Smelly bathroom is not welcomed by anyone. It is a cause of irritation for the house mates. Moreover, a smelly bathroom sink can be a sign of some problem down in the drainage system. That is why, it is recommended to fix the smelly drains immediately when you smell something wrong.
Most homeowners try very hard to keep their bathrooms smell free, but still the smell manages to make space in the bathroom sinks, showers or toilets etc. Mostly it happens that the smell comes from the toilet or shower drain but this stinky smell can also manage to escape from your bathroom sink. If you are facing a stinky sink issue in your bathroom then it could be due to a great number of reasons.
Some of these problems can be solved by you through easy remedies while others may require calling a plumber.
Causes of a Smelly Bathroom Sink
If you are experiencing bad odours from your bathroom sink, then it could be due to any one of the following reasons.
· Bacteria Built-up: Bacteria have been built up inside your bathroom sink. Many things go inside your sink for example shaving cream, hair, toothpaste and soap etc. All these elements drop down into the drain from the sink and into the pipes. The pipes have a warm environment which is suitable for the growth of bacteria. The bacteria keep on building up with time and develop a gunk which is called biofilm. This biofilm also spreads bad odours.
· Problem with Ventilation: Plumbing systems have built in ventilation systems to let the sewer gases go out of the pipes. If there is some problem with the ventilation system of the drains, then these sewer gases make their way towards the openings like sink, shower or toilet etc. Therefore a smelly sink can also be caused due to some fault in the ventilation system. The ventilation system may be clogged.
· P-trap Issue: the u-shaped pipe under the sink is called the p-trap. The main purpose of this p-trap is to make a barrier of water from the sewer gases. If the p-trap becomes dry, then the protective barrier no longer exists. The sewer gases will make their way upwards towards your sink. This will not only be unpleasant but very unsanitary as well. The dry p-trap generally happens in bathrooms that are not in much use, for example a guest bathroom.
Ways to Fix Smelly Bathroom Sink
There are many ways to fix the smelly sink in your bathroom. Some of the ways are described below.
1. Clean the Biofilm
As mentioned above, one cause of a smelly sink could be the development of a biofilm inside the drains of your bathroom sink. If you want to confirm whether you are facing a biofilm issue you can perform a small test. You have to detach the sink stopper and pull it out. If the bottom of the stopper has black gunk on it, this means that a biofilm has been developed inside the drain of your sink.
The method to clean the biofilm is to clean the sink, drain and pipes thoroughly. You have to go deep down into the pipes to get rid of the bacteria build up because that is the actual cause of the foul smell coming out of the bathroom sink. You can use any sink cleaners available in the market to do the deep cleaning of the drains and pipes etc. on the other hand, you can also use white distilled vinegar to get rid of the biofilm.
2. Fix the P-trap Issue
Another reason for a smelly sink is the dry p-trap as mentioned above. You have to fix this issue to get rid of the bad smells. The method to solve this issue is very easy. You just have to run down water for sometime so that the p-trap will gain back its moisture level and the water barrier will build again to protect you against the bad sewer smells down in the drain. However if running the water does not solve the issue, this means that you have not identified the problem correctly and you need to call the plumber at this point.
3. Fix the Ventilation Issue
The other reason for a smelly sink was the issue with the ventilation system of the sink. The faulty ventilation system lets the sewer gases trap inside the pipes and make their way inside your bathroom through the sink. The problem with the ventilation system is of a serious nature. You cannot solve this issue on your own and it is recommended that you should call a plumber to fix your ventilation system.
4. Clean the Basin of the Sink
Though this is a simple reason, you should not overlook it. The foul smells can also be coming from the basin of your bathroom sink. This is a very simple issue and does not need difficult methods to get rid of it. You only have to clean the basin sink properly to get rid of the foul smells. You have to fill the sink with soap and water solution and close the stopper of the sink. Use boiling hot water. Let the soap and water mix rest inside the sink for some time. Scrub the basin with water inside and after that let the water run out of the sink by removing the sink stopper. You will get a clean and odour free sink after this.
Final Words
There are many ways through which your drains can develop bad smells. The good thing is that there are many easy remedies that you can perform to eliminate these smells. However, if you think that the issue is big then you should call a plumber.
