You wake up in the morning, you throw your coffee mug in the sink. After your lunch break, you throw your salad bowl in the sink. After dinner, you throw your pots and pans in the sink. You see the ongoing pattern? Continue reading to see why and how you should clean your stainless steel kitchen sink.
Cleaning your stainless steel kitchen sink is extremely important. For starters, you put all types of items on your kitchen sink. From dirty dishes, to vegetables and even toys are put in your kitchen sink. It’s evident that your sink will collect a lot of dirt and bacteria over time.
According to Thriveglobal.com, a major buildup of bacteria has the potential to cause many foodborne illnesses. As you and your family continue to eat from dishes that have sat in a sink with built up bacteria, you’re increasing their chances of falling ill.
Additionally, the longer you wait to clean your kitchen sink, the more harm you do as you will need much harsher chemicals to get a proper cleaning. These harsh chemicals may damage your sink in the long run.
Now, if you have a stainless steel kitchen sink, you’re in luck! Stainless steel kitchen sinks are always at the top of shoppers lists for multiple reasons.
For one, stainless steel kitchen sinks are able to withstand higher temperatures and are less prone to stains.
Although your stainless steel kitchen is less prone to stains, it is more prone to scratches than other materials. With this being said, you want to make sure you are careful with the way you handle your dishes in the sink to increase your sink’s longevity.
If you follow the steps below, you can indeed avoid all of the potential issues above. Keep on reading to see how you can take your stainless steel kitchen sink from grimey to gorgeous in no time!
Time
Guess what? Achieving the perfect, shiny sink does not have to take hours on end. It’s one of the quicker chores. This is great to do even after a long day of work. I know what you’re thinking. Why would I want to do this after work? Well, the more you clean your sink, the less amount of buildup you will have. Not only does this make for a pretty sink, but a clean and safe sink as well.
Anyways, if you choose to do this chore on your off-day, you should expect to be working for about an hour. Turn up some music or a podcast and get started! Happy cleaning!
Cost
Not only is this chore extremely time effective, but it is also cost-effective! Most of these items you should have in your home. If not, don’t sweat it! You can find the materials needed at the grocery store or pharmacy for very affordable prices.
Altogether, you should expect to spend just around $35 for all of the materials needed to clean your stainless steel kitchen sink. You definitely want to purchase the products listed as they are specific to a stainless steel kitchen sink. Failure to utilize these products can lead to damaging your kitchen sink. Other products may be too harsh to use on your specific sink and can damage its finish. Be sure to continue reading to see what products would work best for you!
Materials Needed
- Cream of Tartar
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Non-abrasive sponge
- One lemon
- A toothbrush
- White vinegar
- Microfiber towels
- Mild dish soap
- Baking soda
As I mentioned earlier, cleaning your stainless steel kitchen sink takes little to no time. What does that mean exactly? That means you’ll have more time on your hands! Sure, you can pick up a new Netflix series or catch up on some good ‘ol rest; but why not pick up a new hobby? Why not pick up scrapbooking? Scrapbooking is a straightforward and soothing hobby for practically anyone!
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Back to the cleaning!
Step #1: Empty it Out!
The first step is very self-explanatory. Remove all of the dishes and visible residue from your stainless steel kitchen sink. It’s evident that you cannot wash your sink while dishes are cluttering your surface.
After you empty out all of the dishes, be sure to wipe down your sink with hot water and some mild dish soap. Be sure to apply the correct amount of soap to your sink. Applying too much soap will create a sudsy mess, and little to no soap will have no power, thus making your efforts counterproductive. Be sure to dry your stainless steel sink before moving onto the next step.
Step #2: Get Down and Dirty
For this part, you want to be extremely specific to your measurements to avoid damaging your stainless steel kitchen sink. Mix three parts of cream of tartar to one part of hydrogen peroxide.
Using your non-abrasive sponge, scrub your stainless steel sink in small, circular motions, in the direction of the grain! Circular motions ensure that you reach all of the essential spots on your sink without damaging the surface like the usual back and forth method may do.
Hydrogen peroxide is an excellent aid in cleaning due to the fact that it has strong oxidizing properties that not only remove stains, but kills bacteria and germs as well. Although cream of tartar may not sound like the most popular cleaning product, it can be used as a substitute for typical household bleach. This mixture should remove the most stubborn of stains.
Be sure to rinse and dry your stainless steel sink before moving onto the next step.
Step #3: Call For Backup!
Although the mixture you used in step two is supposed to remove the most stubborn stains, it’s not always guaranteed. Don’t sweat it; a combination of lemon and baking soda should help remove the lingering stains.
Use half of a lemon and a teaspoon of baking soda to remove the stains hanging around. Sprinkle this mixture all over your stainless steel sink, and once again, use your non-abrasive sponge to scrub in circular motions.
Lemon is excellent for cleaning because much like white vinegar, lemon has acidic properties that act as an antiseptic. Additionally, baking soda is a critical ingredient in almost any household cleaning chore. It’s a mild alkali that makes it easy for grease and dirt to dissolve while deodorizing your surface easily.
After you have scrubbed your sink with a sponge, take your toothbrush and get deep into those nooks and crannies! Once again, be sure to scrub in the direction of the grain!
Step #4: One Last Wash!
Even though the two steps prior have done an exceptional job at removing all types of dirt and grime, you may still have some annoying water spots that are still hanging around.
Take your microfiber cloth with some white vinegar and proceed to rub down your stainless steel sink in small circular motions.
White vinegar is excellent for removing water spots due to the difference in pH levels. White vinegar has a low pH balance, making it the perfect match for removing the hard minerals in the water.
After you have removed the water spots, make sure to dry your stainless steel sink before moving on to the final step.
Step #5: Buff And Be Done!
So, you’ve finally cleaned your entire sink, and it is spotless, but also kind of dull.
It’s normal for stainless steel sinks to lose their sparkle after a deep cleaning due to all of the harsh products that were just used on your surface. Don’t sweat it! All you need to do is to gently buff your stainless steel sink with a new, dry microfiber cloth.
Gently buff your sink in small circular motions (of course) and watch how it shines! Be sure to avoid using any kind of buffing products or chemicals because you have just used a variety of different products; therefore, the last thing you want is to add more chemicals and run the risk of doing more harm than good. In this instance, natural is the way to go!
If you want to add an extra kick to your final shine, be sure pour olive oil in your sink, scrub in circular motions with a microfiber cloth and rinse it off!
BAM! You’re done!
Now that you’ve finished cleaning your stainless steel kitchen sink, why not clean your drain? Here’s a quick and effective way of cleaning your kitchen sink drain!
Have More Time?
No, but seriously, you were able to clean your stainless steel kitchen sink in less than an hour. You have a little extra time on your hands, and now what? Like I said earlier, you can binge Netflix, but really, how many times are you going to watch Tiger King? Arts and crafts tend to be a soothing activity that can be done at any time! Scrapbooking is a fun activity if you’re looking for something quiet and lowkey.
Whether you’re gifting one to your sorority sister or you want one to document an outstanding year of your life, there are limitless patterns and designs to make your scrapbook unique! Having limitless options may seem a little daunting; fortunately, with 500 Scrapbooking Sketches, some of the work has already been done for you! Scrapbooking Sketches lays down the foundation for your work, so all you need are your favorite memories! Get your set of sketches here!
Frequently Asked Questions: How to Clean Kitchen Sink Stainless Steel
How often should I clean my stainless steel kitchen sink?
You should clean your stainless steel kitchen sink about once every two weeks. The amount of dirty dishes you put in your sink can cause a rapid build up of grease and dirt so you want to clean your sink as much as possible.
Would it just be cheaper to hire someone to clean my sink?
As much as I hate doing chores, I hate spending a lot of money on things that I can do myself for much cheaper. Unfortunately, it is much more expensive to have someone come clean your kitchen sink, about $150 more expensive. Yes, it will take some elbow grease, but I promise you, your wallet will thank you for it!
What can I use for extra tough stains?
You can always go with the reliable magic eraser! Take your eraser and scrub in circular motions, be sure not to use these too frequently as these are so powerful, they may damage your surface.