How to Keep Kitchen Drains Smelling Fresh

A fresh-smelling kitchen is one of the simple joys in life, and it is super frustrating when your kitchen drain starts to stink! You're in luck though—you probably have what you need in your pantry to clean and deodorize your drain, and it ...

Deodorizing Drains with a Garbage Disposal

Grind up citrus rinds in the disposal to release a bright, fresh scent. There's nothing better in a kitchen than the clean, crisp aroma of lemons, limes, oranges, or even grapefruits. Simply toss 2-3 pieces of rind down the disposal, run the water, and turn on the disposal to release the sharp-smelling oils.^{[2] X Research source}
1. The citric acid in the fruit peels also helps get rid of food residue that may be stuck in the disposal.^{[3] X Research source}
Tip: Save your citrus peels in an airtight container in the fridge so you'll always have some available to make your kitchen smell pleasant and clean.^{[4] X Research source}
Remove unwanted grime and food by grinding ice cubes and salt. If you notice a foul smell coming from your kitchen drain, it's probably because of food, grease, and bacteria that has collected along the sides of the garbage disposal. Toss a handful of ice into the disposal and dump 1 tablespoon (17 grams) of salt on top of it. Turn the cold water on low and flip on the garbage disposal. Turn it off once all the ice is gone.^{[5] X Research source}
1. The abrasiveness of the salt should work to scrub away all the gunk and grease that is stuck in the disposal.
Use lemon wedges frozen in white vinegar to clean and deodorize the drain. Quarter several lemons and place 1 wedge in each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill the rest of the space with white vinegar, and place the tray in the freezer. Whenever your drain starts to smell, grind up 3-4 ice cubes while running some cold water down the drain.^{[6] X Research source}
1. The white vinegar will neutralize odors, the lemon will release a bright citrus scent, and the ice will help dislodge food and grime from the garbage disposal.
Give the sink flange an extra scrub after doing the dishes to keep it clean. The flange is the metal ring at the top of the drain and it easily accumulates grease and grime. You'd think it would get clean just from the soapy water passing over it, but bacteria can get in the little crevices all around its edges and cause bad smells. Wet a sponge with warm water and dish soap and give it a good scrub every night.^{[7] X Research source}
1. Once the flange starts to shine, you know that it's getting clean.
Switch to composting instead of putting food down the garbage disposal. This is one way you can reduce the risk of food getting stuck along the disposal and potentially reduce how often you need to treat or flush the drain. Plus, composting is environmentally friendly!^{[8] X Research source}
1. Things like bones, egg shells, coffee grounds, fibrous foods, and fruit pits should never go down the disposal.^{[9] X Research source}

Treating Drains without a Garbage Disposal

Keep your drain clear by running cold water before and after doing dishes. For 30 seconds before beginning to wash your dishes, turn the cold water on and let it run down the drain. After you finish the dishes, turn the water back to cold and let it run for an additional 30 seconds. This should help flush out any bits of food that are leftover and keep them from getting stuck.^{[10] X Research source}
1. Warm or hot water could actually cause oil or grease to congeal.
Flush the drain with white vinegar to neutralize any smelly odors. Because white vinegar is an acetic acid, it can easily counterbalance bad odors, making it a great product to use in your kitchen. Simply pour 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar down the drain when you notice a funky smell, and then flush the drain with cold water.^{[11] X Research source}
1. You could even do a white-vinegar flush on a daily or weekly basis to help keep your kitchen drain smelling fresh. It definitely won't hurt anything!
Clean and deodorize at the same time with baking soda and lemon juice. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup (115 grams) of baking soda down the kitchen drain. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of lemon juice on top of the baking soda. Flush the mixture down the drain with cold water.^{[12] X Research source}
1. You can use fresh lemon juice or bottled lemon juice.
Freshen up the drain with baking soda and a few drops of essential oil. Put 1 cup (230 grams) of baking soda down the kitchen drain and add 3-4 drops of your favorite essential oil. Leave the baking soda to sit for 2-3 hours before flushing it down the drain with 2 to 3 cups (470 to 710 mL) of boiling water.^{[13] X Research source}
1. The essential oil will diffuse into the air and last for a few days, making your kitchen smell nice.
2. Peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, tea tree, rosemary, orange, and lavender are all great scent options that you might enjoy.

Maintaining a Clean Drain

Avoid pouring cooking oil, grease, or melted butter down the drain. These types of fats are likely to solidify in your drain. They can catch other bits of food, which could then start to decay and cause foul odors, or they could cause blockages in the drain.^{[14] X Research source}
1. To safely dispose of cooking fats, pour them into a disposable container with a lid and throw them away. An old margarine container, sour cream container, or something similar could work well to hold cooking fats until you're ready to put them out with the trash.
Give your drain a weekly baking-soda treatment to combat grease. A great way to maintain a fresh-smelling drain is to regularly treat it with a natural cleaning solution. Put it on your calendar so you don't forget, or plan on always doing it on trash night so you can flush your drain after emptying any leftover containers from the week. To clean your drain this way:^{[15] X Research source}
1. Pour 1 cup (230 grams) of baking soda down your kitchen drain.
2. Pour 2 cups (470 mL) of boiling water down the drain.
3. Add another cup (230 grams) of baking soda to the drain.
4. Immediately pour 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
5. Plug the drain and wait until the vinegar and baking soda stop bubbling.
6. Flush the drain one more time with 2 cups (470 ml) of boiling water.
Tip: While you're cleaning the drain, you might as well give the sink basin some extra attention, too. Sprinkle the basin with a light coat of baking soda, spritz it with white vinegar, and let it bubble. Once it stops bubbling, you can rinse your sink and wipe away any remaining residue.^{[16] X Research source}
Take care of blockages with a drain cleaner. Sometimes your kitchen drain may become blocked with food or residue that you can't clean out with things like baking soda or white vinegar. If you've tried a few other cleaning options but are still struggling, try a chemical cleaning product made specifically for drains.^{[17] X Research source}
1. Always make sure to follow the instructions on the product very carefully. You may want to wear gloves or open up a window, too.
2. You could try using a flashlight to look down the drain. You may be able to visually see the blockage and use a hook or a snake to remove it on your own without having to use a chemical product.^{[18] X Research source}
Don't forget to clean the walls of your sink! Sometimes smells can originate from food that has dried along the surface of the sink. Fill the sink basin with warm, soapy water before scrubbing the entire thing to make sure it's clean.^{[19] X Research source}
1. Try to do this at least once a week, but you can do it more often if you notice it getting dirty.