Kitchen Drain Cleaning: How to Clean Kitchen Sink and Drain

August 18, 2022

If you are someone who spends a good amount of time in the kitchen every day, you will know that your kitchen sink requires a deep cleaning at least once a week. We could be held up with our busy schedules and binge-worthy shows that await us by the end of long days, and that could tempt us to keep dishes with leftover food scraps piling up in the sink. Nothing to be guilty of - we're ready to stand in your shoes for a while to help you with kitchen drain cleaning.

We use our kitchen sink daily for cleaning grimy utensils to leftover soil from the freshly-watered houseplants, and the dish disposer might not always smell great due to the build-up of oil and grime. Our kitchen sink deserves extra love weekly, so include it while cleaning into your weekly cleaning routine.

Items You Need for Weekly Sink and Drain Cleaning :

  • Lemon
  • Salt
  • Rubber gloves
  • Dish soap
  • A non-abrasive scrubber
  • White vinegar 
  • Baking soda
  • Hydrogen peroxide 

Now that you know what to gather for the weekly cleaning of your kitchen sink, let us look at how to clean it effectively.

Step 1: Start by Sanitising the Sink

Clear the food items, dish racks and utensils from the sink before you start with sink and drain cleaning. Do a quick pre-rinse to wash away all the food crumbs you see on the basin. Clean your hands and wear rubber gloves before beginning the deep cleaning. An important thing you should understand is that the cleaning procedure varies with the type of material the sink is made of. Hence, you should only clean the sink by following the right method. 

Let us look at how you can clean the most common types of kitchen sinks.

Cleaning a Stainless-Steel Kitchen Sink

Stainless steel is comparatively tougher to clean as it is likely to rust and stain. Keep bleach, abrasive scrubbers, and acidic cleaners away while cleaning the stainless steel kitchen sink as they can harm its finish. For the same reason, you should not keep leftovers of acidic food in the sink for a long time. Ditch the bleach-based cleaning sprays and rely on baking soda to clean stainless steel sinks and drains.

Sprinkle a little amount of baking soda on the wet sink. Add some amount of dish soap and hot water to the cleaning sponge to scrub the sink. Start by scrubbing the sides of the basin and slowly move towards the bottom by pushing the grime towards the drain. You can use more dish soap and water if needed to make the surface of the sink grime-free. Follow by rinsing the sink using clean running water. Since stainless steel shows water spots evidently, make sure to wipe the sink using a dry microfibre cloth.

Cleaning a Porcelain Kitchen Sink

Porcelain kitchen sinks are likely to stain and rust just like white kitchen sinks. You will have to use a different approach to get rid of rust from it to save its finish though you can use the same method as white sinks to clean it. Sprinkle a little amount of salt over a half-sliced lemon and scrub on the rusted area to remove it. Follow by washing the sink with warm, soapy water and drying it with a clean microfibre cloth. 

Cleaning a White Kitchen Sink

White kitchen sinks will brutally expose food splatters and stains. Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are good cleaners to use safely on the white kitchen sink to clear stains and make the sink look like before. Wipe the sink using a wet cloth and sprinkle some baking soda over the surface of the sink to cover it. Follow by adding a few drops of hydrogen peroxide over the baking soda and scrubbing the sink using a soft sponge or brush. You can wash the mixture and let it move down the drain after a thorough cleaning.

Step 2: Wipe Clean the Faucets and Handles 

Use a little amount of soapy water to clean the faucets and their handles near the sink. Wipe them using a soft sponge or brush- remember to use a toothbrush to clean the grooves and other hard-to-reach areas. Do you still see some white spots even after you’re done with the scrubbing? That can be lime buildup from the minerals present in your tap water. You can add a little vinegar to a soapy mixture and scrub the sink by the end of cleaning, to get rid of those stains. 

Step 3: Clear the Drain

A kitchen should always smell good in a way that invites us to cook. Cleaning the drain of your kitchen sink will help you remove the unnecessary odours in the kitchen. 

Here is how you can clean your kitchen drain just by using a few kitchen essentials that you would already have in your kitchen. 

Use White Vinegar and Baking Soda to Clear the Drain 

Clearing the drain is easy to do, and you can do it in just a few minutes. It is also a tried and true method that works well to keep your kitchen drains free from clogs. Pour one part of baking soda into the drain followed by adding two parts of white vinegar, and wait for around fifteen minutes for it to work well on the drain. Use warm water to wash away the drain for all remaining residues to clear. 

Use Lemon, Salt and Ice to Clean the Drain

Get a few lemon wedges, some amount of salt and ice cubes. Keep the cold water running in the sink until all the ice is melted and gone down the drain. Salt will help scrub the blades whereas the ice helps in removing grime. Using coarse salt would be the best choice for cleaning kitchen sinks. Lastly, those lemon wedges will help in deodorizing your drain and kitchen. 

Why is it Crucial to Keep Drain Pipes Clean?

Unclean kitchen sinks and drains are not just a matter of nuisance and foul smell. Clogs and build-up inside the pipes can damage the plumbing. Here are some major problems associated with unclean kitchen drains. 

Health Threats: Blocked kitchen drains can worsen existing problems in a person’s health, especially in people who have asthma. The growth of mould and bacteria in the sink and the exposure to it will irritate the condition. 

Structural Damage: Clogging affects the structural integrity of pipes which will, in turn, lead to wearing down or leaking of pipes. Sometimes, homes are even likely to face flooding that deforms floorboards and wall supports. 

Invites Many Pests: Stagnant water in the sink and the foul smell that forms from stagnation can attract many pests such as mosquitoes and drain flies.

There are enough reasons why kitchen drain cleaning is important.

Tips for Kitchen Drain Cleaning

Here are some tips to help you keep the sink and drains clean after your weekly cleaning. 

Clean the Drains Using a DIY Drain Cleaning Solution 

Using ordinary table salt is effective in cleaning drains, so pour one or two tablespoons of it into the sink followed by half a cup of plain vinegar. Leave it undisturbed for some time and run hot water to get rid of the loosened grime from the drain. You can do this again for the best results. 

Keep the Drain Pipes Clean

After cleaning the drain with the table salt solution, you should maintain the cleanliness to keep another clog away. Put some amount of bleach into the kitchen sink time and again, leave it undisturbed for some time and wash the sink with cold water. 

Run Cold Water into the Drain

Run cold water into the kitchen drain continuously as it will help the oils and grease solidify to make it easier for your disposal to break them up. Using hot water to remove grease will only melt it, thereby encouraging the formation of a coating on the garbage disposal. 

Clogged Drain Repair Service in Singapore

If you are facing issues with a clogged kitchen sink at your home in Singapore, you can always hire Sendhelper for kitchen drain cleaning.

Here are some reasons to hire handyman service from the Sendhelper in Singapore.

You can avail of our plumbing service for just $60 with an extra 10% off on your first booking with us. To read and know more about our services, download the Sendhelper app from Google Play or App Store.
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