7 Easy Steps to Clean Your Kitchen Sink Drain and Keep it Smelling Fresh

Cleaning the kitchen sink drain probably doesn’t make it onto your cleaning checklist often. Well, it should. The food leftovers, soap scum, and grease build-ups can lead to clogs, bad odours and the spreading of bacteria. That doesn’t sound too good, does it?

To help you out, we have prepared this guide on how to quickly clean a sink drain and keep it smelling fresh. So, grab your cleaning gloves and let’s get to it!

If you:

• Haven’t cleaned your sink drain in a while;
• Want to know how to easily deodorise your drain;
• Have a sink with a garbage disposal,

Then read on! We have some tips just for you.

Step 1: Clear out the kitchen sink and get the supplies

If you have any dishes or other items left in the sink, it’s important to wash them or remove them. This will give you enough space to work on the kitchen sink drain. Also, if you see any food debris on or around the drain opening, those need to be removed as well.

For the drain cleaning, you will need just a few things:

Step 2: Do an initial flush with boiling water

Bring a few cups of water to the boil. If you’d like, you can stir some dish soap into the hot water for extra power. This will help dissolve any grease build-up inside the drain. Oftentimes, this could be enough to clean the drain and deal with any minor blockages.

The easiest way is to just put on the kettle. When it’s done, take your hot soapy water and carefully pour it down the drain. Keep in mind that for PVC and plastic pipes, the water should be below boiling temperature to avoid any damage to the piping.

Step 3: Time to deodorise with baking soda

Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain. This simple product can do wonders for your kitchen sink drain and not just for that. It neutralises unpleasant smells from fabrics, shoes, carpets and more.

When you sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda down the drain, it interacts with any lingering grease, food particles, or soap scum that might be causing foul odours of rotten eggs or even that of mould. A great way to deodorise your kitchen sink drain naturally!

Step 4: Add white vinegar

Follow the baking soda with two cups of white vinegar. The mixture should begin fizzing up but that shouldn’t bother you because it’s supposed to happen. White vinegar can be an eco-friendly alternative to harsh chemical drain cleaners, as it boasts remarkable antibacterial properties that can combat stubborn odours and buildup. 

Thanks to its acidity, it can further help dissolve grease buildup and free your kitchen drain of food particles clinging to the pipes.

Step 5: Let the solution sit in

In order for the white vinegar and baking soda to do their work effectively, you need to give the solution a little bit of time to work. It would require around 15 minutes. It would be even better if you cover the drain with an old cloth right after pouring in the white vinegar.

This can help keep the bubbles contained within the pipes, where they can break down any blockages if there are such.

Step 6: Rinse with hot water

It’s time to heat up some water in the kettle and pour it down the drain to rinse it thoroughly. All nasty odours should disappear from your kitchen sink and the water should be able to run freely through the pipes.

After 5 minutes have passed, run some cold tap water down the drain to loosen up any leftover build-ups.

Step 7: Cleaning the garbage disposal (optional)

If you have a garbage disposal, food leftovers may get caught in the blades, resulting in blockages and some nasty smells. So, make sure cleaning the garbage disposal makes it onto your to-do list.

For this purpose, you can try a natural cleaning method again and use ice cubes, salt and lemon. Place a few ice cubes in the garbage disposal. Follow the ice cubes with some coarse salt, then turn on the cold water tap.

While the tap water is running, turn on the grinder until the ice cubes have disappeared. Flush the garbage disposal with some hot water to rinse it. Then, peel a lemon and cut up the pieces. Run the lemon peels through the grinder. This will deodorise your garbage disposal and keep it smelling fresh for a while.

How to keep your kitchen sink drain clean

The best way to keep your kitchen sink clean and smelling fresh is to maintain it regularly, so include it on your kitchen cleaning plan. Flush it with hot water at least once a week.

Avoid putting fat, oil, grease and any food leftovers down the drain to prevent it from clogging. If your dishes and cookware are greasy, wipe them with some paper towels before washing them in the sink.

Try not to use traditional soap in your kitchen sink to avoid the build-up of soap scum.

Need a hand with cleaning a kitchen sink drain?

If you don’t have the time or simply don’t want to deal with cleaning your kitchen sink, why not let the professionals help? The reliable and experienced cleaners at Fantastic Services will make sure your kitchen is left spotless and smelling better than ever. Not only that – they can also take care of any other areas of your home that need cleaning!

Booking is easy! Simply use our online form and select a time and date that suits your schedule. Spend your time where it matters – let Fantastic Services handle the rest.

Takeaways

• You can use boiling water and dish soap to loosen any build-ups in your kitchen sink drain.
• If you have PVC or plastic pipes, the water should be below boiling temperature to avoid damage to the pipes.
• To deodorise your kitchen sink drain, use baking soda and vinegar.
• To clean a garbage disposal, use ice, lemon peel and coarse salt.
• The best way to prevent clogs and nasty odours is to clean the kitchen sink drain regularly.

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Did you find this post helpful? Did you manage to clean the sink drain? Tell us in the comments below!

Image source: shutterstock / Studio Light and Shade