Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Aoisagi]

I have a problem. The kitchen sink and under the sink where there's a cabinet of 4 doors smells really bad. I'm not sure how to describe the smell but it smells like mildew/food waste. I tried cleaning under the sink area but it still smells. Any ideas as to what I can do? I just moved in yesterday. Would it be possible to cancel the lease? There's just no way I can live like that if the problem can be solved.

[daemyann]

K-drain-o

I'll be trying the same thing later today.

[CrikeyKorea]

firstly clean out the crap that gets caught in the sink area, then go and buy a drainage blocker, its prob oil in the pipes that is stopping the rotting food and juices from going away, if you go to a local supermarket and tell them sinkeu naemse... or 씽크 냄세 they will help you. I think it is called 유락 or something similiar in a light blue container about 1 litre and costs around 2000won... I have used this before, the longer you leave it the better, but i usually do it and wait 20-30mins wash it away, then do it again with the other half and leave it for a half day-while at work or overnight...

[Xylox]

Bleach is cheap, just carpet bomb your entire kitchen with it.

[Aoisagi]

The problem I think isn't just the sink but underneath the sink. The door hinges are all covered in this brownish nasty color and I tried to scrub some off but that didn't work either. The smell is also coming from the browned hinges. The pipes aren't the metal pipes - they look like plastic material.

[robot]

Drainage blocker will eliminate smells comingup from the pipe. But to get rid of the smell underneath you'll need to replace the pipes.

They're cheap, so no worries. Maybe your landlord will cover it, but it's worth it regardlesss.

/Been there, done that.

[Chalmers]

what is the deal with home work?

[nathanrutledge]

You have to be systematic in your approach.

First, cleaning the sink is good. You can find a physical lid to put in the drain. It has a hinged/cam lid on it that will create a physical barrier. Also, there are rings with cleaner in them you can put in the drain, whenever they get wet, they release cleaner.

Second, can you disassemble the pipes? Unscrew the locknuts, remove the pipes, clean them out. Get a wire coat hanger and use that in the pipe to scrape and pull junk out.

Next, can you actually see where the pipe goes into the floor? In the west, these joints are sealed. In Korea, it's usually a hose from your sink going into a larger pipe. No seal, which means any crap in the main line can stink up your place. WHICH MEANS your NEIGHBORS crap can stink up YOUR place.

Usually, this connection is below the cabinet, but the bottom of the cabinet can be lifted. Clean what you find under there, then SEAL that connection. Old rags, caulking, whatever. Seal that drain BUT don't let stuff fall in, or you could clog your drain.

Do this and you should be good. Make sure that any entrance from the drain is sealed, no gases leak, no smell.