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As
the main place to clean things that are dirty and germy, your sink can quickly become the home of what some would consider science experiments. Thorough cleanings are not only necessary to keep your sink looking great, but to keep it free of bacteria as well. Once you’ve given you sink a thorough cleaning with these steps, maintaining it will be a snap.
You Will Need:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar or lemon juice
- Soft cloths
- Non-abrasive scrubbing pads
- Water
- All purpose cleaner (ensure it’s safe for your sink surface)
Steps to Clean the Sink:
- Start by removing everything from the sink.
- If there is a large amount of stuck on dirt in the sink, start by plugging the drain and filling the sink with hot water.
- Allow the hot water to sit in the sink for one hour. This will loosen the stuck on dirt.
- Empty the water and get ready to scrub.
- Apply a layer of baking soda to the side of the sink. It is easiest to work one side at a time.
- Scrub the surface with the baking soda and a wet scrubbing pad. The baking soda works as a mild abrasive scrubber.
- Add vinegar to the baking soda and continue scrubbing.
- Rinse the sink completely with clean water.
- If there are any stained areas that remain, clean them with an all purpose clean that is safe for your sink surface.
- Want your sink to really shine? Apply a small amount of oil to a soft cloth and buff the surface. It takes some elbow grease, but the results are great.
Additional Tips and Advice
- As with any cleaning process, educate yourself on what items are safe for the material your sink is made of. Always check the labels before using commercial products to ensure they will not damage the sink’s surface over time.
- Bleach is a great disinfectant, but can corrode stainless steel sinks. Use with caution.
- It is safe to let the vinegar and baking soda drain away. It can even freshen up drains and remove odors.
- Maintain your newly cleaned sink by wiping it down daily with a clean cloth. Kitchen sinks may require more frequent light cleanings to keep it clean.. Use this deep cleaning once every few weeks to keep away stains and odors.
Use a product called “ZUD” to clean the hard water stains in kitchen sinks and toilets. It is a fine pumice, better than most cleaners.
Pour a little bleach into your sink and then run it full of hot hot water. Let this stand until you can drain the water without burning yourself. Afterward, use a little lemon juice or lime juice to spritz the sink and counteract the bleach smell.
It might sound crazy, but shaving cream is great to make sinks shine. Just add a little shaving cream and rub it into your sink, rinse your sink out and enjoy your shiny sink.
For calcium/lime deposits around the faucet:
Wrap toilet paper tightly around the knobs or other problem areas. Add full-strength distilled white vinegar to the paper, soaking it. Let sit overnight. In the morning, remove the paper and scrub with a mildly abrasive sponge.
After your wife finishes coloring her hair any very-light blonde color, take the remainder of the mix and apply it to badly worn and stained areas of a porcelain sink. Let it stand for 15 minutes or more. Works much better than bleach or 3% hydrogen peroxide. Alternatively, daily application of Comet cleanser keeps sink white.
In between weekly deep cleans, keep a spray bottle of 30% methylated spirits in 70% water (I use a small travel plastic bottle). Just spray it and wipe with a soft cloth (I use microfiber clothes – they are excellent) and enjoy the great shine.
For a really deep shine to die for, use fine steel wool and sunshine (formally known as velvet soap) well soaped up and scrub away. It is best rinsed well with very hot water and dried with a tea towel or a very soft cloth, this method cleans the basin to an amazing shine.
Toothpaste works really well. If you squirt a small amount in the sink and then scrub with a toothbrush the buildup comes right out.
Baking soda applied with a dish brush or damp sponge is a great cleaning powder for a stainless steel or porcelain sink. It removes gunk you didn’t know was there, doesn’t scratch, deodorizes, and you don’t have to worry about sending chemicals down the drain.
The easiest way to clean a sink that I do is, I fill the sink with hot hot water, add a little dish soap and a little bleach. I let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it with a scrubby. If you have the mats in your sink and/or a sink divider, leave them in the sink and scrub them also. You will find that all the stains come out easily. I empty the sink and then just spray the sink with clear water… nice and clean and smells fresh.