Mon, 05 Sep 2011
Cleaning Or Baking?

Recently when I shifted to my new place, I realised that my shower drainage emits a foul smell. I’ve tried clearing the gunk I found inside and flush it with hot water, but the smell keeps returning.

So I did some searching over the Web to see if there are other alternatives to kill the odor. I realized that commonly there are a few things people suggest that seems to refer to the same thing or may be I am just confused. Hmm…? There seems to be suggestions to use baking soda, bicarbonate of soda, and sodium carbonate. A little searching around these terms caught my attention that baking soda is not the same as baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda is not the same as baking soda. Hmm… now this sound complicated – huh? Then another article I found claims that both baking soda and bicarbonate of soda are the same where the former is the American version of the latter. I’m totally confused!

I’ve tried searching for these items in a popular supermarket here in Manchester and I found all these items on sale. So it seems like they are all different things. I am even more confused now.

To think of it, this sounds more like the ingredients for a baking recipe rather than eliminating the odor problem I had. So should I ask, how long do I bake it for? Lols… Opps! Smiley

If you are reading this and you know the answer to my problem, I would like to hear your comments. May be you can point out to me in particular, how do I use them; both to clean my toilet and to remove the odor for good. Happy Smiley I will really appreciate it. Very Happy Smiley

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Depending on the design of the drainage pump, if it is a curved or U shaped type could be somethng stuck in there. Try pumping out or pour a big pail of water to flush it away. Hot water is not advisable cause it might crack the pipes and the side of the drain will be exposed and cement will fall into the drain. I use the easier way, call the plumber or complain to your landlord.
Alicesg    Tue, 06 Sep 2011 21:21:45 +0800
That sounds like quite an adventure in homemaking that you inherited.
SandyCarlson (USA)    Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:25:08 +0800
Alicesg: Nice tip about hot water, I'll remember that. Happy Smiley

SandyCarlson (USA): Something I did not check before deciding to take over the place. Something for me to remember in future.
Alexander    Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:59:19 +0800
I know baking soda removes odor. WE have a package of it in the ref to remove the odor.

You can find out anything if you google it. BTW over at You Tube they have a lot of step by step procedures on fixing everything. You might want to try that.

My brother and his son fixed their tv only following the you tube video.
Ewok    Thu, 08 Sep 2011 05:15:55 +0800
Some recipes call for both baking soda and baking powder.

In my own opinion, I would dissolve baking soda in water (just guesstimate the proportion) and pour into the drain.
Ebie    Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:34:15 +0800
Ewok: It is good to know that baking soda can remove odor and looks like you have tried and tested it. I think I may give it a go. THANKS! Happy Smiley

Ebie: You are also suggesting baking soda. Sounds like that will be the correct one; I will try that first. Many thanks Very Happy Smiley
Alexander    Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:53:16 +0800
You can try vinegar. Buy a bottle of cheap vinegar and pour the whole bottle into your pipe. That's an annual drainage cleaning method that my close friend does. It works well for her. Try it.
JC    Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:25:40 +0800
Oh. I'll try it and update it here if works.
Alexander    Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:37:33 +0800
Vinegar? It's very helpful sometimes.
Christine Dickinson    Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:47:36 +0800
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