We may earn revenue from the mathematical product usable on this Thomas Nelson Page and take part in affiliate curriculum . Learn More ›

In This Article

allow in it : You endow a great deal of sentence and energy in   keep your stainless steel convenience fingerprint - complimentary , burnished , and clean , but your stainless steel sump — obscured by a pile of dish — often gets overlook . Well , not anymore . Say goodbye to puzzle - on food , streaks , and stains ! Using just a few products pull up from your pantry , you could polish your sink with minimal effort and even less expense . Just surveil these five tension - free steps and , before you know it , your humble cesspool will outshine your stylish appliance .

Tools & Materials

Bobvila.com may earn a charge from purchases made through these links .

Step 1: Rinse the sink with faucet water.

rinse off the sink basin to remove any intellectual nourishment particles . Be sure to wet the faucet and the surrounding countertop too . If stubborn , stuck - on intellectual nourishment persists , eject a little dish soap on it and wash with hot water .

Step 2: Coat the sink with baking soda.

Next , cake the cesspit with asprinkling of baking sal soda . This powdery means is gentle enough that it wo n’t scratch up the finish while still tough enough to take on light hard water deposit and grease . Moreover , it removes odors without result behind the toxic chemical residue that some commercial-grade cleaners might .   For better ascendance and a more even distribution when spreading the baking soda , consider teem it first into an empty ( and cleaned out ) Parmesan cheese dispenser , and then thinly shaking the pulverization onto all sides of the sink .

Step 3: Scrub in the direction of the stainless steel grain.

utilise a soft to medium nylon scrub brush to chafe the baking soda water in the focal point of the metal “ grain . ” ( Never do the job with brand wool , steel brushes , or other highly abrasive scouring domiciliation — these may do further scratches or bequeath behind alloy particles prostrate to corrode . )   A toothbrush influence well for close spaces and tricky turn around the fixture , countertop , and drain . As you rub in the baking soda , the tiny hairline scratches on your sink will become less detectable .

Step 4: Spray on undiluted vinegar.

After scrubbing , but before rinsing , spray undiluted vinegar over the stay baking tonic residue . As the two substances issue forth into inter-group communication , they will jump to fizz . Think of this as an extra scrubbing activity . The   acidulousness ofvinegareffectively dethaw the atomic number 20 sediment that do water spots , plus it ’s an every bit effective natural antimicrobic . expect several minutes for the chemic response to fizzle out , then rinse thoroughly . Immediately dry the sink to avoid water supply spots .

Step 5 (optional): Rub in a paste of vinegar and cream of tartar.

If obstinate stains still endure , immix one loving cup of distilled white acetum with ¼ loving cup of emollient of tartar . ( The acidulous properties of the latter , as well as its mildly abrasive grain , make pick of tartar an essential fixings in manyhomemade grease removers . ) Apply a dollop of the vinegar - tartar spread directly to the grease . Then , fray it in gently with a cloth , and allow the paste to sit on the stain for five minutes . Use this mixture as a secondary measure only if necessary ; the acetum alone should be stiff enough to clean most spots . Once the discolouration are go , rinse off the sphere with affectionate water and wipe the sink dry .

Step 6: Buff the sink with olive oil.

Last but not least , the finishing touch : Once your sink is uninfected and dry , it ’s sentence to add an surplus refulgency . Apply a few drop ofolive oilto a lint - free cloth to buff the cesspool and fixture until they sparkle .

Bonus Method for Cleaning Stainless Steel Sinks

No acetum ? No trouble ! you’re able to achieve the same goal — a effervescent - unobjectionable stainless steel swallow hole — using a lemon . see the video to see how this alternate method sour .

This Is the class for a Kitchen Renovation

Whether you ’re selling or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . Learn why we count this refurbishment the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .

Woman uses olive oil to polish a stainless steel sink.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Materials needed to clean a stainless steel sink, including spray bottle, dish soap, olive oil, and more.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Woman wearing yellow rubber gloves rinses a stainless steel sink with the sink faucet.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Woman wearing rubber gloves sprinkles baking soda from a box on a stainless steel sink.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Woman wearing rubber gloves uses a scrub brush to scrub baking soda in a stainless sink.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Woman sprays vinegar into a stainless steel sink that has been scrubbed with baking soda.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Woman rubs a cleaning paste into a stainless steel sink with a blue cloth.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Woman rubs olive oil into a stainless steel sink with a cloth.

Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Article image

Article image