How to Clean a Kitchen Drain

Co-authored by Chris Willatt

Last Updated: October 8, 2022

Over time, your kitchen drain can collect food debris, grime, dirt, and other residue. This can make the drain smell bad and lead to clogged pipes in your kitchen. To clean a kitchen drain, you can flush it with hot water or deodorize it with baking soda and white vinegar. You can also try using a professional drain cleaner to remove residue and grime.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Flushing the Drain with Water

1
Boil the water. Start by boiling 3 cups (710 ml) of water in a kettle or in a pot over the stove. Bring the water to boiling temperature (212 degrees Fahrenheit, 100 degrees Celsius).^{[1]
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- If your pipes are PVC or plastic, 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celcius) is the hottest temperature water you can pour down the drain to prevent damage.
EXPERT TIP

Chris Willatt
House Cleaning Professional
Chris Willatt is the owner and founder of Alpine Maids, a cleaning agency in Denver, Colorado started in 2015. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018.

Chris Willatt
House Cleaning Professional

Clean the drain every time you wash dishes to maintain it once it's clean. Chris Willatt, the owner of Alpine Maids, says: "The rubber gasket that's in your sink drain can get pretty dirty, which can lead to unpleasant smells. When you're washing dishes, take that gasket out and put it in the dishwasher, then scrub around it with a soapy sponge."
2
Pour the hot water down the drain. Do this slowly and carefully, making sure not to spill any of the water on you. Pour all of the water down the drain to flush it out.^{[2]
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- Adding a bit of dish soap to the hot water can help to break down grease in the pipes.
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3
Pour cold water down the drain. Once you have poured the hot water down the drain, let it work through the drain for five minutes. Then, pour 3 cups (710 ml) of cold water down the drain to help congeal and remove any remaining debris or grease in the drain.^{[3]
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4
Flush the drain with hot water again. Do a final flush of the drain with 3 cups (710 ml) of boiling hot water. This should remove any remaining grime or debris in the drain.^{[4]
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- You can flush the drain with hot water on a weekly basis to keep it clean.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Baking Soda and White Vinegar

1
Put 1 cup (240 ml) of baking soda down the drain. Baking soda is a great way to remove bad odors and build up in your kitchen drain. It is a great way to clean out the drain.^{[5]
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2
Boil 4 cups (950 ml) of white vinegar. White vinegar is also a great way to deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour white distilled vinegar into a pot and bring it to a boil.^{[6]
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Pour the vinegar down the drain. Combining hot vinegar with baking soda will help to clean the drain and remove any bad smells. Carefully pour the hot vinegar down the drain. It may start to fizzle or foam as it mixes with the baking soda.^{[7]
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Let the mixture sit for one hour. This will give the baking soda and the vinegar time to deodorize and clean the drain.^{[8]
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Flush the drain with hot water. Once the mixture has sat for one hour in the drain, use hot boiling water to flush the drain. This will remove any remaining scum or debris in the drain and rinse it out.^{[9]
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- To prevent a smelly drain, you can deodorize it with baking soda and hot vinegar on a weekly basis.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using a Professional Drain Cleaner

1
Use a bio-friendly drain cleaner. Bio-friendly cleaners contain natural enzymes that will help to remove grease, soap, and debris without the use of toxic chemicals. They are the best option if you do not want to risk damaging your kitchen pipes. You can find bio-friendly drain cleaners online or at your local hardware store.
- Most of these cleaners take 24 hours or more to clean the drain. They may not clean out any mineral deposits in the drain.
2
Apply chemical drain cleaners with caution. Chemical drain cleaners often contain very strong or toxic ingredients. They can damage your pipes and discolor surfaces by the drain. Use chemical drain cleaners with caution. You can find chemical drain cleaners online or at your local hardware store.
- If you are worried about sustaining damage to the drain, you may want to contact a plumber.
3
Hire a plumber. If you are worried about damaging the drain and you require a deep clean of the drain, contact a plumber. The plumber can do a full clean of the drain safely and effectively. This may be a good option if the kitchen drain is overdue for a cleaning and is at risk of getting clogged or plugged.
- If you notice bad smells regularly from your kitchen drain, and you have old metal drain pipes under the sink, replacing them with PVC may solve the problem. Slick PVC pipes won't clog as easily, since food and grease will have a harder time sticking.
- You can look for a plumber in your area online or in your local newspaper. You can also ask friends or neighbors for recommendations on a good plumber in the area.