Asked on Sep 05, 2013
How to clean the overflow drain in a bathroom sink
+6
There has been a musty (moldy?) odor in the bathroom, and I've finally realized it is coming from the overflow drain in the sink. Because it was on hand, I've tried pouring bleach into the overflow. But the smell keeps coming back. It seems to be strongest there, maybe because it's a natural vent. I do know that this sink drains slowly despite using drain cleaner; we've planned to replace it for years but due to other circumstances it has been moved to the bottom of our list. Any suggestions on getting rid of the smell and hopefully the source of the smell?
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I found an easy way to clean the "overspill" part of a bathroom sink. This is typically a hole near the top and inside the front of a bathroom sink. It is an integrated tube that leads to the main drain of the sink but is hidden. This typically gets mold build up over time. I use one of those spray bottles, the kind you can buy at HD or Lowes. Unscrew the pump sprayer, fill it with hot water, and put it over the hole at the top of the sink. Quickly squeeze the water out forcefully into the overfill hole. Be careful not to force too much too fast as it may make a mess. Use common sense and practice. The force of the water will dislodge mold and gunk and send it all down thru the tube and into the sink drain. Simply pouring water into this hole will NOT clean it thoroughly. Using the squeeze bottle and a sufficient quantity of water and force WILL dislodge most of the gunk. Do this a couple times. Typically I finish with a touch of bleach which I let sit a while. Then a final rinse. Quick and easy.
Have you taken out the drain stopper and cleaned it. Then take a1/4 cup of baking powder pour it in the drain and put some in the over flow hole then pour white vinegar in the sink and the over flow. It will start fizzing for a little while then take dawn liquid and clean sink and overflow then rinse well
Late some night put drain cleaner down the drain and let it sit overnight. The drain should be faster draining after this so water can't back up into the overflow. If not flowing significantly faster you'll need to repeat this another night. Wait a few days, then use kevin's idea to clean the overflow.
I think your sink is clogged. Some bacteria build up down the drain are responsible for the unpleasant smell. You can react baking soda and vinegar down the drain, and add hot water. For more on this, check out this post https://pizzchzz.com/6-simple-ways-can-use-unclog-bathroom-sink/. In this post, you will find other useful methods. I hope this helps. Thank you.
Thank you for your reply! I think we resolved the problem much like you suggested. It hasn't given us a problem since.
I have round overflow drain holes for the sinks and am just going to put rubber plugs in them. I don't fill the sink with water or leave the water running, so no danger of sink overflows anyway.