Awful smell

[joesfolk]

I don't really know where to put this but I am hoping that someone can help. There is a horrible smell in my house and as near as I can tell it seems to be coming from the kitchen. But we cannot figure out exactly where although at this point we suspect the kitchen drain. We have torn the place apart trying to find the culperate. It does not seem to be coming from the fridge, stove, trash, garbage or anywhere else. So the only thing we can figure is that it must be the drain. I have put baking soda down the drain but it hasn't helped. The drain is not slow. It is dead winter here (thank God) or I suspect that the odor would be overwhelming. i just don't know what else to do. Any ideas? Should I call a plumber?

 

[taxlady]

I don't really know where to put this but I am hoping that someone can help. There is a horrible smell in my house and as near as I can tell it seems to be coming from the kitchen. But we cannot figure out exactly where although at this point we suspect the kitchen drain. We have torn the place apart trying to find the culperate. It does not seem to be coming from the fridge, stove, trash, garbage or anywhere else. So the only thing we can figure is that it must be the drain. I have put baking soda down the drain but it hasn't helped. The drain is not slow. It is dead winter here (thank God) or I suspect that the odor would be overwhelming. i just don't know what else to do. Any ideas? Should I call a plumber?

Give it another try with a whole bunch of baking soda and some white vinegar.

 

[LindaZ]

Have you tried looking up under your house for dead animals? I saw an episode of Billy the Exterminator where a raccoon had crawled up into the plumbing under the persons bathroon and died, it was summer there so I'm sure the smell was awful. You could possibly have the same problem if an animal got under the house near pipes that are warm and died. You might need to call an exterminator. Just a thought.

 

[Chef Munky]

Is it coming from the disposal side by chance?

If it is remove that black rubber ring and scrub it. Over time food particles and junk build up on it.

Vinegar and hot water down the drain helps.

 

[Andy M.]

We had a bad smell coming from a drain and a plumber told us to pour a cup of bleach down the drain.

 

[Kur]

I second the idea about it being the disposal. A few years ago there was a horrible smell coming from the sink area, and I stuck my hand down the disposal (power safely turned off) and pulled out a rotting piece of pork that had wrapped itself around in there...

 

[babetoo]

the vinegar and baking soda has always worked for me. i do it before there is a smell. about once every two weeks.

 

[Debraj]

Have you tried looking up under your house for dead animals? I saw an episode of Billy the Exterminator where a raccoon had crawled up into the plumbing under the persons bathroon and died, it was summer there so I'm sure the smell was awful. You could possibly have the same problem if an animal got under the house near pipes that are warm and died. You might need to call an exterminator. Just a thought.

Sounds good to me.If you smell the drain and that awefull smell isn't there than it must be somethig else.

 

[Andy M.]

If you don't know where the smell is coming from, all you can do is eliminate possible sources of the odor one at a time.

You did not indicate what kind of smell it was. Dead animal, rotting food, mildew/mold???

 

[pacanis]

That's a tough call. If your nose isn't telling you that it's the drain when you put it down there and give a whiff, it probably isn't. Not unless you're stuffed up, but the fact that the drain isn't slow means things are working as they should. Are you running a fan when you notice the smell? Maybe it's pulling the smell from another area.

 

[joesfolk]

Many good possibilities. I'm going to get more baking soda and another gallon of bleach. It is entirely possible that there is a dead animal under the house as we live in a mobile home. But I don't even want to think about what it would cost to fix that in the middle of winter. Any more ideas please post them. By the way, I am stuffed up but dh who has the nose of a bloodhound barely smells the odor, but he does smell it.

 

[Kayelle]

This happened to me once, years ago, JF.

It turned out to be the drain pan under the refrigerator. Gawd it was awful.

 

[Barbara L]

This happened to me once, years ago, JF.

It turned out to be the drain pan under the refrigerator. Gawd it was awful.

We had the same thing happen a long time ago.

Barbara

 

[joesfolk]

That is also a possibility but we can't find the drain pan. The fridge is up on small blocks and is difficult to pull out. We think the pan is in the back and is not actually removable based on something I read on-line. I can find every other manual for every appliance in the house but that one. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to tackle pulling the blasted thing out. In the mean time I have to put up with that smell. It is also possible that one of the pipes under the house has come loose and has been draining under there. That happened a couple of years ago but I thought we had it fixed correctly. There is just no telling tonight what the problem is.

 

[AnnieDrews]

I vote for the disposal or the drains. Have you tried Drano (in the drain, not the disposal side)? Just be careful if you do use chemicals or bleach....don't mix anything that might make a toxic gas. In the past I have VERY CAREFULLY put my hand down into a disposal with a rubber glove on and scraped all of the gunk off by hand. Do this only if you have a small hand... It's amazing what builds up in there.

Also might look behind where you keep your potatoes, onions, etc. Maybe one fell behind or got lodged somewhere and rotted.

 

[Zhizara]

Good point AD about the potatoes. A rotten potato is a truly AWFUL smell.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

JF can you buy Jeyes Fluid where you are, if the smell is from your drains it will fix it.
An ex girlfriend got payback for my bad behaviour buy putting raw shrimp in the curtain pelmets in my house,the smell was like a satanic botty cough, it took me three weeks to find them, I deserved it

 

[mollyanne]

 

[sparrowgrass]

I know (personally!) of several sources for unusual smells. I once moved into a place, and after a week or so, got a horrible smell in the kitchen. The former residents had used the broiler pan and left in it dirty in the broiler.

I have also had mice die under the fridge or the sink, and starlings crawl into a disconnected dryer vent. For some of those things, like the starlings inside the wall, the only thing to do was wait it out. One little mouse fell into a container under the sink--took me a while to find him.

A dry trap will allow sewage odors into the house. If you have a drain you don't use, the u-shaped trap (which is supposed to be full of water to block the gas from returning to the house) may dry out. Just pour it full of water, and remember to do that once in a while.

That is probably not your problem, since it is a kitchen drain.

 

[letscook]

years ago we had a lil dog that would constantly go into the potato bin so we had to move the bin out of her reach. then I was having the same problem a smell that we couldn't locate. I clean the kitchen top to bottom and still couldn't locate it. then finally found it. back then I had a portable dishwasher (came with the house) and i pull it out to use as I did everyday and the smell sudden hit me worse. back up where you can store the hose up in the corner wedge in -never would of seen it was a potato that was so rotten it finally was falling out. the dog shoved it up there. Must be she wedge it there so bad she could get it out. She kept going back there in the corner where we put it when not in use - I kept rolling it out to look and nothing. But let me tell you - I was 9 mths pregnant with a week to go -at the time and never had any morning sickness. that day I made up for the early months. My husband was out of town and I had to clean it up - one bucket of soapy water and another bucket for the non stop puking. thought the baby was going to end up coming up . week later our daughter was born . You will never forget the smell of a rotten potato. Hmm don't know what was worse cleaning the potato up or given birth - My vote the potato