DIRTY KITCHEN SINKS!

The Household Genie is granting you an answer to the dirty stainless steel sink question:  How can I keep my stainless steel sink shining bright?

The kitchen sink is the hub of the household. Everyone who lives in the house is using this place in the kitchen several times a day. From peeling veggies to cleaning out the dog’s bowl, the kitchen sink is a high traffic area! Very quickly debris builds up, not only on the bottom, but also on all the sides of the sink. Then before you know it, hard little specks of dried food and crumbs are on the surface, taking away the shine and luster.

Everyone wants his or her sink to shine and look great, especially when you get an unexpected visitor. Before you realize it, he or she may be at your kitchen sink putting his or her used drinking glass or plate inside.

Although this is a very thoughtful gesture by the guest, you may all at once feel your heart racing and think, “I don’t think I cleaned the sink lately! Oh no, I bet it looks dirty!”  If you experience that same feeling, don’t feel bad. Many have a hard time keeping up with cleaning it because it is used so often!

One trick I have found to keep it looking good is rinsing. Every time the sink is used, with the exception of washing one’s hands, rinse it. Immediate rinsing with very hot water will flush any new particles of food or dirt down the drain before they have a chance of hardening on the surface.

Rinsing with very hot water also softens and loosens any older particles that have hardened on the surface (if you forgot to rinse the time before). Be sure to rinse all the sides of the sink as well as the bottom.

This may seem extremely simple but it helps so much to keep the particles off the surface. It’s a prophylactic way of stopping grime from building up between regular cleanings. 

The next step is to clean with soap once a day. Before going to bed at night I clean the kitchen sink with regular dish washing soap, such as Palmolive. To do this, wet the sink thoroughly, and scatter a few drops of the dish soap on the bottom of the sink. Then dampen some paper towels with water and clean the sink’s bottom, sides, drain covers and the faucet and faucet handles. Rinse thoroughly with hot water. I usually get a few more paper towels and go over the surface with the faucet on as it is rinsing. Dry all surfaces. 

This only takes a few minutes, if even that, but it keeps the sink looking great. Once a week I use a cleanser for a thorough surface cleaning. I like to use Comet—the regular powder version of Comet that has been around for years. I start with rinsing the sink with hot water. Sprinkle Comet over the bottom of the sink, the sides and on the dividing bar, if you have a double sink. 

I love Comet and have been using it for years because it has never scratched my sinks. It also smells very fresh. After the Comet sits for a few minutes, I wet the paper towel thoroughly with warm water and then gently rub the cleanser onto the entire stainless steel sink surface. Then, again with hot water, I rinse the cleanser away, cleaning with a paper towel at the same time. Your sink will be shining bright! After the Comet is rinsed completely away, I dry the sink with paper towels to remove any residue of the cleanser. Then I spray it with Windex window cleaner to make it even shinier!

It seems like you feel just a little happier when your sink is shiny and clean. I know I do. But do remember:  rinse, rinse, rinse!