How to Clean Kitchen Sink and Drain
Cleaning your sink isn’t fun, but it’s a necessary weekly activity. Check out our guide on how to clean your kitchen sink properly.
When your sink starts to get dirty, there’s nothing more you’d rather do than clean it. But no amount of scrubbing will get your sink sparkling clean if you don’t take the right approach.
Follow these easy tips to clean your kitchen sink and drain, and you’ll be able to keep your sink in mint condition!
How to Clean Your Sink and Drain: Remove the Strainer and Plunger When you’re ready to clean your sink and drain, the first thing you’ll need to do is remove the strainer and plunger.
How to Clean Your Kitchen Sink Like a Pro
To clean your kitchen sink like a pro, you only need a few basic instructions. You’ll have a sparkling sink every day if you follow this strategy. Before going to bed, we prefer to make sure our sink is clean.
What you’ll need:
- Rubber gloves
- Non-abrasive scrubber
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Lemon
- Salt
1. Give Your Sink a Thorough Rinse
First things first, before you even think about cleaning your kitchen sink you’ll want to finish off any dishes and then give the sink a thorough rinse.
All food, liquids, and debris should be rinsed away before you start cleaning your kitchen sink. So after you’re done eating, place your dishes in the sink and run hot water over them for a few minutes, or run the dishwasher if it’s available.
Then use a brush to scrub the sink and any pipes that lead into it to get rid of any food particles, which can lead to buildups and odors over time.
2. Sprinkle Baking Soda All Over the Sink
Now that you’ve rinsed your sink of visible food and debris, it’s time to clean the sink. Sprinkle baking soda in the sink, working it around to cover the entire surface area.
Don’t hold back; try to cover the sink entirely to remove any lingering odors. If your baking soda is fresh and wet, it will expand and make a nice foamy layer on the sink.
Alternatively, you may drill holes in the top of a mason jar. Consider adding a few drops of your favorite essential oils to your baking soda if you’re using a mason jar. It will fill your kitchen with a wonderful aroma. Lemon is one of our favorites!
3. Squirt Dish Soap on a Clean Sponge or Cloth
When it comes to disinfecting your whole house, baking soda is an excellent start. But to really get rid of tough stains, you’ll need to use soap.
There are a number of ways to add soap to baking soda, but the most common is to mix a small amount of dish soap with water and use that to scrub your stained item.
If you’re having trouble finding a non-detergent soap, you can try using liquid dish soap as a substitute.
4. Start Scrubbing!
Baking soda is an abrasive substance, but it’s not strong enough to scratch stainless steel sinks or other types of sinks.
To clean your sink, start from the top down, using a scrub brush to work your way towards the drain. Then use a soft scrubby sponge to work the baking soda deeper into the pores of the sink.
You can also use a natural brush to brush the baking soda deeper into the pores, but be careful not to scratch the sink!
5. Sanitize
When it’s time to sanitize your sink, you have a few different options. The most common method is to use bleach or another type of sanitizing solution. You can also use soap to sanitize your sink, though this is not recommended for get-together-done sinks like the one in your kitchen.
Sanitizing your sink using soap is a good way to get started if you don’t want to use chemical cleaners, but it won’t be as effective at killing germs over time.
6. Clean Faucets
Now that your sink basin is clean and sanitized, don’t forget to clean your faucet and the handles on your sink.
Faucets and sink handles can be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution, or with a stainless steel cleaner for extra shine.
You can also try using lemon juice and salt, which has been known to work wonders! Just remember to rinse and dry your faucet and handles thoroughly before storing them away.
7. Deodorize the Disposal or Drain
When your disposal is working properly, you should hear the sound of the grinding of the food waste as it is being ground up and disposed of. When you don’t hear the sound of the grinding, it could be that the disposal is jammed or isn’t working.
If your disposal is making a humming noise, but not grinding, then you should probably run it for a longer period of time to make sure it gets everything.
If your disposal is making a clunking noise, but not grinding, then you should probably run it for a shorter period of time to make sure it gets everything.
