Are all those dirty dishes beginning to take a toll on your kitchen sink? With leftover food, sauces and drinks being washed around them, kitchen sinks can soon start looking grimy and dull.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could get your kitchen sink looking brand new again? Well, with our kitchen sink cleaning hacks, you really can. Try them today and be amazed at how shiny your sink can be.
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1. How to make a natural sink cleaner
For a multi-purpose, stainless steel cleaner that won't break the bank and really works, we'd recommend making your own.
It's amazing because...
...our DIY sink cleaner requires just three things:
- Baking soda
- Table salt
- A sugar shaker
It is amazing at removing limescale, tannin stains from tea and coffee and will leave your sink shining.
2. Use a toothbrush when cleaning your sink
It's always worth saving your old toothbrushes. There's nothing that will get your tap clean quite like the power of toothbrush bristles.
Use them to get into even the tiniest of gaps and ridges on and around your tap. They'll scrub away grime, limescale and any other disgustingness which may be hiding in your sink.
3. How to remove limescale with lemon
When it comes to dense limescale, particularly around the spout of your kitchen sink tap, a quick fix may not be enough.
Sounds like a lot of effort, right? Well, we have a solution that works its magic over a few hours without requiring any involvement from you: lemon.
The acidic properties of lemon make it an ideal, natural limescale remover. To try it for yourself:
- Cut a lemon in half.
- Scrub the flesh over the tap, paying extra attention to limescale-heavy areas.
- Leave for 2 hours.
- Rinse and dry.
You'll be astonished at just how powerful this natural solution can be.
4. Wipe your sink after every use
Our best kitchen cleaning hack is perhaps the simplest and most obvious one of all - never let it get too bad in the first place.
If you've gone to the effort of washing all those dishes, you might as well go the extra mile and give your sink a swill too.
Use your kitchen brush and sponge to give the sink a quick but thorough clean after every use, and it will really help prevent limescale and grime buildup.
Do you want the real secret to a sparkling sink?
5. Use a microfibre cloth to shine stainless steel
If you've got guests coming round, or just want to add the final touch to your perfectly clean kitchen, a microfibre cloth will be your best friend.
The unique texture is unrivalled when it comes to buffing surfaces. Use a clean, dry microfibre cloth in small, circular motions to shine your kitchen sink after cleaning.
6. Why you should let cleaning products sit
Kitchen sinks sure can get dirty, but that's not to say you have to spend hours scrubbing them.
The key to making any cleaning job easier is to let the products do the work for you. Whichever kitchen cleaner you prefer to use, spray it on, then leave it to sit for at least 2 minutes before doing anything.
Given the chance, the specialised formula will break down dirt and grime, making it much easier for you to wipe away.
Do you really want to keep your kitchen sink clean?
6. Try not to soak greasy dishes
Another great preventative method (as well as motivation to get your washing up done sooner) is to avoid soaking things in the sink for too long.
Although soaking dishes is sometimes handy, all the grease and food on them will be transferred into the water. This will leave a grimy coating around your sink which won't rinse clean easily.
If you really do have to leave your pots, pans and plates soaking, be sure to add a few drops of fairy liquid to help break down grease.
7. Clear your kitchen sink drains
Out of sight, out of mind? Not where the kitchen sinks concerned, that's for sure.
Kitchen sink pipes have to deal with a lot - help them keep up by flushing them out every month or so.
There are many drain cleaners available in supermarkets, however, these are full of chemicals which can be extremely harmful to the environment.
Our solution? Baking soda, vinegar and boiling water.
How to make a homemade drain cleaner:
- Ensure the sink is relatively dry, then pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain.
- Flush this with 2 cups of boiling water, and leave for 2 minutes.
- Add another cup of baking soda, flush with a cup of white vinegar, and put the plugin.
- Leave for 5 minutes, then flush with more boiling water.
How do you make your kitchen sink shine? Let us know in the comments below!
Baking soda is an American term, is that baking powder or bicarbonate of soda in the UK? I can never remember which!
Hi Jackie, it's bicarbonate of soda - hope that helps! :)
Do you have any tips on how to keep a cream (non stainless steel) sink clean I am not sure what it is made of some sort of plastic? Material I am forever bleaching it and as Soon as you empty somthing down it I.e potato water or even left over tea, the stains look as they have been there for donkey's years, HELP PLEASE ANNE.
Hi Anne. You could try using CIF, but this won't, of course, prevent the problem. Why not try using a funnell to pour liquid down the sink? Although this isn't entirely practical, it will save you from having to scrub! I hope this helps :)
My mum uses a plastic washing up bowl in the sink rather than washing up straight into the sink.
Hi Lucy. My grandma actually does this! I only tend to use one when washing clothes, but each to their own. Thanks for sharing :)
I love reading about all the clever tips
Glad to hear, Michelle!
nice..
We're glad you liked the article, Alpesh!
Can't understand why people should want to wash your dishes in a sink and not in a bowl in the sink. Common sense really, no cracked china, no rattling pans and no really dirty sink if you use a bowl.
Very true!
I always use a washing up bowl and then I use the water on my plants once a week os so I put plant feed in it my flowers always look nice come the summer
That's a brilliant idea! Always good to reduce waste.
When my shower gels and hand washes are nearly empty, I use the residue to clean my stainless sink, rinse and shine with a dry cloth.Not only will your sink shine it will smell fresh a well.
Great idea, Brenda!
I want to remodel the kitchen before my wife gets home from her business trip as a surprise. She loves stainless steel but I wasn't sure about how I would keep it clean. I'll keep some old toothbrushes and use them to scrub away any grime or limescale that shows up on it.
That's a lovely thing to do!