly below. Serves to maintain the water level in the bend and separate the air in the apartment and in the sewer pipe. Regardless of design, all siphons work the same.


Usually, over time, in the pipes or siphon, and due to insufficient care of the system, a greasy coating forms, to which small particles of food waste stick.

Accumulation of food debris in the drain

In addition to classical reasons, blockages and unpleasant odors can be caused by malfunctions of the siphon itself, high wear and cracking. plastic pipes wires, weakening threads of connections, failure of the water seal, holes in metal pipes, improperly designed drainage system under the sink.


Related article:

Methods for removing blockages in the kitchen sink

Each owner, having encountered a problem more than once, chooses for himself how to eliminate the smell from the kitchen sink, because... can suggest the true cause and the most effective solution.

  • Inspect the siphon and pipes. Perhaps, visually, you will see a leaky place or weakening on the joint thread. Often such troubles can be eliminated by tightening the connections or using conventional sealant.
  • Use a regular plunger if there is an obvious blockage with food waste. After simple manipulations, all food remains are easily washed off into the sewer pipe.

  • If a regular plunger does not help, then they resort to a more serious tool - a pneumatic one. In a matter of seconds, this item can cope with the most severe blockages. The use of such tools for cleaning old pipelines is highly discouraged in order to avoid breaking weak connections and rusted areas.

  • The easiest way is to clean the drain using standard chemicals, which can be purchased at any hardware store or supermarket. It’s simple – put protective equipment on your hands, open the package, and pour the contents in as intended. And after a given period of time, rinse with a large amount running water. This method helps with light blockages in 60% of all cases.

How to eliminate odor from a kitchen sink using home methods?

  • Use available means - salt, soda or vinegar. There is only one principle - leave the concentrated product for 2-5 hours, and then rinse everything with boiling water. The method is quite effective for eliminating greasy deposits on the inner walls of pipes. This procedure must be carried out regularly as a preventive measure to avoid small food debris from sticking to the siphon.
  • A faulty water seal and the characteristic “bubbling” and “hissing” of water can be dealt with by having the simplest plumbing skills. Which in a matter of hours will level the slope of the pipes or replace the riser with pipes of larger diameter to prevent the formation of vacuum in the system.
  • If the cause of the unpleasant odor lay in an unsuccessful model or incorrect installation of the siphon, then select equipment bigger size or reconnect the old one. If thread failures continue, then they resort to completely replacing this part of the drain and purchasing a new siphon.

  • If the corrugated pipe begins to unbend over time and cracks form on it, then the use of insulating tape will be a temporary salvation from troubles. But this is a temporary procedure that will help for a few days before purchasing new material.

To avoid unpleasant odors emanating from the sink in the kitchen, you must follow several rules:

  • Never clean leftover food down the sink.
  • Always use the means personal protection when cleaning pipes with aggressive chemical media - protective glasses, bandage and gloves.
  • Ventilate the premises after using "Mole" and its analogues.
  • A small procedure will help avoid chemical burns and other troubles.
  • Flush the drain hole hot water every time he washes the dishes.
  • Once a week, pour baking soda and vinegar into the sink to prevent greasy deposits from sticking to the walls of the pipes and siphon.
  • If you are leaving for a long time, and you know that upon arrival you may have an unpleasant surprise in the kitchen due to a weak water seal, pour a little into the hole machine oil or a similar liquid to prevent the evaporation of water in the bend, and, accordingly, unpleasant odors in the apartment. The method is suitable for country houses and dachas, where these items are not used so often.
  • Keep your dishes and kitchen clean in general. This will help prevent contamination at the sink and in the house.
  • Do not use aggressive chlorine cleaners on metal sinks. And, conversely, for tiles, use only chemicals that will not harm the material.
  • In a new home or during renovation, it is recommended to install a removable siphon, which can be opened at any time and cleared of blockages without harm to the water supply and sewerage system.

There are many methods for eliminating odors from your kitchen sink. After finding the reason, choose the most suitable one and act. All work can be done manually, but if you cannot get rid of troubles using any of the above methods, contact professionals for help and enjoy a full life.

The kitchen is the most frequently visited place in the house. Walking into this room, you want to feel the pleasant smells of baking or the freshness of detergents, but your expectations are immediately dashed by the unpleasant aroma that comes from the sink. Mixing with the smells of delicacies, it can cause even greater disgust, and staying in the kitchen becomes unbearable. In addition, the stench from the sewer can affect the human respiratory system due to the ammonia and hydrogen sulfide it contains. Questions arise: “How to get rid of the smell from the sink in the bathroom, in the kitchen? How to protect yourself from the action harmful substances? How to eliminate the cause of such discomfort?"

So, if there is a smell from the kitchen sink, how to eliminate it? The main ways to solve a problem come down to actions that can be performed without special knowledge, but some problems cannot be solved without a wizard. In any case, the house should have a plunger, special detergents, dry rags, plumbing strings. To begin with, if there is a smell from the sink in the kitchen (we’ll look at how to fix the problem later), you need to find out the reason for the unpleasant aroma.

Siphon contamination

Keeping the kitchen clean is an important task for the housewife, so the cleaning process often takes a lot of time. After a long cooking session or a family dinner, the entire mountain of dishes needs to be washed, and it is at this moment that water gets into the sink. a large number of leftover food. Penetrating into the siphon, they begin to rot and thereby cause an unpleasant odor. So, having discovered that the siphon under the sink is clogged with rotting food debris, we quickly eliminate the smell from the kitchen sink by removing it and washing it. It is important to remember which part connects to which, so that after washing the siphon you can easily install everything back. You also need to wash it carefully so as not to break or spoil the parts. It would be good if there was a special tape in the house that would improve connections and serve as a replacement for seals for a short period of time.

Siphon contamination is one of the most common reasons from the sink. About 90% of housewives encounter it, and in all cases the problem is solved without difficulty.

Violation of tightness

At the junction of the siphon and the pipe, a leak is often observed. The occurrence of this problem is quite easy to determine (unlike blockages or internal breakdowns), since the result will be drips. If the problem has not been resolved at the time of its occurrence, these leaks cause a stench from the sink, the appearance of fungus and mold on the walls and floor. This happens when the seals are worn out or deteriorated. A temporary solution can be special or electrical tape, but new seals will help to finally solve the problem.

If a leak occurs between pipes, then it is necessary to coat their joints with silicone sealant.

Wastewater stagnation

Residues of food, hair, and fatty plugs can accumulate, making it difficult for water to pass through. As a result, the water gets retained, stagnates and causes a strong odor from the kitchen sink. How to fix it? The methods presented below are suitable for different cases and often give positive results.

The problem can be solved in two ways: rely on your own strength or call specialists. The second option is more reliable, but if you decide to do everything yourself, you need to use the means described below.

Plumbing cable

How to eliminate odor from the kitchen sink yourself? To do this, you need a plumbing cable, which is sold in specialized stores. It is a steel spiral spring, usually with a handle, the main objective which - to hook and pull out debris from sewer pipes.


If you can’t purchase it, you can try to make it yourself. The cable must be slowly screwed into the pipe, thereby clearing the passage. This must be done carefully, as drastic actions the pipe may be damaged. It is better to involve another person who will help keep the cable taut.

Chemicals

If there is a smell from the kitchen sink, how can you eliminate it without using a cable? Exit - use chemicals. They are different types and are aimed at dissolving many contaminants: acidic agents work well with soap and hair, and alkaline ones work well with fat. In the store, it is better to clarify which of all those presented are best suited to combat your problems. They should be used according to the instructions and no more than once every two to three weeks. With frequent use chemical elements may damage sewer pipes from the inside. You should not use such products if the pipe is completely clogged: they can splash out, damage the surface of the sink, countertops, and also get on your skin or eyes.

To remove grease plugs in pipes (all types except plastic), you need to pour a large amount of boiling water into the sink. Used for plastic pipes warm water with diluted in it washing powder(100 grams of powder per 5 liters of water).

Folk remedies

You can get rid of stagnant wastewater by traditional methods. To do this, you need to pour a few tablespoons of table salt or a hot solution of soda and water into the sink, and then rinse the drain thoroughly.

One such procedure is enough to get rid of small grease plugs or dirt, but for large blockages it will need to be repeated several times. Lemon or citric acid, which needs to be diluted with boiling water and poured into the sink in a slow stream, copes well with such problems. Another option is vinegar. After adding a few tablespoons of soda to a glass of vinegar, you need to pour the liquid into the drain and plug it with a rag to prevent the acrid vinegar smell from spreading throughout the kitchen.

You can get rid of small blockages in pipes using a plunger.

Violations of the installation of the sewer system

Trust the establishment of such complex system, like sewerage, should be done by highly qualified specialists, because in this case the possibility of problems arising is minimal. However, masters of their craft can also make mistakes, which results in an unpleasant smell in the kitchen. If due to installation errors sewer system There is a smell coming from the kitchen sink; only experts can tell you how to fix the problem. It is impossible to resolve this issue on your own without the necessary skills.

The sink hasn't been used for a while

When you open the door after a long vacation, business trip or other departure, you can hear a pungent smell from the kitchen sink. How to fix this problem and what causes it?

If the sink is left “idle” for a certain period of time, the water in the pipes begins to evaporate and an unpleasant odor fills the entire kitchen. In this case, you need to use an air freshener or any fragrance, that is, replace one smell with another, since the problem is not caused by damage and dirt.

Preventing unpleasant odors from the sink

Having found out where the smell from the kitchen sink came from and how to eliminate it, you need to think about actions that will prevent its occurrence in the future.

Cleaning drain pipes should be carried out not only in case of blockages, but also as a monthly preventive procedure. Using salt, soda or citric acid can be frequent - up to twice a week. This will keep the pipes relatively clean.

Before you start washing dishes, you need to clear them of food debris, thereby preventing contamination of the siphon. Also, you should not pour tea leaves into the sink, throw away small garbage, clean a comb over it, etc.

Leaving for long time, you need to prevent the appearance of a fetid odor throughout the entire kitchen by pouring about 100 grams of machine or vegetable oil. It will create a film that will significantly slow down the evaporation of water from the pipes. Upon arrival, you must use a cleaning agent and rinse the system with warm water.

Questions regarding the replacement of some parts of the sewer system, its modernization and repair should be entrusted to specialists who, using professional tools and the necessary skills, will not harm it. You should not rely on a friend or neighbor in such a situation.

When purchasing new elements, such as a siphon, it is important to take the advice of experts or consultants, focus on quality and ease of use, and not on price.

To remove fatty contaminants in the siphon, it should be washed after each dishwashing. hot water for 20-30 seconds. This will extend the service life and partially prevent grease from getting into the pipes.

The smell from the pipes in the bathroom or kitchen is a problem with a very unpleasant odor. It occurs mainly when the pipeline and its elements are severely worn out and need to be replaced. In some cases, the cause is the condition of the drains throughout the house. Naturally, you are unlikely to be able to solve this problem alone. However, if the reason is the deplorable condition of the pipes in your apartment, or blockages in them, you can eliminate the smell yourself.

What should you do first?

If the smell appears in the bathroom or kitchen, inspect the pipes before trying to get rid of it. There should be no deformation on them. The joints should be checked for integrity. If there is damage, it is quite possible that this is the cause of the problem. In this case, you will have to change or reinstall the structure. Temporary methods, such as cleaning pipes, cannot be done here.

If water flows into the drain with specific gurgling and other sounds, it is quite possible that the water seal in the system has been broken. Also check the condition of the siphon. Its short partition can cause the water seal to break. In order to get rid of the smell, in this case, it is enough to replace the siphon.

If you have a corrugated pipe in your kitchen or bathroom, inspect that too. If it has lost its former appearance, you can give it the desired

form, twisting and sealing with electrical tape. However, ideally, it should be replaced with a new one.

Simple ways to eliminate odor

If the problem is caused by a clog, you just need to clean the pipes to solve it. Various chemicals are used for this purpose. For example, “Mole”, “Domestos”, “Mr. Muscle” and others. In order to get rid of the smell, you can use traditional methods:

  • Table salt is poured into the pipeline. Then, after waiting a little, it is washed off with running water;
  • Washing soda (2 tablespoons) is poured with a liter of boiling water. Then the composition is poured into the drain hole;
  • Soda is poured into the drain. Following her, pours in acetic acid. The drain hole should be tightly closed. After half an hour, the drain opens and the water is turned on to rinse off the composition;
  • Prepare a mixture of washing soda and salt. Then it is poured into the drain hole. Salt helps get rid of the odor, and washing soda helps clean the pipeline.

To ensure that the smell from pipes in the kitchen and bathroom does not bother you in the future, it is recommended to apply the above preventive measures once a week. For this purpose, preventive chemicals can be used. There are also temporary ways to eliminate odor from pipes:

  • The zest of an orange or lemon is set on fire indoors. A small piece is enough. It is important to follow all safety measures;
  • The bathroom should be ventilated after each “bath procedure”. Constantly closed door only exacerbates the problem;
  • Until a solution to the problem is found, you can use air fresheners.
  • If the design is completely intact, the cause of the problem may be evaporation of liquid in the water seal caused by infrequent use of the taps;
  • If you are going on a long-distance train, fill the waterproofer with oil. This way you will prevent drying out in the system;
  • Buy a special siphon. It will be a kind of barrier for amber;
  • Replace the gaskets in the pipeline.

What to do if you have already tried many methods, but the unpleasant smell from the pipes remains? In this case it makes no sense to buy more and more new chemicals, look for traditional methods fight against amber. Chances are the cause of the problem is more serious than you think, and by ordinary means there is no way to get rid of it. In this case, do not overuse air fresheners. It’s better to try to replace the system quickly if this is the reason, or ask general condition sewerage in your home. In the latter case, you should seek help from the appropriate services.

The kitchen is a particularly polluted area. Keeping things clean while cooking is quite difficult. And therefore the housewife has to spend quite a lot of time on this. Despite best efforts, some unusable food or garbage organic origin Fall into drainpipes, they get stuck there and begin to deteriorate and emit an unpleasant odor. How to get rid of it?

Sink smell

90% of housewives have encountered the problem of an unpleasant odor from the kitchen sink, and each of them knows that the reason for its appearance may be:

  • beginning of rotting(formed for the simple reason that fats and dirt accumulate in the siphon and begin to stick to the walls of the pipe from the inside);
  • incorrect siphon equipment;
  • lack of water in one of the parts of the drain.

In order to understand the second point, you need to understand how the sink generally works. standard kitchen. So, a siphon is a curved tube with an elbow in which there should be a hydrological seal, or water lock. After any drainage of liquid, a certain amount of liquid is retained in the S-shaped siphon area. It is this that plays the role of a specific plug, because it stops the entry of foreign odors from the drain pipe and does not allow them to be distributed throughout the entire kitchen space.

Regardless of the type of siphon installed, be it corrugated or flasked, the operating algorithm for each of them is exactly the same: they must contain water at all times, which will become a barrier to odor. If it is not in the installation, various and very unpleasant aromas appear in the kitchen.

The smell from the kitchen sink is unpleasant, uncomfortable and unhygienic

Other reasons

Alternative factors for the occurrence of this problem may lie not only in the area of ​​the siphon itself or its incorrect installation. So, odor formation may begin due to the following factors:

  • appearance small cracks or other defects in the drain pipe. The problem is aggravated by the fact that water, seeping through, begins to saturate the walls and floor, on which mold and mildew form over time;
  • airing the riser– when the riser becomes very quickly and noticeably clogged, when liquid passes through it, specific sounds are obvious, and immediately after them a characteristic aroma from the sewer appears. In such a case, it is best to contact the housing office, because you cannot handle this on your own;
  • loss of optimal sealing between the sewer area and the drain (more on ways to combat this below).

How to eliminate unpleasant odors in the kitchen, expert advice:

How to get rid

an incorrectly installed siphon is one of the reasons for the smell from the sink

Most often, instead of a siphon, a corrugated pipe is installed, which is characterized by the ability to stretch or sag over time. Even if the structure of this pipe and its peculiar bend were configured in the correct order, it in any case loses its shape. This affects the formation of odor from the kitchen sink.


This can be avoided by postponing the replacement of pipes for a long period of time by fixing the corrugation using various devices. They can be purchased along with the installation. Another proven method is to secure the pipe with professional insulating tape.

If the siphon is installed incorrectly, the main difficulties arise with flask-type devices. If the plastic pipe does not reach the water in the siphon bowl, then the appearance of an odor is guaranteed, because the stench from the sewer will flow into the pipe, bypassing the water lock. This can be corrected by adjusting the position of the pipe. It should be in the water at a level of several cm and it is highly undesirable for it to reach the bottom of the flask.


If the kitchen sink has not been used for a long time, an unpleasant odor also appears.. The problem is the disappearance of water from the siphon. To prevent this, it is necessary to pour a small amount of sunflower oil into the “elbow” before a planned long absence. It forms a thin film on the water, which will help delay the forced evaporation of water.

Those who forgot or did not know about this option can always simply drain a significant amount of water. After some time, the unpleasant aroma will disappear.

If you are not a plumber, better call a specialist

Repairing or equipping the sink yourself is another contributing factor to sewer odor. In such a situation, it is most likely that:

  • hydrological seal is not formed correctly;
  • water begins to rise back into the sink;
  • does not linger and leaks into the sewer hole(as an alternative option).

There are also situations in which the corrugation stretches and is “stuck” into the riser itself. This is highly undesirable to do.

How to clean your sink of debris and get rid of unpleasant odors in our video:

The very first method that you can use yourself without the help of a plumber is to flush the pipes. This is done using a variety of special-purpose chemical components.

It is cleaned using means known to everyone, for example, “Mole” (and everything that contains caustic soda in a minimal proportion) or Domestos.

The advantages of the presented names are that they more than effectively cope with fat and food waste formed on the walls of pipes. In addition, their cost remains more than acceptable. However, using the products more than once every three to four weeks is highly undesirable.

You can resort to much simpler and more accessible methods. So, there are some products that can be found in any kitchen. For example, in a kitchen sink drain you can:

  • sprinkle some salt;
  • wait no more than 30 minutes (usually 20 is enough);
  • Rinse the drain thoroughly with water.

You can use soda instead of salt, mixed with water in the following ratio: two tablespoons per liter of boiling water. The solution must be diluted and immediately poured into the drain.

Due to chemical properties soda and high temperature this tool minor blockages and fat deposits can be overcome. To combat more significant blockages or old growths, repeated use of the technique will be required.

Tormented by an unpleasant sewer smell? Watch video tips:

As mentioned earlier, another factor in kitchen sink odor could be a loss of seal between the drain area and the drain. In such a situation, it is necessary to re-use the sealant and treat the joint area with it. It would be best to use a silicone type component. It restores sealing much more efficiently.

How regular baking soda will help get rid of unpleasant odors, and at the same time clean old stains:

Thus, there are a large number of ways to combat unpleasant smell from the kitchen sink. Some of them are simple and can be done independently at home, while others are best left to specialists.