A shiny and tidy sink is a natural attraction in a modern kitchen. But sometimes it cannot hold its freshness because it has not been cleaned. That is why we are here to help you deep clean your kitchen sink. So, read on till the end to keep the freshness alive in your kitchen.
Importance of Cleaning the Kitchen Sink
The sink and its strainer is the most used thing in your kitchen. Therefore, it gets dirty every single day. The reason behind this is food particles from the cutting boards and plates, dirt, mildew, and others. As a result, the sink starts spreading odors and becomes the source of growing germs and bacteria. So, it would be best if you cleaned it regularly to get rid of these problems and get a great kitchen experience.
Guide To Deep Clean The Kitchen Sink
We have broken down the total tutorial into three different parts for you. This is because the sink is not alone. It also has a strainer and a drain, which sometimes gets clogged because of wastes. So, you will need to clean them all. And you will need:
· Baking Soda
· White Vinegar
· Dish Soap
· Soft Sponge
· Scrub Brush or Old Toothbrush
How To Clean The Kitchen Sink
Nowadays, almost all kitchens have stainless steel sinks. So, let’s assume yours is also the same. Follow these steps carefully to clean your kitchen sink properly.
Step 1: Thoroughly Rinse the Sink
Before you start cleaning the sink:
- Rinse the whole sink thoroughly with pure water.
- Make sure there are no food leftovers or debris left on the surface.
- Unplug the filter and other tools (if any), such as a sponge holder.
- Rinse these things also and keep them aside for now.
Pro tip: Acid and salt from food are harmful to stainless steel sinks. So, rinse the sink daily after your nightly dishes cleaning routine.
Step 2: Make the Cleaning Solution
You have to make a simple chemical solution to deal with the dirty sink surface. To do that:
- Take a glass bowl and put three tablespoons of baking soda into it.
- Complete the solution with three tablespoons of dish soap and 1/3 cup of white vinegar.
- Do not fear those bubbles; it is just a simple chemical reaction.
You can do one more thing in advance. Make another solution in a different bowl with 1/3 cup of baking soda and the same amount of white vinegar. Then, put the strainer basket in it and set it aside. We will discuss the rest of this procedure later in the strainer cleaning part of this article.
Step 3: Sprinkle the Solution throughout the Sink
Pour the solution gently all over the sink. Ensure not to miss an inch; try to soak the entire sink surface. However, sometimes it is difficult to do that using the bowl. A spray bottle can help you better here. After that, let the sink sit with the solution for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Scrub the Sink, Faucet, and Other Tools
Once the timer is finished, you can scrub the sink and the faucet. To do that, take a little amount of dish soap on the sponge and start cleaning the sink. Start from the very edges of the sink and gradually move down. Doing the scrubbing in a circular motion would be better, and keep adding water and soap. Keep this going until the sink is cleaned.
In addition, scrub the sink faucet and any other tools you have with your sink. You can do it using the same sponge. But some areas are hard to reach; use the brush for easy access to those areas and better cleaning. Lastly, give a fresh rinse to all of those you have scrubbed.
Step 5: Sanitize Your Kitchen Sink
After cleaning the entire sink, sanitizing is necessary to make it germ-free. Pour white vinegar into some paper towels and cover the total sink surface with it. Next, remove them after about 15 minutes.
You have successfully finished cleaning the kitchen sink by sanitizing it. But you can do it later because you still need to clean the sink strainer and the drain.
How To Clean The Sink Strainer
After cleaning the sink, you can now step towards the sink strainer. So, get the submerged filter out of the solution you set aside a while ago. Then, use the scrubbing brush to scrub the strainer basket until it looks clean.
Moreover, take off the black rubber gasket from the bottom of the strainer. The gasket sometimes holds a lot of debris inside it. But you won’t notice dirt while attached to the strainer. And if it’s not working well, you will probably need to replace the sink strainer. However, use the brush to clean both sides of the gasket, including the rounded corners inside.
After cleaning both the strainer basket and the gasket, wash them with water. Next, attach the gasket to where it was before, and it will be good to go.
How To Clean Sink Drain
Sometimes, dirt and debris go down from the strainer and clog the drain pipe. Therefore, you face problems like slow water draining and bad odors. To avoid these problems, make sure to unclog the drain when cleaning the sink. Follow these 5 steps sequentially to clean your clogged sink drain:
1. Pour one pot of boiling water down to the sink drain. (If you have plastic pipes in your drain, then the water temperature should not be over 60 degrees Celsius)
2. pour another cup of baking soda now. It will take some time to spread down, so leave it for 5 minutes.
3. Now, run 1 cup of white vinegar into the drain. You can also add the solution you used to submerge the strainer basket here. Let the bubbles (coming from the chemical reaction) do their magic for another 5 minutes.
4. Shower the drain with one pot of hot water again.
5. leave your hot water faucet open for 5 to 10 minutes.
Above all, if you have followed all the steps carefully, your kitchen sink is shining like a diamond. Also, it’s now free of odors, no clogging, and germ-free. Moreover, rinse your kitchen sink thoroughly at least once a day to avoid repeatedly cleaning hassle.
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