my drain smells! help?

Question

its in a dorm building so i dont have access to actually cleaning out the drain, but what can i pour down it to make this terrible stench go away?!

Answer 1

baking soda.

Answer 2

If it is an unused drain, it could be methane seeping through the drain trap. The trap is supposed to have enough water in it to keep methane in the sewer system from drifting up through the pipes. But an unused drain will allow enough water to evaporate to let the gases seep past it. All you have to do is fill the drain with water every now and then to stop it.

However, that is for UNUSED drains (or infrequently used ones). For drains that are in use, try one of the many other suggestions here.

PS - to the guy talking about pouring the bleach in your unused basement drains - try the water trick!

Answer 3

Put about 2 tablespoons baking soda down the drain and then
pour about a cup of vinager into the drain. It will bubble and
look like a tornado. Just let it sit in their overnight and then
rinse it out. Should take the smell out. If not just try it again.

Answer 4

Pour a cup of bleach down smelly drains. I do that in the basement drain from time to time it is due to the drain not being used allot and the smell builds up.

Answer 5

Pour some baking soda in. Add vinegar. Let it sit for a few. Then flush the drain with the hottest water you can get.

Answer 6

Bleach - pour, let sit for about 15 min then rinse drain with running water.
Vinegar, baking soda both have to sit for awhile. You can also try lemon juice, concentrated or straight from lemons. Pine-sol might work, not sure about this last one.

Answer 7

Try pouring some lemon juice down the drain.

Answer 8

Bleach will kill the bacteria that are probably causing the anaerobic decomposition smell, but you should look at a cause, which may be an old student rotting down there. Anyway, the bleach will work, if only as a bandaid solution.

Answer 9

Call the maintenance department as it could be as simple as a trap seal loss or a broken waste or vent line.

Pouring in any chemical may mask a serious problem where sewer gas may enter the structure.

Sewer fumes can be highly carcinogenic and flammable. The fumes are a warning something is wrong

Answer 10

SCD EM Odor Away or Bio Klean. They are microbial solutions that eat up the causes of the odor. They work great.

"Microbes in SCD Odor Away™ work using a natural process to populate and consume odor causing compounds in almost any environment. Not only do the living organisms in SCD Odor Away™ consume putrefactive compounds in waste water and compost, it is also the natural solution for barn odor, livestock holding areas, latrines, drains, public restrooms, lagoons, receptacles in parks or recreational areas and much more. "

Answer 11

try bleach, most of the time bleach will work but make sure that you use really hot water after. other things that work are lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice (all of them freshly squeezed). I usually use the bleach and then a little later use lemon/lime/orange to make the drain smell better.