Keep Floor Drains Fresh with Cooking Oil
Your house has p – traps under drains. These traps hold water to stop sewer gas from entering your living space. But if a drain, like in an unused shower or basement floor, isn’t used often, the water in the p – trap can dry up. This allows smelly and potentially dangerous sewer gases to come in.
Here’s a simple fix: cooking oil. At Family Handyman, through talks with plumbers and homeowners, we learned this little trick.
Steps to Fix Smelly Drains
First, if the water in the p – trap has evaporated, pour a bucket of water down the drain to refill it. Then, add cooking oil. Use about a teaspoon of oil for every inch of the pipe’s diameter.
The oil floats on the water, creating a seal that stops the water from evaporating. And don’t worry, it won’t affect your cholesterol!