The Best Method for Cleaning a Kitchen Sink

By
Tai Massimilian
Tai Massimilian Highland Park Housekeeping
Tai Massimilian

Tai Massimilian is the Marketing and Creative Director at Texas's premier luxury housekeeping company, Highland Park Housekeeping.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 09/29/22
Reviewed by
Katie Berry
Katie Berry
Reviewed by Katie Berry
Katie Berry is a cleaning expert with 30 years of household management experience and 12 years of writing about cleaning methods and routines for Housewife How-Tos. She is the author of several books about homemaking.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Kitchen faucet pulled down with water rinsing sink

The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 5 - 10 mins
  • Total Time: 5 - 10 mins
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $5 to 20

The kitchen sink takes a lot of wear and tear between dishes, cooking, and all sorts of cleanups, it can get really dirty, really fast. If your sink is getting grimy, don't fret. Cleaning your kitchen sink is actually a lot easier than you might think. In the steps below, we'll outline how to get your kitchen sink looking brand new in under 10 minutes.

To get the job done, you'll need to gather some supplies. Luckily, you probably keep most of this stuff in your kitchen anyways, but if not, a quick trip to your local grocery store should do the trick. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust your method a bit depending on what your kitchen sink is made out of and how severe your mess is. In any case, follow these easy steps and your kitchen sink will shine in no time!

How Often Should You Clean Your Kitchen Sink?

You should clean your kitchen sink daily as a part of your regular cleaning routine. If you're in a pinch, you can always wipe down the sink with some all-purpose cleaner, but following these steps will help keep your sink fresh and clean.

The only part of this process you don't need to do daily is drain cleaning. This can be done on an as-needed basis, but we recommend doing it at least weekly to avoid a nasty smell.

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What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • 1 soft sponge
  • 1 microfiber towel
  • 1 dish rag

Materials

  • 1 bottle dish soap
  • 1 bottle powder cleanser
  • 1 box baking soda
  • 2 cups white vinegar

Instructions

Materials and tools to clean a kitchen sink

The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

How to Clean a Kitchen Sink

  1. Start With the Drain

    A fresh sink starts with a fresh drain. If your drain is slow-moving or a little stinky, follow these steps to get it smelling fresh before you tackle cleaning your wash basin.

    • First, pour about half a cup of baking soda into the drain.
    • Follow with about two cups of white vinegar, then cover with a folded dishcloth to allow the solution to soak (it'll start to bubble a lot—that's good!).
    • Wait five minutes, then rinse your drain with hot water.
    Baking soda and water mixture poured down kitchen sink drain

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

  2. Get Scrubbing

    Now that the drain is nice and clean, it's time to move on to the sink.

    • Sprinkle some powder cleanser or baking soda over the base of your sink.
    • Grab a soft sponge, get it wet, and add a few drops of dish soap to the sponge.
    • Scrub your entire sink in small circular motions. Depending on whether or not you have any caked-on mess, you may need to use a scrubber sponge on any sticky or tricky areas.
    • Rinse away the dish soap.
    Powder cleanser sprinkled inside kitchen sink

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

  3. Give It a Good, Thorough Dry

    Finally, dry the sink with a microfiber towel. Microfiber does a great job of picking up any loose specks of dust or debris, leaving an extra shiny finish, especially on stainless steel.

    Tip

    If your sink is stainless steel, be sure to wipe in the same direction with the grain to really make it sparkle.

    White microfiber towel drying inside of kitchen sink

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

  4. Don't Neglect the Faucet and Handles

    After drying, your damp microfiber will be perfect for polishing the faucet and handles. Focus on the base, as this is where grime and debris often get caught. If this area is dirty, you can use the same methods above (soft sponge, powder cleanser, and dish soap) to wash the area down and dry it as you did the sink basin.

    Damp microfiber cloth polishing kitchen faucet

    The Spruce / Adelyn Duchala

Tips to Keep Your Kitchen Sink Clean Longer

  • It's no secret—regular maintenance makes keeping your sink clean so much easier.
  • If you don't have time to thoroughly wash your sink every time you clean your kitchen, at least give it a good wipe-down with your favorite all-purpose cleaner and a microfiber towel (or paper towels, if you prefer those).
  • Keeping your garbage disposal smelling fresh is also important. A good tip is to put citrus rinds and peels into the disposal after you use them. Running your disposal with the citrus in it will help refresh your disposal's smell.
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