A slow-draining sink clogged with ordinary hair and soap scum can build up bacteria in the P-trap until your bathroom sink smells like rotten eggs. This smell can also happen in sinks that haven't been used for a long time. Clear the clog by using a combination of baking soda, white vinegar and hot water.
What you can do: Try this: put a couple teaspoons of baking soda in the drain and then pour in some vinegar. Then chase it with a pot of boiling water. The foaming of the baking soda/vinegar eats away at the junk in the drain and the boiling water helps wash it all away and sanitizes the drain.
If your drain smells like rotten eggs, you must disinfect the pipes to get rid of the odor. You can eliminate the bacteria by pouring a ½ cup of bleach down your drains. However, if you would like an alternative, pour down ½ a cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar.
Boiling water poured into the drain is a quick cleanser for minor odors. A baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water combo can add extra power for breaking up the buildup in your drain's pipes. Periodically adding baking soda down your drain can keep the sink fresh and odor-free.
To get rid of the bad odor, you'll want to contact a plumber to flush and disinfect your tank. Doing so will remove the bacteria and particles that create hydrogen sulfide. During a water heater flush, a plumber can replace your anode rod if it is corroded to prevent the smell in the future.
When it comes to showering in water that smells like sulfur, it's generally considered safe. The water is still safe to drink and use for other household purposes, and the smell is not harmful to your skin or hair.
Why Does My Shower Drain Smell Like Rotten Eggs? A rotten egg smell is caused either by biofilm clogging the shower drain or the backup of sewer gasses through the drain. Decomposing biological debris trapped in the drain produces an odor and must be removed to eliminate the smell.
Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid; when the two are combined, you get a fizzy chemical reaction that has some properties that can eat away at a clog. However, when you use this combination to unclog a drain, it's just plain ineffective.
The vent pipe is your sewerage system's breather. When it gets clogged, the sewer gases can back up into the sinks and the toilet, resulting in your bathroom's sewage smells. You may experience a bubbling sound coming from the toilet or the drain as sewer gas forces its way into the bathroom.
Pour a generous quantity of baking soda into the smelly drain. Wait for about 45 minutes, and then pour down an equal quantity of vinegar. This will cause foaming as the vinegar reacts with the soda (great science project for the kids). Wait for another 15 minutes before running hot water down the drain.
One of the most common issues of drain odor is due to blockages and clogs. Any type of blockages, whether they are partial or full, can prevent waste water from properly leaving your home. Over time, this stagnant water sitting in the pipes can build up bacteria and produce pungent odors throughout the night.
This smell often comes from a gas known as hydrogen sulfide, which is formed when bacteria grows in sewage, drains or the ground. If you don't use the drain or sink often, the hydrogen sulfide could come directly from the sewer itself. When water in the p-trap dries up, the gas can rise from the drain.
There is an issue with the P-trap.
This prevents sewer gases from rising from your toilet and into the air. If you are noticing a sewer smell, it could be because the p-trap has a leak or broken seal. In the event of a faulty p-trap, you'll likely want to call in the pros to fix it.
Vinegar. Vinegar is both safe and beneficial to pour down your drain. It acts as a natural cleaning solution and can remove blockages and harmful bacteria that cause foul odors.
Leave it in the drain for an hour or two or overnight, and then flush the drain with hot tap water. For larger drains, such as tubs and kitchen sinks, use about a quarter-cup of baking soda, a half-cup of water to move the powder down, and 2 cups of vinegar.
Monthly Is The Way To Go
By using methods that incorporate baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water, you can ensure that your drains are working properly for days, months, and years to come without major work or an emergency call.
Pour a half cup of baking soda into the drain and then a cup of vinegar. Or, if you prefer, you can use a half cup of bleach. If you're still smelling sulfur or rotten eggs in your Milford, CT bathroom, then it's time to call the professionals.
Cincotta also notes that sulfur will not damage hair, so there is no need to avoid it. "If hair is healthy and undamaged the sulfur will not find damaged areas in the hair and will rinse out," he says.
The bacteria feed on soap scum, dirt, oil, hair, and skin that is washed into the drain. When the waste is broken down, it releases hydrogen sulfide gas, which seeps out of the drain and into the air of the bathroom, creating a rotten egg smell. To fix this issue, you need to unclog and clean the drain.
Dry air might just be the cause of that unpleasant rotten egg smell in your home. Especially during winter, a P-trap can dry up and allow sewer gas to enter the home.
Just like cooking oil, bleach is one of those things you shouldn't pour into your sink. You should also never use bleach to unclog your drains. Doing so can even burst your drain pipes, and you'll be left with a nasty and expensive mess. Last but not least, it's harmful to the environment and sea life.
The scent resembles rotten eggs or sulfur. If you smell it, you'll quickly know you have a gas leak and should leave your house or building immediately.
When you crack it open, look for other signs of discoloration or a sour smell. A fresh egg doesn't have a smell, but an egg that is going bad smells like sulfur. If you smell something, chances are, the egg is no longer good.