Regular sink and drain maintenance matters. Maintain it by pouring in a half-cup of baking soda, followed by a half-cup of white vinegar; then cover the drain with a wet rag. After five minutes have passed, pour boiling water down to unclog buildup and rid the piping of any odors.
Just like bathtubs and showers get residue buildup from washing our bodies, your kitchen sink gets dirty from washing dishes, pots, and pans. Grease, food particles, and other stuff that comes off your plates and utensils create a dirty film on your sink—and a germ-infested breeding ground for bacteria and mold.
Porcelain, ceramic and fireclay kitchen sinks have extremely low water absorption characteristics (making them easy to keep clean on a regular basis).
With time, baking soda and vinegar may work as a natural drain cleaner on weaker drain clogs, and the benefits of regular drain cleaning can help keep your drains free of clogs. But for tough drain clogs that need to be dissolved right away, you may want to use a stronger drain cleaner, like Liquid-Plumr.
Vinegar and baking soda are a versatile, efficient cleaning team for several spaces around the house, and kitchen and bathroom sinks are no exception. If you don't have lemon, follow your baking soda application with an undiluted vinegar spray to get rid of hard water marks and other difficult stains.
Once a week at least.
Tetro says your bathroom is the ultimate bacteria host; E. coli can be found within six feet of the toilet and in the sink. To keep it at bay, disinfect the toilet and sink at least once weekly, and the bathtub every two weeks — more if you shower often.
To keep microorganisms from populating your sink, you should wash and disinfect the sides and bottom at least one a week, says Lisa Yakas, microbiologist and Senior Certification Project Manager of Food Equipment at NSF International.
White vinegar can kill bacteria without presenting the same risks as chemical cleaners. To clean your sink with vinegar, mix up a solution of equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Because of vinegar's versatility as a cleanser, it's a good idea to always have a spray bottle of it handy.
Wring out your sponge completely after each use and wash off any loose food or debris. Store it in a dry location. Letting your sponge lay wet on a countertop takes longer for it to dry and allows bacteria to grow. Also, avoid leaving any damp sponges in an enclosed area such as a bucket or under the sink.
House-cleaning experts advise that you to sanitize dish sponges every few days in a variety of ways, from soaking it in a bleach solution to zapping it in the microwave or running it through the dishwasher.
To give a white sink a deep clean, it's best to remove limescale with a vinegar- or lemon-based cleaner at regular intervals. Both standard cleaning products work very well indeed and break down naturally. You should ensure that your cleaning product isn't too aggressive and is compatible with food.
Scratched stainless steel can cause food and chemicals to get stuck on the sink's surface, leading to corrosion and rust. It might be tempting to add a rubber mat to the bottom of the sink to prevent scratches, but food and chemicals can get trapped under the mat, too.
Using either disinfecting wipes or a combination of disinfecting spray and a rag, paper towels, or a sponge (that you reserve just for this task), wipe down all of the external surfaces of the toilet, paying special attention to any areas you touch regularly such as the seat and the flushing handle.
Daily: Flush your toilet every day (even if it's not in use) to discourage the growth of bacteria. Weekly: Deep-clean your toilet once a week or biweekly—this includes the toilet bowl, exterior and toilet seat. Yearly: Clean your toilet tank twice a year.
But as a rule of thumb, you should mop your floors at least once a week—especially in areas that are more likely to get stains from drips and spills, like the kitchen and bathroom. “Of course, you need to vacuum or sweep the floor before mopping,” explains Leiva.
Make sure to use a 1:1 solution of distilled white vinegar and water. Spray it onto the sink, leave for a minute or two, then wipe and rinse. The solution shouldn't be left on the sink for longer because it can damage the stainless steel in the long term.
Boil two cups of water. Pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain. Pour the remaining boiled water down the drain. Wait 10 minutes while the baking soda and the hot water work together to unclog the gunk blocking up the drain.
Vinegar. Vinegar is both safe and beneficial to pour down your drain. It acts as a natural cleaning solution and can remove blockages and harmful bacteria that cause foul odors.
Pouring boiling water is quite risky as it might lead to a steam burn or scalding. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of material you are pouring in into. If you have a porcelain sink, it is likely to crack due to the heat. All in all, pouring boiling water down your drain will only cause issues down the road.
The mixture quickly foams up with carbon dioxide gas. If enough vinegar is used, all of the baking soda can be made to react and disappear into the vinegar solution. The reaction is: Sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid reacts to carbon dioxide, water and sodium acetate.
Although mixing vinegar and baking soda is not considered dangerous, you should still avoid mixing these in a container. Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic.