Our kitchen drain has started to smell like dirt - fresh garden soil. All very odd as we live in an apartment and are on city water/sewage, etc. The bathroom drains don't have the same problem so I assumed something may be stuck in the garburator or pipe - not enough to clog but to cause an odour. That wasn't the problem, nor do I store food items such as root veggies under the sink area - but I scoured the entire area regardless.

First, tried handfulls of salt in boiling water ... then a pound of baking soda added to boiling water. Then a pound of salt and a pound of baking soda straight into the drain and poured hot water in after it.

Since my normal 'green' attempts failed dismally, tried bleach and hot water and that hasn't helped any either.

The smell of fresh soil is so strong that one doesn't have to be standing directly over the sink to smell it. I'm baffled and would appreciate any help.

Thanks so much.

Hi 'Mara' A simple fix is Caustic Soda. Run Hot Water for a moment down Drain.Pour half a cup of Caustic Soda down.Wait 15 minutes,then run some more hot water to flush. Works a treat.We buy the Caustic Soda at our local Supermarket.Just normal buildup of scum in the S bend. Hope this helps.

Does this drain have a garbage disposal connected to it (is that what your garburator means?). If so, then you can clean that part by running ice cubes through it.

Turn the water on to just a trickle, then turn on the garbage disposal. Start feeding ice cubes down the drain. A dozen cubes or so should be enough.


Be careful using caustic soda (Drano) or other corrosive drain cleaner in a drain with a garbage disposal attached. Most users manuals will tell you not to do that.

This post has been edited by derf: Oct 1 2007, 04:33 PM

Caustic Soda is only corrosive when not Flushed Properly.Read the instructions on the Container.

EDIT.I had a Garbage Disposal Unit in my sink,but removed it, as I personally don't think they are Hygienic.
I now put Vegy scraps in an odourless compost bin in the back yard. I think all this garbage going down the drain is not good for a healthy Enviornment.

This post has been edited by DSTM: Oct 1 2007, 07:22 PM

I think using white vinegar as a rinse after the other things will also help clean it also
I also believe it may be a vent problem. If your plumbing vent is clogging it can cause a back up of the odor and gases in the pipe.

This post has been edited by boopme: Oct 1 2007, 07:20 PM

IF the caustic fails to completely remove the odor. Douse the drain in bleach and wait a few minutes the bleach should eat away the remaining residue.

Yes, it has the 'garbage gobbler' garbage disposal system on it - and the silly thing doesn't seem to be having a draining problem, oddly enough.

So, because I'm a true coward about working with chemicals, I started with the ice cubes - gotta admit it really sharpened the blades beautifully - thanks so much for such a great hint, derf, and I've made a note to myself to do it once a month now.

Then moved on to the an entire jug of vinegar and flushed well ... then an entire jug of bleach and flushed well ... then, eep, I got the Drano out (had a can from years ago but guess the stuff doesn't go bad) and followed the instructions carefully, flushing with even more water than called for since it's a fairly new carborator and I didn't want to chance wrecking it (invalidating the warranty).

So far - and I have my fingers crossed - the smell is gone! Yipeeeee! Have no idea what did it or if it was the combined treatment, but either way how wonderful to not smell 'fresh dirt' in the kitchen. Thanks so so so much to all of you!!

- - -
PM to DSTM ... I honestly do realize that many hate garburators for just the reasons you stated, and it's a valid point. I tried to weight the pros and cons for myself and for where we live and decided that perhaps carrot tips being cobbled up versus those pesky plastic garbage bags that never, ever disappear from our ground fills may be a bit better. (If I had a garden, I'd compost though). And you could be right about hygiene too - but without fail I run hot water down with a handful of Kosher salt after using the thing - just having faith that our grannies were right and salt will kill bugs - gentle grin.

Glad your odour problem is gone 'Mara'. Regarding your mention of Plastic Bags. One last point I would like to make. is you dont have to use Plastic bags at all.I bought Calico bags from the Food Market to carry my groceries home. If anyone is serious about not polluting with plastic bags, buy cheap Butchers Paper to wrap up your rubbish to put in the bin.I have done it for ages. Our Parents survived without plastic bags, and so can we, with a little extra effort. Here many people are refusing plastic bags in shops, and carry these green Bags around with them whatever shopping they are doing. If enough people do this,then we will make a difference,I'm sure.

Yes, I do understand what you're saying, DSTM, and once I again I agree that it would be lovely to be able to do this.

We have a law here even for individual home owners - garbage people are not permitted to pick up garbage if it is not sealed tightly within plastic bags. And because we live in an apartment, I actually agree with the law - gentle grin. Imagine each owner of an apartment in here tossing unsealed bags of garbage in the huge bin in the basement - including dog poop and kitty scooping - eek, we'd have to wear gas masks down there when getting our cars and hop, skip and jump over the rats that would be sure to invade us.

I always wonder what happened to the supposedly biodegradable 'plastic' garbage bags we were able to purchase for awhile. They cost more than the others but were apparently so much kinder to our environment by breaking down in our landfills. Hmmm.

Hi 'Mara' Here it's against the Law, to store any refuge anywhere near our Flats,houses or Units.Here,where there are multiple Units together, there is normally a bricked in,concreted area near the front Entrance where every bin is stored.

This post has been edited by DSTM: Oct 5 2007, 06:05 PM

Out here we have a Waste Management 1/2 dumpster (the kind you would find behind a McDonalds)that services 24+ units. it fills up twice a week and they come and dump it. I have no idea where it goes from there. In the rural counties we had to either drive to a full size dumpster or the landfill (the landfill costs money since you only really needed it for appliances and other huge ittems)

Talkin about Landfills,I had about 3cwt of garden Refuse and lawn clippings and yesterday went to the Landfill.
The fees here are stupid,IMO. 70bucks up to 1 ton. and 70 bucks a ton thereafter.Glad I don't have to go often.
No wonder the roadsides here, are littered with rubbish.

We're fairly lucky here - our dumps are relatively inexpensive if taking an old sofa or something (think it's $10), so really can't complain and we apparently go through about the same amount of garbage in our complex as you do in yours, BlackSpyder (just double the amount of units and garbage).

It's when we are disposing of something like a freezer - eep! A tiny apartment size one was $85 (because of the toxic stuff inside the motor part, I guess). Since there is an additional tax because of this factor when purchasing things like this new, surely the cost for disposing should be less - perhaps less of those smucks that dump their sofas in the ditches would stop.

Gosh, DSTM ... what would happen if you tucked some of those lawn clippings into bags at your curb-side pickup? Would it still be picked up along with regular weekly garbage? Guess either solution is better than the 'old days' when our parents burned stuff in a giant barrel. Great fun for the kids but guess it all added to the pollution - drat.

We can only fill the approved bin provided in which the lawn clippings are accepted.No problem all the Year except the beginning of springtime,when all the branches are trimmed etc etc.Because the truck that comes has self loading,nothing else can be taken.
http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/resources...waste-audit.jpg

PM. Glad you are feeling better,'Mara' and 'Iodine' Great to see you Ladies back Posting again.

This post has been edited by DSTM: Oct 6 2007, 01:53 AM