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How to clean your stainless steel sink, sanitize it and make it shine

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Deep clean your kitchen sink like a pro with natural products

How many times have you left the dishes sitting in the sink way longer than you intended? Only to find your sink is a little gross and needs a little refresh.

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I know even with my best daily routine on those late nights, sometimes I can’t close down the kitchen fully. It’s what I call a reset inside my R.E.C.L.A.I.M method.

If your sink is looking a little less polished these days. I will share with you what has worked for me.

Stainless steel sinks are some of the easiest sinks to care for. So, let’s dig in on what to use to clean your stainless sink and how to make it shine.

I have a porcelain one inside my lake house, and it’s a huge pain. I much prefer stainless steel sinks.

What is the best cleaner for a stainless steel sink?

When it comes to an easy and natural way to clean your kitchen sink, baking soda and vinegar are two household items you will need.

No, you don’t need the harsh chemicals that most commercial cleaners introduce.

The vinegar naturally disinfects, helps to fight bacteria, and reduces water spots in your sink. While baking soda will create the natural scrubbing power.

The towels/scrubbers you use to clean your sink also play an important part. You are going to need to determine the type of sink you have.

For example, satin finish with no grain vs brush matte finish. This is important because you will need to use different cleaning sponges and scrubbing techniques.

Stainless steel sink care guide:

  1. Always check with your manufacturer for proper care/cleaning
  2. Know the finish of your sink so you can properly clean it
  3. Always scrub with the grain and not against the grain
  4. Avoid bleach and corrosive materials when cleaning

The most common sponge to use to clean your satin-finished sink with no grain is a soft sponge like this one. My ultimate favorite is Scrub Daddy products.

For a brushed matte finish, you are gonna wanna get a rougher scrubber. The most commonly suggested one is the 3M Scotch-Brite General Purpose Scouring Pad. It is rough enough to clean stuck on dirt but soft enough to not damage the finish of the sink.

*CAUTION – ACIDIC-BASED STUFF CAN HARM YOUR SINK IF YOU DON’T REMOVE IT PROMPTLY

What does it cost to clean your sink?

Amazingly, when you use baking soda and vinegar to sink your sink, you are saving tons of money.

Vinegar about $7.99 (small bottle)

Baking soda about $2.99 (small box)

Scrubbing sponge about $2-$7 dollars depending on your sink

So, for under $20 bucks, you should be able to clean your sink for a whole year. Again I prefer using the Scrub Daddy because it is dish washer safe. So I can clean it.

What you should never clean your sink with

While a stainless steel sink is very durable, it’s important never to clean your sink with the following materials. Doing so will create scratches and dents and ruin the finish of your sink.

  • Metallic Brushes
  • Steel Wool
  • Wire brushes

Materials like I mentioned above can even leave behind metal pieces that get embedded into your sink.

How to Clean a Stainless Steel Sink, Step-by-Step:

Step 1:

Empty the sink and spray down the entire sink. Make sure to wet the sides and the faucet. You want to use hot water to remove as much stuck food as possible.

Step 2:

Take 1 cup of baking soda and sprinkle it all around your kitchen sink. Be sure to sprinkle the sides evenly.

Step 3:

Grab your scrubbing sponge according to the type of sink that you have. Begin to scrub.

For stain-finished sinks, you will want to scrub in a circular motion to clean them.

For a brushed matte finish, you will want to scrub in the direction of the grain.

Be sure to scrub the faucet and sides around the counter. To clean the hard-to-reach areas around your faucet, use a toothbrush with baking soda. The small bristles will get into the grooves and remove the built up gunk.

Step 4:

Next, you will want to spray your entire sink down with vinegar to help sanitize and remove bacteria. If you have ever mixed vinegar and baking soda, you know it will fizzle.

Wait a few minutes to allow the mixture to work in its natural state.

This fizzle will help to remove anything that may be on the surface. It will remove water stains and calcium deposits and disinfect.

Step 5:

Rinse thoroughly the entire sink and then dry it. We need to dry it well to prevent water spots and move on to the optional next step of polishing your sink

How to polish a stainless steel sink

If you want to get back the luster and make your sink shine. After doing the cleaning steps above, you can buff it.

To make your sink shine after drying it. Take a microfiber or lint-free towel and apply a quarter-size drop of olive oil. Fold the towel into quarters and then rub it into your entire sink.

Once done buffing, you will want to polish it by using a clean side of your folded towel to polish. Removing all access oil.

Be sure not to add too much oil, as this will not give you the desired results.

After buffing the sink, you will see how the water beads right off. It also stays cleaner until your next weekly deep cleaning.

How often you should clean your stainless steel sink

As a mom who cooks daily and uses her sink regularly. My daily maintenance includes scrubbing the sink down with a little dish soap each night. Leaving the sink clean and ready to go for the next morning.

I recommend deep cleaning your sink at least once a week, especially if you cook daily. The other reason why I recommend this is because oftentimes, we have cutting boards and utensils that we use to cut raw meat, especially chicken.

This can spread throughout the kitchen sink, so I personally like to be sure I reduce the cross-contamination by doing a minimal weekly deep cleaning.

How to prevent stains and corrosion of your steel kitchen sink

When it comes to keeping your sink clean. I personally prefer that every night, I wash all the dishes and wake up to a clean kitchen sink.

But here is another compelling reason you might find it important to get those dishes done before bed.

Foods that are very acidic can begin to cause stains or corrosion inside your sink.

So it’s important to not leave those dishes with foods like this in there.

Also, dirty dishes in the sink attract bugs and other things you don’t want in your home.

Using a stainless steel grid to help protect and keep your sink clean

If you are considering using a protector for the bottom of your sink. I highly suggest using a stainless steel one like this one.

When choosing a sink protector, you want to avoid plastic or rubber ones. Because over time, they can trap food and bacteria.

Plus, seriously, trying to clean one of those mats is a nightmare.

Reasons why you need a sink protection grid

  • reduces scratches
  • can use it to dry dishes on one side
  • can thaw food on it

Don’t forget to clean your stinking garbage disposal

If you have a garbage disposal, throw a few lemon slices down there to help refresh and clean it. You can also freeze lemons, lime, and orange scraps to make a DIY disposal cleaner.

READ MORE:

How to clean your microwave the easy way

What Should You Be Wiping Down, Cleaning And Disinfecting

House Cleaning Checklist and weekly cleaning schedule

Jackie

Tuesday 11th of October 2022

Thank you so much for sharing this!!! I am wanting to do a deep clean for fall and will have to try this out. We are also going to do some professional carpet cleaning which I am excited for. Thanks again!

Lisa Van Groningen

Monday 17th of October 2022

You are very welcome Jackie!! Thanks for stopping by and hopefully you'll hangout and follow along. If there is anything else you would love for me to create let me know. Welcome to the mom tribe multitasking warrior friend!!