Have you ever walked right into your house only to be met by an unfamiliar and horrible smell? If you have, since it’s a common thing anyway, then are stinky drains causing you lots of discomfort in your home? Perhaps you ought to know that the most common areas in your house where foul smells may emanate from are the kitchen sink drain, toilet, garbage disposal, and even sometimes the bathroom drain. And if you have looked at the trash can and ascertained the smell is not from there, then it is most likely a drain odor from the sources I have mentioned to you.
If you are experiencing discomfort due to these smells, do not fret. We as One Crazy House, are here for this reason. This is why we are concerned to give you the tips you need to deal with these bad odors, but before we do that, you might as well like to know what causes your kitchen, toilet, or bathroom to stink.
These odors are most likely caused by either clog or odor-causing bacteria that may be feeding on the clogs themselves. The smelly clog offers these odor-causing bacteria perfect breeding grounds, which makes things even worse. Well, these are the two primary causes of foul smell in your drains. Besides, these there other causes of drain odor which include:
- Sewage: Sewage decomposition results in the release of pernicious fumes and gases (with very unpleasant smell) that may find their way through your drains; most especially when the drain traps are empty. This happens mostly in irregularly used drains.
- Mold and even in some instances, mildew, can be a cause of drain odor when they are thriving near your drains, as a result of leaks to the pipes connecting to it.
- Plumber error may also be the cause of drain stink. We all know that plumbers are human just like us and can sometimes make mistakes. They can forget to install drain traps or sewage vents, which can cause intense drain odors.
Now you know! Then it is time to combat these foul smells and keep your spaces smelling fresh and clean. We have a simple solution that’ll remove the stink from your sink once and for all, in no time flat. This drain refresher is one of the easiest cleaning products you’ll ever make. But don’t let the short ingredient list fool you, this is a powerful DIY cleaner!
Your All-Time Easy 3-Ingredients Drain Refresher
A couple of months ago I shared with you a coffee drain refresher that’s pretty much the best thing we’ve ever used. However, one thing that’s not so nice about it is the list of ingredients and the waiting time. It’s a great cleaning recipe, but you have to allow time for the pods to air dry. And while most of the times I’m okay with that, when I’m about to have visitors over and I have none of it ready and my sink is smelling horrible, well let’s just say I need an immediate solution.
I was in the quest of looking for that one solution until I came across this 3 ingredient drain refresher. My search was finally over! Phew! I decided to adopt this solution which is a simple and easy DIY project; it also takes a little time to come up with, no more waiting! Later after I had made this refresher, I was like, why don’t I share this brilliant idea with other people who might be grappling with the same situation I was grappling with before? And tara! I came up with this blog for you guys!
Who Needs This!
When you have kids and pets in your home, most of the time you are skeptical about using just any commercial chemical acquired from the stores. This is pretty much understandable because you should be careful about the type of chemicals you use in your home. Of course, they should be child-friendly in as much as they are environment-friendly, and this one that I will be sharing with you is not an exception.
In addition to some do-it-yourself solutions, like the one I am telling you about, that you can make at home, using ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda, there are some ready-made, earth-friendly, and safe products you can get from your nearby store. If you are not a DIY projects lover or do not have time for them, you can resort to using them. There is no problem with that if your budget allows you the luxury. But if you are on a budget and looking for something that suits your budget, then I recommend this idea to you. It will save you a lot of time involved in going to the store and money.
Why This Refresher!
For me the reason why this drain refresher is so good it’s because it uses a combination of vinegar, baking powder, and salt, which are not toxic and harmful chemicals, unlike their conventional counterparts. This makes me not feel like I am treading on chemicals instead of my drains. The vinegar helps deep clean the drain while the baking powder gets rid of pretty much all the nasty smells. The salt? Well, it’s like a scrubbing session for your drain leaving it clean and free of food residue. These “green” drain refreshers will leave you with fresh-smelling, clean house spaces that will make any sour smell seem like a distant memory.
I don’t advise making a big batch and save it for later because this DIY drain cleaner works best when it’s made fresh, but honestly, it takes something like 2 and a half minutes to whip from scratch, so if in case you need some you can whip it within no time. To have it still as effective and efficient as you want it to be, then make an amount that is only enough for that single purpose, instead of making one too many that will force you to discard because it will be as good as useless if kept for the next use. There is no need to make more for storage.
The How-To Coming Up With This Refresher
This is the way to probably go about it. Add a couple of heaping spoonfuls on the drain and let everything just sit in for a couple of minutes (15 minutes). After the wait, pour some water (preferably hot water is recommended) on top, and let it work its magic on the way down. Finally, let your cold tap run on and rinse everything away. Good for you if water flows freely! If it doesn’t, then you might reconsider repeating the process one more time before calling for the services of a professional plumber. I usually repeat the process 3 times to make sure everything is looking and selling nicely.
You should ensure to always follow this procedure every few weeks, to prevent foul smells and blockages in your drains. For me, I do this after like six weeks or so, but it’s up to you to set the number intervals between weeks, depending on the state of your drains. For your drainage system to remain in good condition, you should avoid chemical drain refreshers, which can harm it. Also, endeavor to keep hair out of the drain. And for your garbage disposal, always make sure to get rid of the kitchen refuse that might clog your sink and cause you to plug your nose later due to a foul smell of rotting stuff.
As you make this drain refresher, you will observe some foam and bubbles coming out and if you are in a quiet place, probably you will hear some fizzing too when you add vinegar to the baking soda and salt mixture. My kids enjoy watching this chemical reaction take place. The effervescence excites them. Once you have this drain refresher, you can say goodbye to the bad smell that’s been making you peg your nostrils for a period of like six weeks until you can make another one to prevent the stinking bad odor.
The Easiest 3 Ingredients Drain Refresher Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsps baking powder
- 2 Tbsps salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsps vinegar
Directions
- In a small bowl mix the baking powder and salt.
- Add the vinegar and mix well.
- Use immediately to clean any drain.
An advantage of this DIY cleaning idea is that, not only can it be used for making drain refreshers, but also for making carpet cleaner. You can use the same ingredients but in small quantities with water and castile soap. This combination combats, stains, spots, and odors in carpets effectively. It is fabric-friendly, so no damages to your carpets. Make your “green” carpet cleaner now and save yourself some cash. You’re welcome!
Nothing inspires cleanliness more than an unexpected guest. Hahaha! – Radhika Mundra
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