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It’s Kitchen Month – let’s talk about the kitchen sink today, shall we? Keeping a clean and shiny sink is an easy routine to start. It takes a couple minutes after supper dishes are in the dishwasher and makes the kitchen easy on the eyes in the morning. Coming up with a method that works for you that you’ll carry out is the important step. For me, sanitizing the sink after dealing with raw meat and poultry is done on an as-needed basis, but the act of cleaning a sink is just a simple way of getting the sink ready for the next day or next meal.
I’ve tried lots of methods, but these are my six favorite methods:
dish soap and scrub brush – this is my nightly method after all the dishes are in the dishwasher
dish soap, baking soda, scrub brush – need a little abrasive cleaner? add a sprinkle of baking soda
Mrs. Jones Soapbox Scrub and scrub brush – antibacterial qualities and scrubs like crazy (smells like almonds)
Mrs. Meyers Surface Scrub and scrub brush – powder scrubs up nicely and smells great
Bon Ami and scrub brush – no scent, 2 ingredients, works great on porcelain sinks and stains (this is a once-in-awhile cleaner for me)
Bar Keeper’s Friend and scrub brush – I use this to clean my sink when the faucet needs a good polish too
You’ll notice that I use a scrub brush for all of these methods – alternately, you can use a sponge or rag, a scrub brush is just my preferred method.
See? There’s more than one way to clean and polish a sink! What’s your method?
Next week? Menu Planning!
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What scrub brush do you use? It looks very ergonomic.
It’s ‘Full Circle’ – I also use a dish scrub brush (just for the sink) too 🙂
xo, Becky
Ooh, thanks! 🙂
I need to clean my sink more! Where did you get that cute little dish that the cleaners are sitting on? I love it!
It’s a Fiesta bread tray – here’s a link to the Fiesta site:
http://www.fiestafactorydirect.com/c-172-small-bread-tray.aspx?pid=217
You can also find Fiesta pieces at some department stores. I’m pretty obsessed with Fiesta – I have lots of it 🙂
xo, Becky
I use Bar Keeper’s Friend also. Same thing my mom used 40 years ago. I will also use bleach once in a while as I have an older white sink with scraps & nicks in it. I fill the sink with bleach and cold water and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes then rinse it out really well. Just be careful when you remove the stopper not to get the water on you clothes. I use a tongs to pull it up. It’s really amazing what comes out that you don’t notice!
Would any of those cleaners be better than the others for a stainless steel sink?
Hi Barbara!
All the methods will work well on stainless, but you might get a little better shine from the Bar Keeper’s Friend.
xo, Becky
I used to clean homes for a living. I found that Bar Keeper’s Friend worked the best on all sink and tub finishes. It will clean, remove stains (even rust) and shine your sink better than anything else I’ve tried and it will not scratch. I’ve used it to remove rust stains on old dishes too without harming them.
I have a stainless sink. I spray my sink all over with water when I am done using it. Then I sprinkle it with baking soda. I take a soft cloth and rub the sink in circles. I spray it down with water again and that sink shines and beads up with water. It is amazing not to mention smells great! The baking soda is the least abrasive possible, it will not scratch my stainless sink, so I stick with that.
Hi Becky!
I love your blog as I need all the cleaning/organizing help I can get! What to you use to sanitize your sink after meat/poultry use? I am always wondering if my cleaner is really sanitizing. (With out using a really chemically sanitizer!)
Vinegar, baking soda and HOT HOT water is a great sanitizer…make a paste w BS & vinegar, scrub the sink and then rinse in hot hot water
I also pour vinegar into my sanitize wash w my towels (no softener) kills “that” smell
I love Bar Keeper’s Friend! I have a set of stainless pots my family got me for Christmas years ago, and they still look like new because I use BKF when needed. I have stainless sinks too….here BKF comes to my rescue too! It works great on ALL stainless steel, and makes them shine beautifully! I especially like the liquid since you don’t have all that powdery residue spreading around….works for my flat top stove too!
Sharon
I use a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and a squirt of dish soap…. Scrub it around with a microfiber scrubbing pad.
I have a granite sink. Off white/ivory color w/ a Matt finish. Can any of you suggest a good
Cleaning product that will clean stains and won’t ruin the granite. I also have a septic tank
So I can’t use antibacterial products! Thanks!
I use my Norwex Microfiber and Window Cloth with water. If there are hard water stains, I add in the non-toxic Descaler.
How would you “polish” an older porcelain kitchen sink? Mine is clean but dull and porous. Would love any recommendations! 🙂
Bon Ami powder would be great!