# Getting a smell out of a drain **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 23, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517 "2006-10-23T01:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/21 "2006-10-24T21:17:44Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Fergawdsakes no. :eek: In fact, unless you are a plumber, never use any sort of caustic drain cleaner. _Ever._ There are “all natural” “build-up removers” that work by enzymes, etc. Sold next to the Drano, in fact I think Drano sells a brand of them. These should solve your problem, and are fairly safe to use. [/QUOTE] Why would you say that? People have been using Draino for decades with excellent results and no damage to their pipes when used as directed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/22 "2006-10-24T21:24:05Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Why would you say that? People have been using Draino for decades with excellent results and no damage to their pipes when used as directed. [/QUOTE] **Annie-Xmas** , you explain this better than I do, can you handle this query? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/23 "2006-10-24T22:01:38Z")
I read her response, but people use it successfully all the time. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/24 "2006-10-24T22:09:14Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I read her response, but people use it successfully all the time. [/QUOTE] Sure. But when it goes wrong, it goes really wrong, and that means $$$$. And, really, it doesn’t work all that well. AND, it’s dangerous. Like I said, it should be used only by pros- and like **Annie-Xmas** said- pros don’t use it. That should give you a clue. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/25 "2006-10-24T22:31:09Z")
I can understand taking safety precautions, as I’ve already mentioned, but having used it to clear my shower drain on the recommendation of a plumber and found it very effective, I would have to say that as long as you follow the instructions carefully it should be fine. I made sure it was thoroughly flushed away and diluted at the end. [confirmation?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide) > [@](#): > > Domestic uses > > Sodium hydroxide is used in the home as an agent for unblocking drains, provided as a dry crystal (e.g. “Drāno”) or as a thick liquid gel. The chemical mechanism employed is the conversion of grease to a form of soap, and so forming a water soluble form to be dissolved by flushing; also decomposing complex molecules such as the protein of hair. Such drain cleaners (and their acidic versions) are highly caustic and should be handled with care. There are materials such as Titanium that it should not be used for of course. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/26 "2006-10-25T00:45:44Z")
The OP doesn’t indicate and the question hasn’t been asked-is there a dishwasher? Dishwasher discharge lines connect either to a waste inlet on the sink tailpiece or a waste inlet on the garbage disposal, both of which are above the sink J-bend. Food residue, darkness, and warm water added together form a good breeding ground for stinkitude, particularly if the dishwasher is run infrequently, thereby allowing science projects to ferment in the pump body. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/27 "2006-10-25T11:55:52Z")
Nope, no dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517/28 "2006-10-26T14:53:53Z")
The main dangers are damage to skin, to sinks, to pipes, to anything that can be damaged by caustic liquids. It is not a safe thing to have around the house. Plumbers hate it because people call them when it doesn’t work. Like I said above, what do you do with a pool of caustic water. I once saw a pipe that a plumber had to remove because it was clogged with a nasty green soap caused by the combination of drain cleaning lye and grease. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-smell-out-of-a-drain/377517.md?page=1)