How To Clean The Kitchen Sink
In general, I think most people consider themselves to be pretty clean. However, it seems like every article we read or corner we look to, there’s endlessly filthy spots all around us in our lives and in our homes. In this case, it’s the kitchen sink. Can you believe that your kitchen sink can harbor more bacteria than your toilet!? And if you’re thinking it gets clean with all of those dishes you do… think again.
The kitchen sink is a great place for germs to thrive, since you fill it with warm water and let food particles hang out there all day (and rinse your meat covered dishes in it, egg-yolk covered hands in it—ok you get the idea.) It’s dirty.
Sort of surprisingly, the key to keeping it clean isn’t blasting it with disinfectant, but removing the organic matter that the bacteria can grow on. Since the sink surface isn’t porous (like, say, grout), your key factor here is putting in the work to dislodge anything stuck to the sink walls. AKA: Scrubbing. Here’s what to do.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Baking Soda
- Water
- Boulder Clean Dish Soap
- Rubber Gloves
- Sponge or Microfiber Cloth
DIRECTIONS:
1. Empty the sink
Once you’ve finished doing your dishes for the night, empty the sink.
2. Sprinkle baking soda all around
Because baking soda is only mildly abrasive, it will help break up food particles without harming the sink surface.
3. Add soap
Wearing rubber gloves, squirt a little soap onto your sponge.
4. Add hot water
Adding a little hot water at a time, start scrubbing. Probably best to pre-fill a pitcher or bowl with the hot water rather than getting it straight from the faucet each time. If your tap water doesn’t get that hot, boil some in your tea kettle.
5. Scrub from the outside in
Scrub your sink from the outside in, top to bottom (this way your dirty water will drip into the areas you haven’t cleaned yet instead of the spots that you’ve already finished). Spend at least 20 seconds in each area, and longer if there’s a visible sign of food stuck to the sink. Once the sink is finished, scrub the inside of the drain and rinse.