How to clean the kitchen sink (thoroughly)

A small guide on how to clean the kitchen sink taking into account the materials with which it is made: methods, products, and recommendations for all types.

Easy to explain generically how to clean the kitchen sink, thoroughly and without damaging it, but the answer must vary according to the material in which it was made because otherwise, it is all useless.

After explaining what not to keep under the sink, now we take care of its cleaning between steel, dekton, ceramic, and other popular types in order to find the most effective products and methods. Small recommendations before starting, regardless of the material:

• always and only choose products that are declared suitable for use in the kitchen, not all are suitable;
• to reach corners and parts of the sink that are not very comfortable (the tap, for example, or the drain), keep toothbrushes of medium hardness in the kitchen, to be used exclusively for this purpose
• do not mix bleach and liquid detergents because when combined they can produce toxic toxins, which you would breathe

Stainless steel

Stainless steel for the kitchen is absolutely and still today the most chosen material: not only is it present in professional kitchens but increasingly also in amateur ones. The reason? It is a material that does not absorb, is easy to degrease, is easy to sanitize, and easy to manage. The only “flaw”: if mistreated it is indelibly scratched, and sometimes a rough sponge is enough. This is why it is recommended to always use only the spongy part of the sponge, or the abrasive rubber. Both specific products and simple dish soap are good for washing and, when you are done, you can rinse with water and dry with microfibre.

Halos and highly polished surfaces

Microfiber or absorbent paper prevents the formation of halos during drying; a trick to always make the steel shine in the kitchen is to put a drop of olive oil on a pan and pass the sink with that.

Dekton

Dekton is a wonderful material, often present in modern kitchens and with which a single piece is built between the worktop and sink. It is a “synthetic stone” of composite material made up of several types of material: over 20 natural minerals including glass, ceramic materials, and quartz. Aesthetically very beautiful, without joints, elegant, with many possibilities of dye, heat resistant, and theoretically stain resistant.

I specified “theoretically” because it is the material that I chose for my kitchen, a pretty light gray, and I found all the beautiful things I wrote except precisely its anti-stain ability: what I have absorbs everything, a pot or a cup resting for a few minutes is enough to leave a mark that is difficult to remove.

Ceramic

A ceramic sink must be of high quality, otherwise, it gets scratched: it would be both an aesthetic and a hygienic problem since germs and bacteria would lurk in the scars. Many suggest washing the ceramic in the kitchen with a degreasing and whitening mixture obtained with sodium percarbonate, a little hot water, and a drop of dish soap: you get an elastic cream to be gently scrubbed with a non-abrasive sponge. This solution is also excellent for degreasing baking trays, just leave it on for at least 10 minutes before rubbing.

Marble

Maintaining marble is quite simple because hot water and a little dish soap or Marseille soap are enough in the kitchen. The only precaution is to use a microfiber or wool cloth to dry, and finally, pass a suede cloth to polish and finish.

Corian

Corian is a registered trademark product made up of both natural materials of various types (such as desktop, but softer) and a percentage of acrylic resin. This is also presented as a non-porous and scratch-resistant material, for easy maintenance: hot water, microfiber or rubber cloth, and dish soap.

Copper

Stay away from any abrasive product if you have a copper sink (or pots): no cleaning rubbers, no sponges, and no products with citric acid or other acids. A Microfibre cloth with a little water and a little dish detergent (without vinegar or lemon) will suffice.

If there is verdigris

In the presence of verdigris or the greenish spots that are often noticed on old or badly maintained copper, the opposite rule applies. A light abrasion on-site with vinegar and salt is suitable… but be careful because it takes a moment to go too deep and create the perfect conditions for the verdigris to return within a few days!