How to Clean a Kitchen Sink and Drain

What Do You Use to Clean a Kitchen Sink?

You can combine dish soap and warm water to efficiently clean your kitchen sink. Dish soap is designed to cut through food grease, making it an excellent choice for cleaning your sink after meals. If desired, baking soda or vinegar can also be combined with water and used as a cleaner.

Baking soda is an excellent cleaning option because it is a mild alkali that can be used as a deodorizer and cuts through grease and stubborn stains without scratching your sink. Vinegar is also a good choice for cleaning due to its acidity, which can easily dissolve dirt, grime and other food particle buildup from your sink.

For a deeper kitchen sink cleaning, you should also clean your garbage disposal regularly to help ensure the appliance stays running efficiently and potentially help avoid clogging. A clogged garbage disposal can lead to unwanted odors coming from your kitchen sink.

Cleaning your garbage disposal can be simple when you use affresh^® disposal cleaner tablets to eliminate odor-causing residue from your disposal.

1. Rinse Out Sink and Apply Cleaning Product

To begin cleaning your sink, first rinse out any food particles or loose debris. Then, add baking soda or dish soap by generously applying the cleaning product all over the sink. Ensure that the baking soda or dish soap is evenly distributed on the sides and bottom of the sink. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before wiping it away.

 2. Scrub the Sink

While the baking soda or dish soap is sitting, add hot water and mild soap to a clean sponge. After the cleaning product has sat for 1 to 2 minutes, begin scrubbing the sides of the sink then work your way down the sink in the direction of the drain.

When cleaning a stainless steel sink, it’s important to determine the grain direction and wipe in the same direction to prevent streaks or scratches.

When using a cleaner designed specifically for stainless steel, like the affresh^® stainless steel brightener, apply the cleaner in an “S” shape and then wipe it away in the direction of the grain with a microfiber cloth.

3. Thoroughly Rinse Out the Sink

Take time to thoroughly rinse the dish soap or baking soda out of your sink. Make sure all of the cleaning product is fully rinsed off and flushed down the drain. When cleaning a copper sink, thoroughly rinse the rim to prevent food from becoming trapped and damaging the finish.

4. Dry the Sink with a Microfiber Cloth

Dry your entire sink with a clean, microfiber cloth. Drying the sink quickly after rinsing helps reduce the chance of leaving behind water spots. If you’re cleaning a drop-in sink, make sure to thoroughly wipe down and dry the overhang.

Tips for Cleaning a Kitchen Sink

Here are additional tips to help you properly clean your sink and keep your home smelling fresh.

• Keep your kitchen sink faucet and handles clean by applying mild dish soap to a sponge and scrubbing them once a week. You can also use a toothbrush for any spots that are hard to reach.
• To clean your kitchen sink drain, use a combination of 1 part baking soda and 2 parts white vinegar. Pour this mixture down the drain and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then pour hot water down the drain to eliminate any left behind residue.
• To avoid unpleasant odors in your kitchen, don’t let dirty dishes sit in the sink for too long. Leftover food particles can start to smell, so it’s important to rinse and clean dirty dishes promptly.
• If you’re cleaning a porcelain sink, you’ll want to remove any rust stains before you begin the cleaning process. To remove rust stains from a porcelain sink, simply sprinkle salt on half of a lemon and gently scrub the rust away before cleaning with warm water and dish soap.

How Do You Clear a Clogged Kitchen Sink?

When faced with a clogged kitchen sink, you have several methods to clear the blockage. If your sink is simply draining slowly, you can try pouring one cup of baking soda and one cup of vinegar down the drain, covering the drain and then letting that sit for 15 minutes before running hot water down the drain.

If your sink is clogged and has standing water, you can try to plunge the sink’s drain with a plunger to try and get the water to drain.

If the sink drain is connected to a disposal, the disposal may also be clogged. To unclog your garbage disposal, you must first disconnect it from power. Then, look for the clog and try to remove any debris. If all else fails, use a plunger to clear the drain.

After the clog is fixed, use a garbage disposal cleaner tablet, like affresh^® disposal cleaner, after the clog is fixed to flush away any residue and to help keep your kitchen sink clean and smelling fresh.