topic Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink in Home

Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

docsgirl — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 01:21:16 GMT

I'm embarrassed to ask this question but I'm desperate. I purchased a 23 year old condo and the sink double sink is the original. I keep it clean and run the garbage disposal daily. I keep pieces of citrus inside the drain but both sides give off a horrible odor. I have one of those long skinny brushes that are made specifically for cleaning drains. I push the brush inside and scrub but nothing comes out. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I might remedy this yukky problem? Thank you very much in advance.

docsgirl

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

MsLomo — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 01:38:46 GMT

Yes, that happened to me, too. My plumber told me to clean the garbage disposal about every 3 - 4 weeks, like this: Fill one of those large plastic red cups with ice 3 times and use something long-handled, such as a spatula handle, to push the third cup of ice down in the disposal (while the disposal is "off"). After the 3 cups of ice are in the disposal, turn on the cold water and turn on the disposal. It will be noisy, and it may seem as if the water in the sink is not going to drain, but all of the "gunk" backed up in the disposal will suddenly unclog with a whoosh. Run cold water in both sinks for a minute or two after turning off the disposal. That should take care of it.

If the odor persists, you could have a leak or break in the pipe underneath so that the waste from the disposal is dumping underneath the floor. This happened to me. In that case, call a plumber ,who will repair the leak or break and put down some lime to get rid of the smell.

Hope that helps!

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

Mz iMac — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 01:46:16 GMT

Old school is the way to go.....

"Use Baking Soda & Vinegar. For a really good clean to remove really putrid stenches, pour some of that baking soda into the disposal (about a half cup) and follow it with vinegar."

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

pattypeep — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 02:43:50 GMT

All good suggestions. I pour clorox down my drains once a month or so aside from regular cleaning.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

AKgirl2 — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 02:43:51 GMT

@docsgirl wrote:
I'm embarrassed to ask this question but I'm desperate. I purchased a 23 year old condo and the sink double sink is the original. I keep it clean and run the garbage disposal daily. I keep pieces of citrus inside the drain but both sides give off a horrible odor. I have one of those long skinny brushes that are made specifically for cleaning drains. I push the brush inside and scrub but nothing comes out. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I might remedy this yukky problem? Thank you very much in advance.
docsgirl

The baking soda and vinegar works well. I also throw a few thinly sliced pieces of lemon, lime of grapefruit into disposal every few days...it cleans the blades and naturally freshens things up. Ice cubes with water running and disposal on til grinding stops works well to clean blades and mouth of disposal as well.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

Havarti — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 02:43:53 GMT

All of these are really good tips! Also, beside to clean the underside of the liitle black flaps on your garbage disposal. The gunk that can build up under there can create a smell, yet you never see under there to know it is ucky. Hope these tips help you. If not, I buy a garbage disposal cleaner & brush from Fuller (I always got it here at QVC but don't know if they still carry it).

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

homedecor1 — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 03:03:38 GMT

I had the same thing when I moved in this house - I tried everything inc. the crushed ice thing....smell was driving me crazy!

I had plumber come in and the waste line was "lined" with un-disposed waste. I had another put in (badger model bought at Lowes $149) he installed all new waste lines in my kitchen, including dishwasher lines (I never knew the dishwasher water disposed thru that line to).

Anyway, I am here 4 years and no smell yet!!😸You may have to replace the disposal - eventhough it runs it may be "old & tired" and not performing the way it should.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

aubnwa01 — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 04:03:25 GMT

I now have a large single drain sink, but when i bought my house 10 years ago, it had a double sink & the drains smelled really awful. Not sure what the previous owner had done ,but it reeked.

I scrubbed out the inside with the disposal & the underside of the gasket, but the other drain still smelt. I bought some disposal cleaner that you pour in running hot water with the disposer running & it would foam up into both sink drains & then I'd turn off the water & disposer & walk away & leave it overnight. I also used a grease cutting dish soap like Dawn with hot water & would use that to clean the sink & it would cut whatever gunk was down there.

It eventually stopped the smell & then, I got the large single drain sink, so that eliminated the 2nd drain. I can remove the disposal gasket & wash it in the dishwasher, plus i still use a lot of Dawn, so it cuts the grease & tends to keep the drains cleaner, so no stench anymore. I keep a small 16 oz. spray bottle by the sink with a diluted solution of blue Dawn & water & use it to clean the sink & rinse dishes before i put them in the DW, so that's helped, too.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

docsgirl — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:05:16 GMT

Thank you all for taking time to reply with such great ideas. I'll be trying them until I find the one that works. It just might be, as one poster suggested, that it's so old and needs to be replaced. We'll see what happens. I'll post back with results. Once again, thanks so much.

docsgirl

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

qualitygal — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 11:45:36 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
Old school is the way to go.....

"Use Baking Soda & Vinegar. For a really good clean to remove really putrid stenches, pour some of that baking soda into the disposal (about a half cup) and follow it with vinegar."

Totally agree!

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

LonestarBabs — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 13:19:14 GMT

Plinks. I buy them at BBBY but you can find them other places. Little rounds balls you throw down the disposal -- maybe 1 or 2 per use -- and run hot water. Cleans and freshens with no mess.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

151949 — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 13:36:45 GMT

Whenever we eat an orange or a lemon - when I put the skins into the disposal I also fill it with ice and crush the ice and orange remains all together.

It seems like the OP may need to call a plumber to be sure the issue isn't somewhere below her unit. The trap is supposed to keep odors from coming into your sink from the drain.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

Fressa — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 15:53:00 GMT

I use the lemons/limes when I remember to buy them. I also keep Don Aslett x/o spray under my sink. I spray a few squirts of that in sink and disposal when it smells. If it's really bad then I will pour a little bit of the undiluted concentrate in the disposal and let it sit for a while. Run some cold water in it and it takes care of the problem. I also found Fuller Brush Fusol which is a foaming cleaner for disposals. It really works well. I think I found this at BBB or QVC/HSN. Fusol is my number one because it does a complete cleaning job.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

Snoopp — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 19:45:20 GMT

That gasket in a disposal can get icky. I hand wash that one. The baking soda/vinegar and ice cube methods are good ones too.

My dishwasher backs into the disposal bowl too which I hate but I try to rinse dishes into the disposal before loading them into the dishwasher.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

chickenbutt — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 20:14:11 GMT

Question: For those of you with garbage disposals - Does that black rubber gasket thingy come out?

I ask because one thing I hate is that mine doesn't come out at all. I sure wish it did, but not to the degree that I would have a whole new garbage disposal installed.

It just makes it more of a PITA. Years ago there was this kit on QVC that I purchased and one of the things in the kit was this brush for just the exact purpose of cleaning under there.

The brush goes around at the end so it's like a circular deal on the end and then it goes up like a normal bottle brush. So you dip it into the disposal area and then you come back up just enough that you can rotate it around and around right under the rubber thing to clean the bottom.

Those can probably be purchased around in stores or online, I would imagine. But it is the perfect size and shape for that.

Well - VOILA! I just searched the item and found one that looks exactly like the one I got here, on Amazon -

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

Snoopp — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 20:23:23 GMT

@chickenbutt that gasket should come out. I just replaced mine recently cause it was ripped in one spot. Are you sure it can't come out? I do have to pry it gently to get it out without ripping those flaps but it comes out and I clean it. I think my disposal is insinkerator.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

chickenbutt — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 20:31:59 GMT

snoop wrote:
@chickenbutt that gasket should come out. I just replaced mine recently cause it was ripped in one spot. Are you sure it can't come out? I do have to pry it gently to get it out without ripping those flaps but it comes out and I clean it. I think my disposal is insinkerator.

Thanks for your response, Snoop!

I guess I'm not 100% sure. It always looked like it didn't and my cleaning lady told me it doesn't, whereas other houses she does have one that comes out.

Mine is an Insinkerator and I'm not sure the age. We purchased his house 15 and a half years ago and it was in. So, one of the four owners before us put it in - probably the second or third, based on other evidence. So, it has to be at least 20 years old.

Not sure if that makes the difference, but I figured it was noteworthy.

If one comes out, is the stainless steel r i m part of that assembly, or is it just the rubber that comes out from the stainless steel?

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

Snoopp — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 20:40:00 GMT

In mine the black rubber gasket comes out. I push it down pretty firmly to sit it back in its spot and you do have to use a little muscle to pull the thing out carefully without ripping the flaps (if you have the flap type). I'm thinking about the sink...mine is newer than the disposal but I can't remember if the gasket came with the new sink. It must have.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

chickenbutt — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 21:00:10 GMT

Mine has four wide flaps. I just looked at it again and decided that I'm pretty sure mine doesn't come out. I'm afraid to be rough on it, though. Too bad that previous owners never kept the books for stuff and I might know more about it.

Thanks for your help, Snoop!

I think it would be above my pay grade to be able to even find the model number. I can get down and get inside the cabinet below, but getting up might be problematic. It's hard enough when I've had to use that tool to turn the thing when it stops working.

Re: Help!! Stinky Kitchen Sink

Nataliesgramma — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 22:03:16 GMT

I have also used denture cleaning tablets in the drain...