When it comes to how to get rid of smells from a kitchen sink, you’ll probably find plenty of chemical-heavy suggestions (such as bleach).
Fortunately, for those who prefer to go the all-natural route, there are also plenty of no chemical solutions.
These will not only help deodorize but also scrub and deep-clean your sink. Just take a look!
Boiling water, AKA water that has reached or exceeded 212 F (or 100 C), is an excellent way to deep-clean your sink. It will not only loosen up grime but also kill many heat-intolerant germs in your sink off.
Obviously, most sinks don’t get this hot, or accidental burns would be a real risk! Your best bet is to place a big pot of water on the stove and to bring it to a rolling boil.
Once it’s ready, pour it slowly down your sink.
This is also the perfect time to follow up with a scrub and to run your garbage disposal. Or, you can simply let it sit for roughly ½ hour. All of this will go a long way to eliminating unwanted sink odor!
Citrus rinds are of the all-time best, all-natural ways to deodorize your sink.
These sun-loving fruits have a fragrant sweet-and-sour smell that’s almost floral.
Simply toss some orange and lemon rinds into the garbage disposal to replace any funky odor.
As you run the disposal, the refreshing essential oils will be released into the disposal, the air, and of course, the sink!
Baking soda is an all-natural cleaning and deodorizing hack. It can deodorize your fridge, your shoes, and yes, even your sink.
The powder naturally absorbs odor, and as a bonus, the gritty, pasty texture also provides an effective scrub and polish.
All that you need to do is pour about ½-¾ cups of baking soda into your sink.
Plug the sink for about 30 minutes, and then rinse, to leave it much fresher!
So, you know that baking soda is a natural deodorizer. Why not super-power it?
You can accomplish this with just a bit of lemon juice.
Specifically, use ½ cup of baking soda and ½ lemon juice.
Pour the baking soda down the drain first, and the lemon juice directly after.
Plug the sink for ½ hour.
You can also send some of this through your garbage disposal, and use the leftovers to manually scrub out your sink!
While any kind of citrus can be used to deodorize your sink, lemon also has a polishing property that can help you scour and shine your sink (all while naturally, effectively eliminating odor).
When it comes to how to get rid of smells from a kitchen sink, baking soda can be a real life-saver!
While it naturally absorbs odor by itself, you can also add your own fragrance with your choice of essential oil.
Lavender, mint, lemon, orange, eucalyptus, and peppermint are some of the most popular.
Simply mix a few drops with roughly ½ cup of baking soda, and pour it down the garbage disposal and sink. Plug the sink for about 15 minutes to ½ an hour. This should do the trick!
This is one that you might never have thought of.
Ice and salt can provide a real power scrub to your kitchen sink.
Try roughly 1 cup of each poured down the sink.
Both ice and salt have a rough enough texture to remove food and gunk, yet are gentle enough to preserve the shine of your garbage disposal and sink!
Don’t forget good, old-fashioned elbow grease.
Make sure to give not only the sink but also the garbage disposal a good scrub-down (after unplugging it and turning it off).
Both could benefit from this at least once a week (or sooner if you notice a persisting issue with odor).
Sometimes, it’s not the sink directly but rather the dishwasher causing kitchen odor!
You can quickly remedy this issue simply by running some vinegar through your dishwasher.
Place a bowl of roughly 1 cup of vinegar, well-balanced on the bottom rack.
As the dishwasher runs, filling with water, the vinegar dilutes and distributes itself. At the end of the cycle, your dishwasher should be smelling much fresher!
So, there you have it: how to get rid of smells from a kitchen sink.
All that you need is a common household supply or two, and maybe some boiling water, and you’ve got a natural sink cleaner and deodorizer!