We've just moved into a house on HK Island and the kitchen has a really bad funky smell. It smells damp, almost urine-like. The rest of the house is fine. Everyone I've mentioned this to says give it time, live in the house awhile, cook, open windows, it will go away. It's true this house is newly built but sat vacant for four years and maybe it does need some airing. But the rest of the house smells normal. It's just the stinky kitchen. I've tried to pinpoint the smell with a sniff test. It's not the drains. Cupboards. I'm baffled. But it really is overwhelmingly bad and I like to cook, but can't imagine spending much time in there. Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice? Thank you.
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does your fridge have a drip pan? Some do - and suddenly they can become places filled with stinky gross disgusting mold and bacteria. See if you can pinpoint the smell UNDER the fridge - and see what you find there.
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Good suggestions. I'll check today and let you all know. If anyone else has ideas I should investigate, please advise. I'm heading back to the house today--shipment has arrived, emptying boxes...
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Nuri
18 yrs ago
Is your kitchen new? Our landlord has replaced an inbuilt cabinet. At first whole kitchen smelled horribly (smell of glue/acid). We left the drawers opened for one month every night. The smell in the kitchen has gone. But even after 4 months we don't use the cabinet because everything you put there smell and can't be used.
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Yikes! Will check all cabinets today individually. Sorry to hear about your kitchen dilemma, Nuri.
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We had the same exact mystery smell in our kitchen when we moved in. Is the washing machine in your kitchen? If so, check that the pipes have the proper U-Trap or S-Trap fitted or else the smell will back up into the pipes and radiate throughout the kitchen.
Same goes for the pipes for the sink.
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Can someone explain more about what and s trap or u trap is - we have a similar problem in the 2 bathrooms and kitchens and it is water related but I am baffled as to what is making the smell.
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Hi allynz - Look at the different traps at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_(plumbing). Their purpose is to maintain a reservoir of water between the opening to your appliance/sink and the sewage lines below. Without this bend in the pipes that "traps" the water, the sewage smell will back up directly into the sink, washing machine, etc.
Your pipes should also be vented to the outside (usually on the roof but I've seen/smelled them vented on ground level here in HK) so check them to make sure the vents are open and not blocked.
Any plumber can install/replace the traps or you can easily do it yourself. A trap costs around HK$50. And if you do end up putting any pipes/traps in, use the pipes that have a screw opening at every bend so you get into them without dismantling the pipe if you get a clog.
Also for the smell - pour bleach then boiling hot water down your floor drains in case those are dried out and the smell is coming from there.
Good luck!
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