smelly shower drain
Olivia Hensley
Updated on August 16, 2026
Follow these simple steps:
Pour a 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain.Pour a 1/2 cup lemon juice down the drain as well.Plug the drain and let the solution work for one hour.Finish by running the hot tap water down the drain.
How do I get rid of the smell in my bathroom drain?
A baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water combo can add extra power for breaking up the buildup in your drain’s pipes. Periodically adding baking soda down your drain can keep the sink fresh and odor-free. Changing the filters eliminates the bad smells from a contaminated water softener.
What do you do when your shower drain smells like rotten eggs?
If the Sulfur Smell in Your Drains is coming from the bathroom sinks, one way to get rid of it and to eliminate the clog causing it. Pour a half-cup of Baking soda down the drain. Follow this with a full cup of vinegar, and then continue to flush with hot water.
Why does my shower drain smell like sewer?
Leaky Pipes
Leaky pipes in your bathroom walls or under the shower will allow sewer gases — also known as hydrogen sulfide — to escape, so you may notice the shower drain smells like rotten eggs or sewage.
Can you pour bleach down shower drain?
No. Bleach is a very powerful and toxic substance, so you need to take particular caution in what you apply it to – pouring bleach down a drain does not constitute a proper use. Bleach has the potential to react with other substances in plumbing and pipework, and could end up causing further clogging of the system.
Why does my shower smell like rotten eggs?
A rotten egg smell is caused either by biofilm clogging the shower drain or the backup of sewer gasses through the drain. Decomposing biological debris trapped in the drain produces an odor and must be removed to eliminate the smell.
Why do my bathroom drains smell like rotten eggs?
If you are noticing the smell of rotten eggs, it is possible that your water or sink drain is contaminated. It could also be that the drain is clogged or partially drained. When sinks are clogged, they drain slowly, which can cause bacteria to build up in the p-trap and create the hydrogen sulfide gas.
How do you clean a shower drain pipe?
Mix together 1 cup of vinegar (distilled white vinegar works best) and 1 cup of baking soda. First, pour boiling water down the drain to loosen; then follow with the baking soda-vinegar mixture and wait 15 minutes. Rinse with more boiling water.
Does vinegar damage drain pipes?
The answer is that vinegar will not harm your pipes if used in small doses as recommended in many of the recipes that you find online. No matter what your pipes are made of, pex, pvc, copper, etc. Vinegar will not harm your water pipes.
Does Coca Cola unclog drains?
Coke. Coke is a lesser-known fix you can find in your refrigerator. Pour a 2-liter bottle of cola — Pepsi, Coke, or generic brand substitutes — down the clogged drain. Coke is actually quite caustic and effective at clearing away buildup in your drains, but it’s far milder than commercial drain cleaners.
What is the ratio of baking soda to vinegar to clean a drain?
It’s a simple recipe using basic kitchen staples you probably have on hand. If your drain is clogged, clean it by pouring a pan of boiling water down the drain. Follow the water with 1 cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar.
What causes bad smells from drains?
There could be odor-causing bacteria feeding on debris in your pipes. This process will give off a foul-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like sewage or rotten eggs. Also, mold grows where it’s warm and wet — and mold growth on the debris causing a drain clog can also cause a bad smell.
How do I get rid of the smell in my kitchen drain?
Pour 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup white vinegar down the disposal. Let the mixture bubble for up to 10 minutes. Then pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to flush out the mixture. This will help break up smelly gunk and rinse it away.
Is it OK to put bleach down the drain?
You may permanently damage your septic system. Bleach and cleaning fluids create toxic gasses when mixed together. If you pour bleach and other cleaning agents down your sink drains, and they mix in your pipes, you can contaminate the air in your home with the resulting gas created.