How to Properly Clean Your Kitchen Sink and Disposal

Contrary to what most people believe, the kitchen sink doesn’t get cleaned “naturally” every time you turn on the faucet. Letting the water run just won’t cut it; you need to sanitize it, too, with the garbage disposal requiring more in-depth cleaning.

In this post, your kitchen cleaning and remodeling experts at Handyman Connection of Lincoln discuss how to properly clean your kitchen sink and garbage disposal.

The Kitchen Sink Routine

The best way to sanitize your kitchen sink is by doing a daily cleaning routine. For the sink’s surface, you can simply wipe it clean with a soft rag and mild soap. For ceramic sinks, we recommend using an all-purpose glass cleaner.

For the drain, you’ll want to sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the surface. Work it into a paste and rinse it thoroughly, letting the the mixture go deep into the drain. Next, line the sink with paper towels soaked in vinegar. Let the vinegar sit for around 20 minutes, remove the towels, and rinse the sink with warm soapy water. The mixture will seep into the drain and mix with the paste to remove the debris and food gunk trapped in the drain.

Cleaning the Garbage Disposal

Cleaning your garbage disposal requires a similar strategy. You’ll want to sprinkle half a cup of baking soda down the disposal itself, and then add a cup of white vinegar. You’ll hear it  fizz and make a weird noise as it goes down, but this is fine. Let it work for a few minutes. While this is happening, boil a kettle of hot water.

Once the fizzing stops, pour the boiling water down the disposal. Next, you’ll want to fill the drain with two cups of ice. Pour a cup of salt (or rock salt) over the ice cubes, and then run cold water on them as you turn on the disposal. The mixture of ice and salt will loosen grime and debris in its grinding elements.

To finish it off, simply squeeze some lemon water down the drain and leave the water on while the garbage disposal is running. The citrus will clean and deodorize the drain, and get rid of all the foul odors that may stick around even after all the cleaning.

Handyman Connection of Lincoln is ready to help homeowners like you with kitchen cleaning and remodeling. Call us at (402) 205-2575 or fill out our online form for more information on our services.