In this blog article, I will describe the complete procedure of how to clean a bathroom drain. By following these procedures, you can easily clean your bathroom drain.
Most people don’t think about drains until something bad happens. A smelly or clogged drain is often the cause of this unpleasant sensation.
Bad odors from clogged drains can spread throughout your home. Sometimes a clogged drain can cause your kitchen to smell of rotten food, which is exacerbated when the dishwasher is running.
Sometimes the bathroom sink or shower drain can also smell like sewage. Washing machine drains can also smell this.
Therefore, sinks, showers, and kitchen drains should be cleaned regularly to prevent odors. Scented candles or potpourri can mask sewer odors, but you need to find the cause to get rid of them completely.
You can avoid smelly drains by learning how to clean and maintain them regularly. In this article, we will show you how to clean a bad-smelling bathroom drain.
Table of Contents
What Causes Smelly Drains?
1. For Kitchen Drains
Oil buildup in kitchen drains can trap food waste, which can lead to bacteria and odors that attract pests like fruit flies. If your kitchen sink smells, especially if it smells like a sewer, your P trap may be dry.
The P trap under the sink is a bent piece of pipe. Its purpose is to form a seal that retains water and prevents sewage gases from entering the kitchen.
The trap must always have water. The problem could be in the drain or vent, or a damaged pipe or clogged vent.
2. For Bathroom Drains and Sinks
There are several causes of odors in bathroom drains and sinks. Luckily, with the right tools, you can easily clean a smelly bathroom sink drain. You need a functional siphon to clean your sink and remove dirty drains.
The bent piece of pipe under the sink is known as a P trap and its purpose is to form a seal while retaining water, preventing waste gases from entering the bathroom.
3. For Shower and Bathtub Drains
A shower or bathtub drain can have an odor for a variety of reasons. The intensity of the fragrance and the cause of the plum odor determine the cleaning method.
Odor-causing microorganisms can feed on pipe debris, releasing toxic hydrogen sulfide that smells like sewage or rotten eggs.
Mold thrives in warm, humid environments, and when mold develops on the material, it causes a foul odor from clogged drains. It is very important to clean drains to minimize odors and other sewage problems such as mold.
How To Clean Smelly Bathroom Drains
The good news is that you don’t usually need the service of a plumber to remove odors from your drains. In most cases, no additional hardware is required. This approach uses the non-toxic household products you already have.
Many people find that a combination of strategies works best. If the drain continues to stink, try a different strategy. Here are some tips on how to clean smelly drains and store them in your home.
1. Hot Water Method
Hot water and dishwashing detergent can clean drains like oily dishes. In this procedure, you need to boil the water and then turn off the fire.
Add a few drops of liquid dishwashing liquid at this time. Carefully pour half of the mixture into the drain and wait 5 minutes for the oily sediment to dissolve.
To harden the remaining oil, fully open the cold water faucet and let it run for 1 minute. Finally, pour the remaining hot water into the drain to clear the clogged drain.
2. Using Vinegar
Vinegar is a great deodorant. The dissolution of biofilms or other contaminants also helps to remove grease, which helps clean up foul-smelling drains. Even small clogs that often cause sewer odors can be removed with hot vinegar.
To clean a smelly drain, boil 4 cups of vinegar and then pour half of the drain. Run cold water for 1 minute before flushing the drain with the remaining hot vinegar.
3. Using Baking Soda
The foaming action of vinegar and baking soda can easily clean and deodorize dirty drains.
Here is the procedure:
- Run hot water through the drain for 1 minute to soften the build-up in the drain.
- Pour 1 cup of baking soda (bicarbonate) into the drain and 2 cups of vinegar.
- Wait until the hissing stops, then run hot and cold water down the drain for 1 minute each.
4. Using Plastic Drain Snake
A snake hose drill, also known as a drain snake, consists of a flexible metal tube and a plastic tube with an auger. Drills must be inserted into clogged drains.
Holding the plastic tube firmly in your hand, turn the handle on the opposite end of the flexible tube and slide it into the drain. If there is no drain snake, a metal hanger or other wire will suffice.
Hook the other end of the wire and carefully slide it down the drain until you reach the blockage. Slowly pull the wire out.
If the attempt is successful, you will usually find hair and poop stuck to the hook, so be sure to clean the hook and toilet well.
5. By Using a Plunger
Use a plunger to block the shower drain. However, first, lubricate the piston lips with Vaseline to improve their tightness. Place the plunger over the drain cap.
Fill the shower with water hot enough to submerge the tip of the plunger, then submerge vigorously until the clogged drain is no longer visible.
6. Cleaning the P-trap
To do this, first, remove the curved part of the plumbing from the sink with a wrench. Remove any remaining dirt and water from the trap and place it in a bucket.
Clean the outside of the trap using a garden hose. After cleaning the drain pipe, attach the trap to the pipe and use the sink. If the problem is a clogged drain, remove any stuck debris.
If you do not have the necessary safety equipment, we recommend that you seek professional help. The same goes for sewage problems that only a professional plumber can solve.
Useful Tips To Cleaning Your Bathroom Drain
- Preventing drain odors in the first place may not solve the cleaning problem.
- Never drain fat, grease, and oil down the drain.
- Food waste should be thrown away or added to the compost pile.
- Once a week, pour boiling water into all drains in the house.
- The steps of baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water should be done at least once a month.
- Keep the garbage chute clean.
- Open the faucet frequently to prevent the p trap from drying out.