# Wierd smell. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292 "2000-10-02T01:50:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aglarond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Aglarond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aglarond)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/1 "2000-10-02T01:50:33Z")
I have a wierd smell coming from my sink. Luckily, I can’t smell it unless I’m right over it, but but it’s still nasty. Anybody have any suggestions to get rid of it? ---
**Author:** ![ubermensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bcef8e/32.png) [@ubermensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ubermensch)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/2 "2000-10-02T01:54:12Z")
wash your dishes ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/3 "2000-10-02T02:13:18Z")
dump some bleach down it. if you have a grabage disposal, grind up graprefuit peels in it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/4 "2000-10-02T02:21:50Z")
Hmm. Could be a small clog starting to form and holding something putrid and rotting in the trap. Try a drain cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Malik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@Joe\_Malik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Malik)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/5 "2000-10-02T02:31:55Z")
And it’s spelled w **ei** rd. Sorry, pet peeve. ---
**Author:** ![Merlyn\_NY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Merlyn\_NY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merlyn_NY)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/6 "2000-10-02T02:41:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe Malik \* > **And it’s spelled w** ei\*\*rd. Sorry, pet peeve. \*\* It’s w **ie** rd that you’d have a pet peeve about people who spell the word w **ie** rd wrong. Sorry, it’s my pet peeve to spell that word wrong just to tick you off. 😛 -Merlyn NY- ---
**Author:** ![Aglarond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Aglarond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aglarond)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/7 "2000-10-02T02:53:20Z")
Thanks for pointing that out. The “i before e” rule didn’t pan out on that one. I’ve been spelling it wrong for years. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/8 "2000-10-02T03:07:17Z")
try pouring some baking soda down there… the stuff can work wonders ---
**Author:** ![jamesglewisf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a5b964/32.png) [@jamesglewisf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jamesglewisf)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/9 "2000-10-02T03:20:40Z")
A plumber told me that it was bacteria and mold and such growing. Bleach works temporarily, but it will be a recurring problem. Bleach weekly will keep it under control. Running a cut-up orange, grapefruit, lemon, or lime down your disposall occassionally will help clean it out and make it smell fresh. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2000, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wierd-smell/35292/10 "2000-10-02T06:45:25Z")
Baking soda with a chaser of vinegar. There’s probably a bit of rotting food stuck in the S-bend, and this will help get it out of there. Doing this regularly, maybe once a month or whenever something smells funny, will also help prevent the drain from clogging up entirely.