A Cleaning Editor Spills Her Secret to Never Having a Dirty Kitchen Sink

Published on October 6, 2025

We scrub our dirty dishes after each use, we even sanitize them in the dishwasher—so why wouldn't we treat our kitchen sinks the same way? After all, they are coming into constant contact with dirty dishes and all of the food and bacteria that come with them. Add in moisture and soap scum, and kitchen sinks can get pretty disgusting. As a home and cleaning editor, I can't say that my sink is perfectly clean 24/7, but I can say that I never let it go long without a good scrub. Find out how you can keep your sink as clean as your washed dishes with my best tips.

My Daily Routine

While it may seem tedious, I believe in cleaning your sink at least in some capacity after each use. Whether I rinse it with water to wash down any food debris or take the time to scrub it with soap depends on the time of day and how much time I have. My nonnegotiable, though, is scrubbing down the sink at the end of each day, usually when I'm cleaning up after dinner.

How to Clean the Kitchen Sink

After all of the dishes are washed and placed in a dish drying rack or put in the dishwasher and all of the food debris is sent down the disposal, it's time to clean the sink itself. I use dish soap and a scrubbing brush that has a long handle and coarse bristles. If I have some on hand, or if I feel the sink needs a more thorough scrubbing, I will use a combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dish soap. After applying one of the cleaning solutions all over the basin of my sink, I give it a good scrub with the brush, making sure to remove any dried food or soap scum. I let that sit for a minute or two while I clean the faucets and handles with a multipurpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Rinse the soap or cleaning mixture away and you have a clean kitchen sink that's ready to be used in the morning.

My Weekly Routine

Cleaning the sink basin each day is definitely important, but there are a few other parts of the sink that need to be cleaned weekly or sometimes a few times a week. All of these tasks don't take longer than a few minutes of my time, so adding them to my weekly cleaning routine has been easy and has made a big difference in my sink's cleanliness. Doing these small cleaning tasks more often will make your deep cleaning days much easier, since your sink is likely already clean.

Disinfect Sponges, Brushes, and Their Holders

Since I use a scrubbing brush to clean the sink and a sponge to clean my dishes, they are both exposed to plenty of bacteria throughout the week. To make it simple to integrate into my routine, I've made it a habit to throw all of my kitchen sponges, brushes, and their holders in the dishwasher any time I run a load. Be sure to stick them on the top rack of the dishwasher.

Clean the Garbage Disposal

The garbage disposal takes in all the gross stuff we send down it, so it can start to smell if left uncleaned for a while. Any time I cut up lemons for a drink or meal, I cut one into wedges and send them down the garbage disposal with some ice cubes, and sometimes a bit of coarse salt as well. This helps loosen up anything smelly that might be stuck to the blades. Be sure to keep the water running until all of the lemons and ice are through the disposal.

Deep Clean the Drain

To prevent clogging or odors, I also give the drains a deep clean each week. I pour a cup of baking soda followed by two cups of white vinegar down each drain. Let this mixture sit for a while before rinsing it with hot water. Don't forget to throw any drain plugs or covers in the dishwasher or scrub them by hand.