How to Fix the Kitchen Sink

So there's been an odd smell in the house in this one spot in the kitchen. However, the house is very clean and organized so I couldn't figure out what the problem was. Last night, when I ran the garbage disposal I figured out that the smell was coming from the sink. So I called my mom.

Me,"Mom, I think the sink stinks, what do I do?"

Mom, "Run the disposal with the water running for three or four minutes and then pour baking soda down there and let it sit for a while."

OK. Emily, Jessica and Sandra were on their way over to visit so I texted Emily and asked her to bring a box of baking soda. She did. She's a good cousin.

I split the box of baking soda between the two drains.

I let it sit over night.

Did I say that I split the ENTIRE box of baking soda between the two sinks? It was a big box of baking soda. This pictures was after the whole fiasco, that's why the sinks look grodey. I cleaned them.

Sunday morning went like this.

Me, "Mom, I think something is wrong with the sink. It won't drain. I did what you said with the baking soda."

Mom, "Stir it up. Let the water dissolve the baking soda. You left it in there too long." (She never gave me a timeframe.)

Half hour later after stirring the grodey water in the sink.

Me, "Mom, it didn't work."

Mom, "Here, talk to your father."

Dad, "Hi Honey, I hear you're having problems with the kitchen sink."

Me, "Dad, I am having a problem! Mom told me to put a box of baking soda down the sink and now when I turn on the water in one sink, the other sink fills up with water FROM THE BOTTOM! When I turn on the disposal all the water goes out of the disposal sink and fills the other sink. When I turn the disposal off, the water goes right back into the other one so they both get filled again. The water is just going back and forth between the sinks. It's gross."

So my kind father walked me through how to fix the kitchen sink.

#1. Find out where the clog is located. In this case, it was in what is called the "P-trap," the U shaped part of pipe under the sink.

#2. Find a bucket that will catch all the water or you're going to have a big mess on your hands. Place this bucket under the pipes.

#3. Loosen the bolts and the water will start to leak out. Then all of a sudden it will explode and the P-trap will fall off and a ton of water will come rushing out and you'll think that your bucket isn't big enough to hold it all so you'll scream and say, "Hold on Dad!" and run out to the garage and try to find anything else to catch the water. You'll run back into the kitchen with a cooler that is already half filled with melted ice only to find that your estimation was correct and the previous bucket was large enough to hold all the water. But it was a close call.

#4. Take the bucket out into the front yard and empty it and look into the P-trap to figure out what is clogging it. Realize that about six inches of pipe is blocked solid with baking soda. #5. Go out to the front curb with a butterknife and pry out all the soggy baking soda.

#6. Try to put the sink back together. Call Cousin George because it just doesn't seem right and you're afraid to turn on the water for fear of flooding underneath the sink

#7. Have George confirm that you did everything correctly, tell you your house doesn't stink anymore, say, "Ya think?!"

#8. Be totally proud of yourself for fixing something by yourself!

#9. Write a blog about it just for all those who like to read about the everyday happenings of your boring life.