What's that smell???

[goldpendant]

So I've got a problem with my sink....

It really smells.

It's not a drainy/sewage smell. It's more of a damp, soily, peaty kind of smell. A bit like when a bag of potatoes is a bit musty.

Any ideas? It's getting really bad. I've used drain unblockers and nothing's helping.

Kitchen sink this is!

White vinegar and bicarb? Follow up with boiling water and a dash of zoflora. Always works for me

You mean to say you know this smell???

Bicarb and several runs of boiling water should sort it.

Give it a soda crystals clean through the pipes

Thanks everyone! Fingers crossed the good old bicarbonate can sort it. Honestly the stuff has rid my house of many a funny smell, so fingers crossed!

Spirits of Salts.

One thing though, are you positive it is the plughole? Have you sniffed the little overflow hole and do you clean/bleach that? If you have a drainer on the side have you checked that?

Caustic soda down the outside drain

Oh. You have just described the smell coming from my shower. I thought it was the new brand of cat litter at first. It is a hideous smell. Did any of these suggestions work OP?

Yes! Bicarbonate followed by vinegar, left for 30 mins then flush with very hot water. Smell gone!

Update:

The smell disappeared for a week or so but now it's back! I've done the vinegar/bicarb treatment but it's making no difference at all.... what could be going on?! And what stronger treatment could I use??

Help!

Oh god and now I've put some zoflora on it and it smells like perfumed mould.

Anyone??? Help me!

have you emptied out the u bend?

I bet it's the same as mine. Mine was a hideous gunky build up on the underside of the plug hole. I had to get a bottle brush and sort of bend it it a right angle and show it down and clean the underside of the hole including the grid bit - it was vile!!!

As I mentioned above, Spirits of Salts should do it.

OH used jeyes fluid on our outside drain that sorted our smell out.

I had this smell around the sink area, it drove me mad. I cleaned the sink, around it, the washing machine every couple of days. It would go away for a day or two after cleaning, then come back

After a few weeks, noticed the back porch had flooded, and it turned out that the drain was blocked and overflowing (previous owners built the porch over the drain 🙄). Cleared the drain and haven’t had a problem since.

I think the smell from the drain might have been travelling up the pipe and up the plug hole, as it was fully covered so no other way for the smell to escape.

damp wood

If it's not a definite sink smell it could be a cloth or a dead mouse UNDER the sink that's been forgotten, or your rubbish bin.

My theory is this happens because we run our taps less if we have dishwashers and 'stuff' collects in the pipes.

I usually do a soda crystal rinse through weekly. You might need to do a few more as it could've dislodged something and it's not cleared through yet. Use boiling water from the kettle too and a squirt of washing up liquid.

Also if your area has a hose pipe ban you may be collecting the washing up water to water the garden, instead of running it away. like me

I've made the smell angry. It hits me when I open the kitchen door now. Do I need a plumber??? The overflow is super gross and I think it's the source of the smell but it's tiny vertical openings that I can't get in..... I've poured bleach, baking soda, vinegar, etc etc in as best I can but I swear it's getting worse

Have you used a specific drain cleaner?

Yes get a plumber if you're not an expert U bend clearer or anyone else in your family.