Keeping kitchen sinks clean should be a high priority. The cleanliness of the kitchen contributes to the overall indoor environment, and dirty sinks can create serious health problems. Since kitchen sinks handle a lot of kitchen mess arising from vegetable peels and food particles, especially from dishwashing, it can become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria that can cause some severe illnesses. Not cleaning kitchen sinks properly can spread sickness around the home by spreading dangerous bacteria like salmonella, E-coli, and Staphylococcus aureus that adhere to the hands and spread to foods.
Maintaining good hygiene in kitchens ensures healthy living, and you must keep your kitchen sink spic and span always. The biggest challenge in sink cleaning is to clean the rim or lip of the sink under which food particles and crumbs accumulate. It isn’t very easy to clean and can worsen kitchen hygiene. To overcome the problem, you must install an undermount sink in your kitchen that does not have any lip or rim and eliminates the problem. These sinks have edges that flush seamlessly with the countertop, and it is easy to clean the surrounding areas by driving everything from the countertop into the sink.
How clean is your kitchen sink?
Looks can be deceptive, and your kitchen sink might not be as clean as you think. To understand how much clean your kitchen sink should be, you must first accept the fact that sinks are dirtier than you realize. Do not be surprised to know that there can be 100,000 times more germs in kitchen sinks than in bathrooms or toilets. Since germs and bacteria spread even when cleaning sinks by clinging to the sponges used for cleaning, it is a challenging task to maintain the highest degree of cleanliness for kitchen sinks.
A general guideline about sink cleaning is that the type of cleaning depends on the sink material. With so many different types of sink materials, you must know the appropriate cleaning procedure for each type. Here are some sink cleaning tips that should come in handy.
Scrub the sink regularly
Since a lot of soap and water go down the sink every day, it might give an apparent feeling that sinks clean on their own and remain clean perpetually. However, this is far from the truth. Although soap and water drain away from the sink, food stains, soap deposits, water spots, and rust will build up across the sink at various places unless you scrub it regularly. How often to scrub the sink depends on the extent of use: more is the use more frequent should be the scrubbing. Soak a sponge in a mixture of dishwashing liquid and warm water and scrub gently. For deeper cleaning, use a non-abrasive cleaner or an all-purpose cleaning spray. This method of scrubbing applies to all sink materials.
Sparkling porcelain
People prefer porcelain sinks due to its sparkling and clean looks, and even because a gentle rinse with water helps to keep it shining. The efforts required for keeping porcelain sinks clean are much less than other types of sinks like fireclay, granite, etc. However, porcelain sinks can stain if not cleaned regularly, and to maintain the sparkling looks, you must apply a special cleaning technique. Soak a few paper towels with bleach, place it across the sink and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. After removing the towels, rinse the sink with water. However, this method applies to white porcelain sinks only. For colored porcelain, use baking soda, vinegar, or a mild detergent to prevent the color from fading.
Copper kitchen sinks
Beware of using vinegar when cleaning copper sinks because the acidic nature of vinegar that contains acetic acid will damage the sink surface. Similarly, you must not use lemon or any other acidic chemicals. The safest and most effective cleaning method for copper sinks is to use antibacterial dish soap and wipe it dry with a microfiber rag. Finally, you can use a disinfectant spray to complete the procedure. While cleaning copper sinks, you must not confuse the patina or a protective layer that develops on the copper surface naturally after some time with dirt or stain because it is harmless. Since copper possesses antibacterial properties, it does not require frequent cleaning. Regular washing with warm soapy water is good enough to keep copper sinks clean.
Stone kitchen sinks
The method of cleaning stone sinks is the same as copper sinks, but you must avoid using harsh chemicals because it can penetrate the sink material. Stone is a porous material, and the stone will absorb some portion of the cleaning liquid. If you use any harsh chemicals, it will go inside the stone and damage the sink. Cleaning stone sinks with mild antibacterial dish soap and warm water is the best way to keep the sink clean.
Scratch and stain prevention
Regardless of the material of construction, sinks are prone to scratches and stains in varying degrees, and you should know how to prevent it in the first place instead of trying to remove it, which might not always give the right results. To keep sinks in new conditions by minimizing scratches and stains, install a perforated plastic mat on the bottom of the sink. This will protect not only the sink surface from scratches and marks but will also the utensils and dishes. Never use scouring powders to clean sinks but always use light dish detergent and warm water. Be alert about using anything that has acidic properties because most sink materials are vulnerable to acids that can damage the surface.
Knowing the sensitivity of the sink material to cleaning agents and soaps is essential to prevent any damage during cleaning. As new types of sink materials like acrylic, composite granite, and fireclay are also gaining popularity, it requires a good understanding of the cleaning methods to ensure thorough cleaning without damaging the sink. Following the instructions of manufacturers in the user manual and the warranty information should give proper guidance about the safe methods of cleaning the sink.
