Smelly drains can be very unpleasant to deal with. The smell can permeate throughout your outside space and inside your home. You don't have to live with a smelly drain, however, and you shouldn't. There are lots of ways that you can fix smelly drains and get rid of the smell for good.
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Drains shouldn't smell. If you have smelly drains, then this is a sign that something has gone wrong. The problem could be simple and easy to fix or it can be a sign of something more serious. There are a few different methods to clean smelly drains using common household items.
Remember that your drains are part of a larger system, most of which you can't see. So even if the smell is coming from your bathroom sink, the root cause of the problem could be in a completely different part of the house.
With that being said, if your drains smell and you try an at-home solution that works, it could easily have been something very simple that you can handle yourself.
One of the easiest ways of getting rid of drain smells is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Think about the things that you are putting down your sink, and how you use the system as a whole. Plumbing is a delicate balance and if anything that you're doing is contributing to the balance being off, this can easily tip over into drain smells.
Sometimes, however, the cause of the drain smell is nothing to do with household behaviour and it could stem from a serious problem in the system. In these cases, it is always a good idea to call in a professional drainage engineer. They will be able to accurately diagnose the problem, using their specialist tools, and they will have the experience and knowledge to know exactly how to fix it.
Before you notice any smells in your outside drain, you might first notice the early signs of the smell starting in your inside drains. This is usually due to the build-up of debris in the drain pipes.
If you notice the smell in your shower drains or bathroom sinks, then the problem is often shampoo and soap scum or debris, as well as hair. In a kitchen sink drain, the more likely culprit is food residue and cooking grease.
Your drainage system is designed to carry everything from your drains to the sewer system. And it normally does a pretty good job. When debris such as soap scum, hair, grease, and food scraps end up in the drain, however, they can start to build up and rot or petrify.
Another common problem that causes smelly drains inside the house is when they haven't been used for a long time. An unused sink can lead to an empty p trap that will allow sewer gas to come back up the system and permeate your house. To prevent the p trap from drying out, you need to make sure that you run the sink or shower on a semi-regular basis. Having regular water down the drain will ensure that cold water can reach the p trap and prevent sewage smells from coming out of your sink or shower.
If you manage to catch the problem early enough, it is pretty easy to clean smelly drains that are caused by trapped debris. A mixture of hot water and baking soda is the best approach to take. Another good product for this is soda crystals which will help clear most normal blockages.
If you have a smelly bathroom or kitchen sink, fill the sink up with hot water and add baking soda. Then drain the sink. If it is a smelly shower drain, mix up some hot water or boiling water and baking soda and pour it down the drain. If you pour boiling water down the drain alone, this can sometimes be enough, but using baking soda as well will give you a better chance to clean smelly drains.
The mixture of hot water or boiling water and baking soda will effectively the grease, scum, and other debris from the drain pipes and drain. This will rid your drains of smells and prevent the build-up from getting any worse.
A drain snake can help you to get rid of any obvious food particles or hair that are blocking the top part of the drain.
If you have some drain cleaner to hand, of course, you can use that to clean your smelly drain. But it isn't usually necessary to go out and buy some since boiling water/hot water and baking soda will do the job perfectly well.
Sometimes, a smelly kitchen sink, bathroom drain, or shower is a sign that there is a blocked drain or a partial blockage. And it isn't always possible to fix this yourself. If you try the hot water/boiling water and baking soda method and the smell hasn't gone away, then it is a good idea to get in touch with a drainage contractor. They will use specialist tools such as high powered water jetting to remove the blockage from the drain and get rid of the nasty smell, and any remaining grease or other debris.
A smelly washing machine is also a common problem. The issue most often comes from the washing machine itself rather than the drainage system.
We are all encouraged to use cold water that's 40 degrees or less to wash our clothes, both to save money and to be kinder to the environment. The problem with this, however, is that the water isn't hot enough to clean the washing machine of the scum that builds up from thick washing detergents.
Over time, this scum can create mould and cause your washing machine to smell.
Contact usMany washing machines now have a special cycle that you can use to clean the system. It is run with very hot water and doing this once a month should be enough to keep your washing machine clean. When you do run a service wash, it can be a good idea to add some white vinegar as this will help to strip the grease from the washing detergent.
You should also thoroughly clean the detergent draws and inside the door seal as mould is liable to build up in those places.
Sometimes, however, the problem isn't with the washing machine itself but with the standpipe that takes the wastewater away. In this case, you can use drain cleaners or the baking soda and hot water method to clear the smelly drain.
As with your smelly kitchen drains, bathroom sink, and shower, you should call in a professional when it's clear that using home methods isn't getting rid of the smell. A blockage in your plumbing system is something that a professional has the tools to handle, and it should be fixed as quickly as possible to avoid any damage to the drainage system.
A smelly drain outside is often a bigger problem than a smelly drain inside. Smelly drains outside are much harder to diagnose than kitchen sinks with stuck food, for example.
If you have a smelly outside drain, it is always a good idea to call in a professional straight away. They have the knowledge of drainage systems as well as the tools to be able to both diagnose and fix the horrible smell.
As with the other smelly drain problems we have covered, if you want to rid your outdoor drain of a bad smell, then your best option is boiling water and baking soda. It can also be a good idea to bleach the drain cover in case there is any bacteria growth contributing to the smell.
Your outdoor drains are directly connected to the main sewer line, so you may notice a rotten egg smell near the drain opening that indicates the release of sewer gas. This could stem from a simple blockage, such as from wet wipes or other materials, or it could be a sign that there is something seriously wrong with the external or internal pipes. It could even be something as urgent as a drain collapse.
If you do notice a sewage smell coming from your outdoor drains, then you should call someone straight away.
The methods that the drainage engineer will use to fix your outdoor drains will depend on what is causing the offensive smell. To find out, a lot of companies will now use a CCTV survey to get a picture of what is happening in your drains.
The survey involves feeding a camera through the drain and then your pipes that sends video and images. Doing this will allow the engineer to see partial blockages, leaks, and collapse as well as tell them exactly where these problems are located.
Once the CCTV survey is complete, the engineer will be able to tackle drainage problems. If the problem is a partial blockage or even a full blockage, this can often be fixed by using high powered water jetting, a wire brush, or even a mechanical cutting machine fed through the pipes.
If the problem is stemming from tree roots growing through your pipes (which is a fairly common occurrence), they will be able to clear the roots from the pipes. Often this can be achieved without needing to do any digging.
If the pipes have been damaged, then the engineer will have a few different options. Often, damaged drainage pipes can be fixed using relining, which involves feeding an epoxy resin mesh through the pipe and curing it. It then hardens to create a new pipe within the old pipe and seal up any leaks or damage.
If the damage is extensive, however, then your drainage system may need to be excavated and new pipes installed. This can be a costly and time-consuming process but it is always better to get the problem fixed sooner rather than later, as in the future you might be dealing with far bigger issues than just a smelly drain.
It is easy to assume that smelly drains are something you should expect from a septic system, given the material they are carrying. This isn't actually the case, however. A septic tank, like any other type of drainage, is specifically designed to be able to hold the bad smell and not release it.
If you do notice a bad odour from your septic tank, this suggests that the waste isn't being processed efficiently. It could be a few reasons why a smell has started happening. If the system isn't getting enough oxygen, this can lead to bacteria growth. Another common cause is contaminants such as organic materials, hygiene products, and fat/grease, being flushed through the system.
There are a few different methods that you can try before needing to call in a professional for a pump out. First, make sure that your habits aren't contributing to the problem. Only the "three Ps" should ever be flushed into a septic system. You could also add a septic tank treatment and an oxygenator to the system.
If the above methods haven't worked and the bad odour Astill remains, it is often a good idea to bring in a drainage company that will be able to bring the system back to normal function.
Smelly drains are a common problem that most households will face at some point. Most of the time, you can fix smelly indoor drains yourself using simple household items such as hot water mixed with baking soda. You can also use this method with an outdoor drain, as well as bleach the surrounding drain cover to get rid of bacteria. If the smell is coming from a more serious problem, and this is more likely with an outdoor drain, a professional drainage company will be able to uncover the cause and fix it. This will rid you of the bad smell and protect the system if it has become damaged.
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