Updated on Oct. 16, 2024
There are more germs in the kitchen sink than in the toilet after flushing! Clean and sanitize the kitchen sink with these best tips and products.
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For cleaning the kitchen sink, Hope’s Perfect Sink cleaner and polish is the ideal gentle cleaner. It shines, polishes and protects all types of sinks, and it’s a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon.
This cleaner removes stains and restores the finish to brushed stainless steel, cast iron, porcelain, Corian, composite and acrylic sinks. The invisible water repellent barrier created by Hope’s makes future cleaning easier and will not scratch the surface of the sink.
When using household products to clean the kitchen sink, the type of sink is the first thing to consider.
Porcelain/Enamel: Wet the entire sink and sprinkle baking soda to fully cover. Spray hydrogen peroxide over the baking soda and scrub. Rinse thoroughly and let dry. To remove rust, sprinkle salt on a lemon half and scrub to remove the rust. Rinse with warm soapy water and use microfiber cloth to dry. Pro tip: Fix chips with a touch-up porcelain glaze kit.
Stainless Steel: Clean the sink with a paste of baking soda and water. Then rinse the sink with vinegar, which will bubble and fizz. Vinegar naturally disinfects while helping remove hard water stains. Pro tip: Always rub in the direction of the steel grain to avoid scratching.
One of the best all-purpose sponges is the Scotch-Brite non-scratch scrub sponge. It’s two-sided: one for scrubbing and one for general cleaning (made of biodegradable cellulose).
The scrubbing fibers are made from 100 percent recycled content; heavy-duty and gentle options are available. Replace your sponge monthly and clean daily by dipping into hot, sudsy water and squeezing the suds through the sponge.
Pro tip: To disinfect the sponge, add to the dishwasher using the “heated dry” setting. Or place the damp sponge in the microwave and heat on high for two minutes.
For quick daily scrub-downs of the kitchen sink, use the Mr. Siga soap dispensing dish brush, which has the best overall reviews on Amazon. A non-skid holder allows quick access and keeps counters dry.
This brush has replaceable heads (brushes or sponges) that are sold separately. The ergonomic handle is easy to grip even when wet. The odorless nylon bristles are durable, and the built-in scraper can remove dried food from your sink.
Pro tip: To refill an in-the-sink soap dispenser from above, use a straw to prevent “bubble block.”
To sanitize your kitchen sink, Clorox Clean-up Cleaner with Bleach is a highly-rated go-to cleaner for hard, nonporous kitchen sink surfaces. It also removes tough stains, grease and dirt, and kills 99.9 percent of germs while eliminating odors, according to the manufacturer.
This Clorox spray also comes in a bleach-free alternative, which still kills 99.9 percent of germs, but without the bleach smell.
Pro tip: Remember to leave the product on the surface for about 10 minutes to kill all germs.
After cleaning the kitchen sink, bleach is the best answer to sanitize. But be careful to dilute.
Fill the sink with at least a gallon of warm water, add a tablespoon of bleach and mix well. Dip a sponge to wipe down the sink, faucet and handles. Let sit at least 10 minutes to kill germs. Rinse well and air dry thoroughly.
Pro tip: To kill bacteria between cleanings, keep a spray bottle under the sink with equal parts white vinegar and water.
The simplehuman sink caddy sponge holder is highly rated, made of rust-proof stainless steel and lives off the countertop to save space. The brush holder has a pop-out silicone base which extends to hold longer brushes. The four suction cups and wire ledge hanger guarantee a tight grip to the inside of the sink.
Both sponge and brush compartments have ventilation holes to help sponges and brushes dry quickly, minimize bacteria growth.
Also learn how to clean and unclog your kitchen sink, and get your smelly, stopped-up drain running fast again.
For deep cleaning those hard-to-reach places, the Full Circle detail cleaning brush is an Amazon’s Choice product, highly rated and well-priced. It’s made of BPA-free recycled plastic, and the bamboo handle has a non-toxic coating.
The firm brush bristles are perfect for sinks, drains, faucets, edges and crevices, and the top edge is a scraper to loosen the toughest goop. For the smallest dirty spaces, cracks and corners, use the soft detail nib on the bottom of the brush.
Stanley Home Products Original Degreaser will clean the toughest grease and grime in your kitchen sink. Use this product diluted in a spray bottle or full strength, depending on the job at hand. This cleaner is biodegradable and phosphate-free, and works equally well in soft and hard water.
The final step to cleaning and sanitizing the sink is polishing, and the E-Cloth general purpose microfiber cloth is the solution. This cloth will polish and clean by grabbing and breaking up grime with water only.
This cloth has a three-year or 300-wash guarantee, which saves paper towel waste and plastic bottles of cleaner. Replace weekly and machine wash in hot water with a small amount of detergent (no bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets).
Pro tip: Polish a stainless steel sink with flour to make it shine!
A clean kitchen sink isn’t going to stay clean if the drain is clogged. The SDY snake drain clog remover tool is an easy, efficient and inexpensive way to remove problematic clogs.
This tool comes three to a pack, in green or red. It has a patented single-sided barb and a smooth upper portion that doesn’t hurt fingers, making navigating pipes easier. The 26-inch-long flexible tool reaches farther down most P-trap and S-trap sinks without removing the trap or the sink stopper.
To clean the blades of the garbage disposal, fill it with a tray of ice cubes, one-half cup of coarse rock or sea salt and three lemon wedges. Run the cold water and turn the garbage disposal on until the ice is gone. The salt will scrub the blades, the ice will knock off the food muck and the lemon will deodorize and leave the disposal smelling fresh again.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to clean the underneath side of garbage disposal flaps. They get really filthy!
Vinegar and baking soda are natural, inexpensive household items strong enough to clean a kitchen sink drain or kill any bacteria that could be growing. The ratio is one part baking soda to two parts white vinegar.
Place the baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour the white vinegar. Wait 15 minutes while the mixture bubbles. Then complete the cleaning process by washing away with boiling hot water. The mixture is eco-safe, but strong enough to do the job and neutralize odors.
