Tips for cleaning your sink with baking soda

Follow these easy steps to get a sparkling clean sink with an item you may already have in the house—baking soda.
The only good thing about dirty dishes is they cover up a dirty sink. If your sink is showing rust, stains and wear of years of daily use, a quick swish of soap and water may not be enough to make it shine again. Fortunately, the solution to your dirty sink is probably in your kitchen cabinet: baking soda!

Of course, there are chemicals you can use to clean a sink. But if you have pets or children, you don’t want to introduce toxic chemicals into your home. Baking soda is inexpensive, non-toxic and remarkably effective in polishing many surfaces.

Baking soda is a mildly abrasive cleaner that can be used safely on most sinks, including stainless steel, fibreglass and enamel. Plus, when you wash the baking soda off, it can also help deodorize and even unclog the drain! So grab that box and go for it!

1. Wash out your sink to make sure it is free from debris and food particles.
2. Start with a slightly wet sink, but avoid a lot of water as it will dissolve your baking soda before it gets a chance to work.
3. Liberally sprinkle baking soda onto the damp surface of the sink, where it should form into a paste with small clumps.
4. Get mad at your sink. No really, get mad at it! Grab your (non-abrasive!) sponge or cloth and scrub that baking soda into your sink, with vigor.
5. Rinse your sink with clean water.

If the caulking around your sink is looking grey or dingy, you can use the baking soda mixture to clean this as well. Just grab a toothbrush, apply the paste and brush away. You should be left with a clean sink that you could (but probably shouldn’t) eat out of.

Tough stains? After using the baking soda rinse, you can use other items you find around the house to remove stains and disinfect your sink:

• To remove stains: Slice a lemon in half. Take each half and rub it into the stains in your sink, making sure to spread around the juice and pulp. Let the juice dry on the surface for about 30 minutes. Then rinse your sink out. Toss the lemon rinds down the garbage disposal for a nice scent.

• To disinfect: Soak paper towels in vinegar and place them on the surface of your sink for 20 minutes. Remove the paper towels and rinse the sink. This will act as a disinfectant, keeping your sink free from germs.

If you have a sink that can't be conquered by baking soda and elbow grease alone, it may be best to consult a plumber or cleaning professional in your neighbourhood.