Have you noticed funky smells coming from underneath your kitchen sink? Maybe you’ve got a bathroom cabinet that seems to always have a musty smell? If you aren’t sure what’s going on underneath a sink, you’ll want to take the following steps to clear up that bad odor before things get out of control.
Step One: Clear Out Everything From Under the Sink
You’ll need to get everything out of the cabinet or space under the sink so you can get a good look at what is going on. As you remove items, carefully check to see if you notice any evidence of:
- Dripping
- Spillage
In many cases you will discover:
- Rotting items that might have gotten misplaced and forgotten, such as a potato in a plastic grocery bag that got stuffed under the sink
- Substances oozing out of cracked pipes or piping that has lost its seal
- Substances that have spilled from cracked or unsealed containers and now have spoiled
Step Two: Run Water in the Sink
After you’ve removed everything from under the sink, you will want to run the water and watch to see if there are any spots dripping. Check the cabinet, dry wall and floor for signs that a pipe has burst or cracked behind the drywall or under the flooring.
Step Three: Run the Garbage Disposal
If the smell is occurring under the garbage disposal, you will want to run the disposal and watch to see if there is any break in the seal or piping that might be leaking.
Step Four: Fix the Leak
Once you’ve determined the cause of the smell, you’ll want to get help fixing it. You may need to reseal the garbage disposal connection or replace cracking piping from the dishwasher. You may need to replace or repair caulking or basic plumbing joint seals.
Step Five: Scrub the Cabinet and Dry Thoroughly
Use bleach and water to scrub the cabinet (wear gloves!) clean. Bleach will disinfect the whole area and kill bad smells. Open windows to ensure proper ventilation.
Be careful not to mix bleach and soap products – some of these combinations can cause dangerous gasses. If you suspect you have spilled cleaning products such as dish soap under the sink, clean using baking soda and water instead of bleach.
When done scrubbing and rinsing, use a fan or hair dryer to dry out the area completely.
Step Six: Finish the Job
Line the cabinet, wash off everything that needs to be returned under the sink and organize carefully. Make sure nothing is pressing against piping (since pressure can cause cracking or breaking of seals.) Keep the area under your sink uncluttered.
Need Charlotte Plumbing Services?
If you have realized that you probably have a break in a seal or cracked piping, contact us for 24-hour service. We can come out any time, any day you need us to quickly:
- Correct broken plumbing seals
- Replace cracked pipes
- Clean out or replace garbage disposals
- Repair dishwashers or connecting piping
- Repair or replace bathroom and kitchen sinks
- Discuss bathroom or kitchen remodeling needs
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Article Summary
Quick question & answer: How can I get rid of the funky smells coming from underneath my sink?
You can get rid of funky smells coming from underneath your sink by clearing out the sink’s cabinet, checking for drippage and spillage. Run water to see if any spots are dripping. If it smells near the garbage disposal, run it to see if there is a break in the seal or piping. Fix the leak, then scrub and dry the cabinet.
You saved my day with the recommendation you presented for the odor. Great and true advice for odor. I thought it was my garbage disposal (GD). Brought Drano form for the GD, smell still present. Removed GD no smell in GD. Examined the sink under mount from quartz and found the smell. Took form and put around top of sink under mount. Took toothpick and cleaned under sink and all sort of something smelly pulled out. Clean all sign of the loose material thought the job was finished after I purchased carpet cleaner with odor technology to permanently removed odor. Enter kitchen next morning, slap in the face smell. I went searching on the internet and found your wonderful remedy. The bleach did the job! ???? percent cure for odor for under mount sink!
People in Charlotte, call this plumber if you have any trouble. I am from Texas!