How To Easily Clean A Stainless Steel Sink

Clean Stainless Steel Sink

Routine tasks need to be relatively easy if I have to do them “routinely”. That said, I’m not going to degrease the sink with vinegar, halved lemons, hydrogen peroxide, etc. Nor am I going to hand polish it with flour, baking soda, or stainless steel polish. That would take forever and requires too much elbow grease. And why would I spend 10 minutes trying to remove water spots with rubbing alcohol when there’s an easier way.

Bar Keepers Friend

To truly get your stainless steel kitchen sink sparkling and looking like new (ours is 27 years old), just use Bar Keepers Friend(Amazon link; also at big box grocery and hardware stores) I don’t own stock in the company, nor am I being paid to promote their product, but I should. I can’t say enough good things about the product. Don’t take my word on it; read the online reviews and photos users have posted. I even have an entire page dedicated to all the different ways Bar Keepers Friend can be used. That said, if you have a dull, dingy stainless sink, annoying water spots, or even small spots of rust, Bar Keepers Friend really is your best friend.

Once or twice a month (or right before company comes over), I give our sink a quick cleaning with Bar Keepers Friend. I wet down the sink, add some powder to a wet sponge and apply a liberal coat of the thin paste to the sink. I don’t scrub or polish; I just wipe it on. I let it sit for about 5-10 minutes or until I finish whatever else I was doing. ThenI rinse it all off and doa quick wipe down with a soapy sponge to remove any leftover residue. After another rinse with water to remove the dish soap, I completely dry it with a towel to prevent water spots from forming. Best part of it all, no scrubbing needed. It really only takes 5 minutes of effort on my part. 🙂

If your sink is really dirty and/or hasn’t received a thorough cleaning in a long time, you may need to let the powdered paste sit for a longer period of time (say, 20 minutes), apply a thicker coat of the paste,and/or repeat the cleaning. As with everything, always test a small area first. From then on, you only need to do a quick wipe down every two weeks or so to keep it looking like new.

Directions

  1. Wipe down and rinse out stainless steel sink to remove any dirt on the surface.
  2. Evenly apply a thin pastey coat of Bar Keepers Friend using a wet sponge (wear gloves if you have sensitive skin).
  3. Let the paste sit on the sink’s suface for 5-10 minutes then rinse. If your sink is especially dirty, wipe the paste off with a sponge in circular motion (before rinsing) to help remove dirt build-up.
  4. After rinsing, give your sink a quick wipe down with a wet, soapy sponge to remove any missed residue.
  5. Rinse again then wipe the sink dry with a towel. This helps bring out the shine and also prevents water spots from forming.
  6. Repeat every few weeks, or as necessary, to revive shine.
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