How to clean your sink naturally
Your sink is one of the most used areas of your kitchen so it’s no surprise that it gets a little grimy from time to time. Some of the chemical cleaners now available from the supermarket are very good, but they can be quite vicious – potentially hazardous to your skin and bad for the environment too. Natural cleaners are both cheaper and less toxic, and in our experience, just as effective for both stainless steel and ceramic sinks.
Here are a couple of natural cleaning methods for you to try.
Method 1:
Simply fill your sink with hot water and add a cup of neat vinegar. Leave the sink for at least half an hour before allowing the water to drain. Rinse the sink with clean water and a damp cloth. (If you have a ceramic sink, don’t leave it in contact with neat vinegar).
This should be enough to clean off every day dirt but if there is still some residue you could also mix baking soda with a little water to make a paste with which to scrub the sink. You can use a gentle scrub pad or a toothbrush to remove limescale and other debris – this should do the trick nicely.
Method 2:
Mix some lemon juice or vinegar with some water and dispense into an empty spray container (such as an old window cleaner or anti-bacterial sprayer). You can then spray onto the surface of your sink and wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Of course, it’s best if you keep your sink clean on a day-to-day basis rather than let the dirt build up. Get into the habit of wiping it clean after use and, ideally, drying it with a tea towel. If it’s not possible to dry it, try to allow the air to dry it naturally. If you use a washing up bowl it’s a good idea to sit the washing up bowl on its side or lift it out of the sink completely to let the air circulate.
Some people find that rubbing the peel of an orange or lemon around the sink is a good way to keep it smelling clean and fresh and you can get a good shine afterwards if you wipe it clean with a piece of kitchen paper or tea towel.
Cleaning your drain
If your drain seems blocked or is emitting an unpleasant smell, try this natural cleaning suggestion from crunchybetty.com
- Pour a pot of boiling hot water down your drain.
- Dump in about 1/2 c. baking soda. Let that sit for a few minutes.
- Then, pour a mixture of 1 c. vinegar and 1. c very hot water down on top of the baking soda.
- Cover with a drain plug (to keep the reaction down below the drain surface) if you have one and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Flush one more time with a pot of boiling water.
For easy ideas on how to unclog and clean a drain, including a recipe for a homemade drain cleaner check out these useful cleaning tips from Tipsbulletin.
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