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How To Clean a Smelly Kitchen Sink Drain

If you have a foul odor coming up from your kitchen sink, then you might need to clean the pipes. Today we’ll start by going over a few things you can check first. Then we’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to get your kitchen sink drains clean.

First Things to Try

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Before anything else, make sure your dishes are clean. If the smell is still there afterward, add a little baking soda to the drain and wash it down with vinegar. Then after a minute send down a pot of boiling water. If that doesn’t work, you can try cleaning your garbage disposal next. Once you’ve tried all that and your sink still smells bad, now it’s time to clean the drain.

A hand pours vinegar from a bottle into a kitchen sink drain, demonstrating how to clean sink drain and freshen up a smelly kitchen sink.

Step 1: Take A Picture

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Each sink might be a little different. Getting a picture of where everything goes can save you a lot of headaches when you try to put them back together.

A person takes a photo of plumbing pipes under a sink with a smartphone, documenting the steps for how to clean sink drain and keep a clean kitchen sink drain.

Step 2: Take Apart the Pipes

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You’ll want to have a bucket or container underneath the sink to catch water pouring out of the p trap. The fittings should be hand-tight, but a set of pliers can break the nuts loose if needed.

Hands working on PVC plumbing pipes under a sink, likely performing kitchen sink drain cleaning or repair, with a black tray placed underneath to catch any water.

Step 3: Clean the Pipes

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You can start by pushing a paper towel through like a pipe cleaner. That should get most of the gunk out. Then you can use hot soapy water or your preferred cleaner to scrub out the pipes.

A close-up of a dirty washing machine filter being held over a trash bag, with visible lint and debris stuck to it—similar to kitchen sink drain cleaning needed to remove odor from sink.

Step 4: Put it All Back Together

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Use the picture you took earlier to get the pipes fitted back where they were. Double-check that the washers are facing the right way.

A person’s hand is holding PVC pipes under a sink, appearing to perform plumbing work—perhaps learning how to clean sink drain or fix a smelly sink drain issue near the drain assembly.

Step 5: Lock the Pipes Back in Place

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Once everything is where it goes, lock down the fitting nuts. Hand-tight is plenty for this.

A hand is tightening a white plastic plumbing pipe fitting under a clean kitchen sink drain, with a flexible hose and colored wires visible in the background.

Step 6: Test the Drain for Leaks

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Dry off the pipes and the space under the sink. Then fill the basins with water and let it drain. There shouldn’t be any drips or puddles. If there are, double-check and re-tighten all the fittings.

A person places a rubber drain stopper into the drain hole of a stainless steel kitchen sink as part of their kitchen sink cleaning routine.

If you’ve followed these steps and your sink is still giving off that smell, it might be time to call a professional. If that’s the case, Any Hour Services is happy to help. You can give us a call to set up an appointment or book one online.

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