How to Deodorize Your Plumbing
Homes have a wide variety of scents that permeate their very foundation, but not everything smells like baked cookies, fresh laundry and flowers. In fact, your kitchen, bathroom and basement areas can all become fairly pungent due to common plumbing issues. It's in your best interest as a homeowner to understand how to get your home smelling fresh again – for the sake of your guests as well as yourself. Let's take a look at how to deodorize your plumbing in the most likely problem spots.
The kitchen
Kitchen sinks and garbage disposals are easily the most likely places for odor to stem from. Cleaning off dinner plates and putting food down the drain can significantly quicken the emergence of unpleasant odors. Bits of food often get caught between a disposal's blades, causing the food to decompose and smell. To avoid this, water should be run for 20 seconds after each time the disposal is used. To fix a smelly disposal, you can use baking soda, which acts as a natural deodorizer, or citrus peels.
If you don't have a garbage disposal, there are a few reasons why your kitchen sink could stink. Most likely, food got caught in the P-trap, creating an environment for bacteria and odor to grow. Baking soda and warm water should take care of this issue, but if it persists, disassemble the P-trap and clear it out. This is an easy DIY project and will help to deodorize your kitchen.
The bathroom
Let's clear the air here – we know the bathroom smells. But did you know that those odors could be coming from your drains? Just as in your kitchen, your bathroom sink and tub can become clogged with dirt, grime and other waste that all contribute to odor build up. Filters and plumbing snakes can be easy ways to clean out the problem areas, but homeowners may need to look at the P-trap if they aren't able to get rid of the odor problem. It will be important to determine the difficulty of the issue before deciding how to fix it and if an expert needs to be called.
Many bathrooms also lack adequate ventilation, which can cause sewer odors to permeate your home. Any leaks or obstructions to the plumbing vents can create a vacuum that pulls water from the traps, enabling sewer gases to emerge. Homeowners should consult a plumbing expert if they need help clearing these areas.
The basement and beyond
Basements have numerous appliances that regulate water and other resources, so it's no surprise that odors may stem from these areas. For example, when water evaporates under a floor drain, it can result in sewer odors. This issue is easy enough to fix with water and cooking oil to restore the trap water and prevent it from evaporating so quickly. Other problems may stem from a broken or cracked line or degraded seals.
While these odorous situations may be easy to take care of, there may be times when you can't identify a smell or where it's coming from. The best thing to do in these instances is to call a plumbing expert. Not only will they be able to track down your odor problem, but they will be able to fix it no matter what size the issue is.