Why You Need a Cleanup Sink in Your Kitchen

A cleanup sink is an essential feature in modern kitchens. Unlike a regular kitchen sink — which handles everything from washing dishes to rinsing vegetables — a cleanup sink serves a singular purpose: to clean things up!

As basic as that sounds, a cleanup sink helps physically separate meal preparation from clean-up tasks, like washing your hands or the dishes, creating an efficient, organized, and hygienic kitchen.

What Is a Cleanup Sink?

As the name implies, a cleanup sink is dedicated to doing exactly that: cleaning things up. While it may seem a bit excessive to have a dedicated cleanup sink, it plays a crucial role in creating an efficient and clean kitchen.

Separate sinks significantly enhance workflow, allowing multiple cooks to work comfortably in the same kitchen. It ensures meal prep and cleanup tasks are separated, preventing dirty dishes from getting in the way of cooking and keeping clean dishes a safe distance away from meal prep activities. What’s more, it gives you a dedicated place to wash your hands during and between tasks, ensuring your hands stay clean and your food stays safe.

What to Look for in a Cleanup Sink

Before selecting a cleanup sink, consider how you use your kitchen. Do you clean most of your dishes by hand or throw everything in the dishwasher? How many cooks are in the kitchen at once? How often do your kids like to pitch in and help out?

These answers, and more, will help you determine what kind of cleanup sink will work best for your situation. Here’s what to look for in a cleanup sink.

The Number of Bowls

Like a standard sink, cleanup sinks have one, two, or three basins, so consider how you usually wash your dishes.

Single bowl sinks are ideal if you regularly use and wash large items, want to use minimal counter space to hold dirty dishes, or rely on your dishwasher to do most of the work. Double bowl sinks are often the better option if you frequently clean dishes by hand, giving you one dirty and one clean water basin. You can also find cleanup sinks with unequal bowl sizes if you tend to soak large items in hot, soapy water before washing them and need more space to fully submerge dishes.

Check the Width

While single or double bowl is a major consideration, the width of each basin is also crucial. Single-bowl sinks are often 30 to 36 inches wide, while double-bowl sinks are 33 to 42 inches wide. While both of these widths can accommodate large items, it’s best to confirm that the cleanup sink can comfortably hold large items, like your favorite platter or lasagna pan.

Consider a Portable Sink

For added convenience, consider a portable sink, especially if you need something flexible. Portable sinks are often on wheels, making them simple to move wherever you need. What’s more, you can roll it out of the kitchen when you need the extra space or take it outdoors when you’re barbecuing.

Additional Features to Look For

A cleanup sink needs to be tough but easy to maintain. Look for basin materials like stainless steel, which is durable but simple to clean. Convenience is also important, like having an integrated soap dispenser or easy-to-use faucet handles.

Thankfully, durable can also mean “beautiful.” Many cleanup sinks are housed in sleek and modern cabinets that complement a kitchen’s decor perfectly.

Where to Put a Cleanup Sink

Once you know what kind of cleanup sink works best for your needs, the next step is to find the right spot for it. The idea is to create a cleanup zone that’s convenient but out of the way so the rest of the kitchen can do its thing.

How you use the cleanup sink will determine the best placement for it. If you use the cleanup sink primarily for hand washing, the sink should be close to the food preparation area but far enough away that cross-contamination isn’t an issue. If the cleanup sink is also used for washing dishes, it should be closer to the dishwasher or cupboard with at least three feet of counter space on both sides of the sink.

Other Places for Your Cleanup Sink

While the kitchen is the most common place to install a cleanup sink, other places benefit from a dedicated hand washing or clean up station, like:

• A kid’s playroom
• An adult craft room
• A home workshop
• The garage
• The backyard, especially if there’s an outdoor kitchen

Design Your Ideal Cleanup Zone with Expert Help

A cleanup sink is a valuable addition to any kitchen, enhancing workflow and providing a clear separation of meal prep and cleanup processes.

If you’re considering a portable sink for your cleanup sink, Ozark River Manufacturing has your back. Our portable sink solutions are NSF-certified, have cold and hot water, and come in a variety of cabinet colors that will complement any kitchen design. We’ve got standard-size sinks and child-height sinks, making it easy for your pint-sized chef to help clean up after dinner. 

Every Ozark River Manufacturing portable sink arrives fully assembled and ready to go right out of the box. Simply unpack the unit, plug it in, and voila! You’ve got a cleanup sink — no messy or costly remodeling required.

Contact us today and learn more about our portable sink solutions or browse our full line of products.