• September 27, 2026

Remove ‘rotten’ food or egg smells from sink in five minutes – simple and natural method

Smelly sinks are often caused by too many things being passed into the sink drain such as grease, oils, and dirt which causes a build-up of bacteria. 

Tom Drake, a drainage expert from TapWareHouse, has said unpleasant odours coming from sinks are one of the most common issues he deals with, and what is causing it depends on the smell. 

He said: “If your sink smells like rotten food, then it’s likely that an accumulation of fats, oils and grease within your pipework is causing the smell. 

“If your kitchen sink has the very distinct smell of rotten eggs, it’s likely this is being caused by an issue with your U-bend allowing sewer gases to escape.” 

If a horrible-smelling sink is not dealt with it can cause water to drain slowly and cause even more blockage, which is likely to eventually the sink to completely clog up. Luckily, it is very easy and cheap to get rid of a rotten sink smell. 

READ MORE: Mum shares life-changing shower cleaning tip to keep limescale and mould away

If your sink smells like rotten eggs 

If your sink smells like rotten eggs, the most likely issue is the U-bend, a section of the pipe designed to trap sewer gases from entering buildings. 

Tom said: “The U-bend is designed to be full of water, which will act as a barrier against any smells from sewer gases.

“If this water is no longer there, it could be allowing the gases up through your drain, causing that rotten egg smell.” 

You should first check to see if there is a leak in the pipes under your sink and check for any damp patches. Run the tap while checking to see if any leakage appears. 

Ton explained: “If you find a leak, this could be caused by poorly tightened or cross threaded connections. In both cases, this can usually be fixed by unscrewing all the connections then tightening them back up again properly.

“If there’s still a leak after you’ve tightened the connections, you could also try replacing some of the parts, including replacing the entire U-bend, which costs less than you might think.”

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