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With a name like “stainless steel,” you’d think it would be pretty easy to clean and maintain a stainless steel sink. However, stainless steel sinks have their weaknesses, and if you’re not careful with the surface or don’t rinse the sink as often as you should, your stainless steel sink may stain, pit, rust, or worse.
Fortunately, cleaning and maintaining your stainless steel sink doesn’t require much in the way of supplies, time, or elbow grease.
While cleaning your stainless steel sink makes it look good, there are some health and hygiene reasons to keep your sink in tip-top shape.
Stainless steel doesn’t absorb odors. However, a build-up of food particles, dirt, and other debris on the sink’s surface can create a foul smell. Regularly cleaning your stainless steel sink keeps it smelling fresh and clean, or at least prevents it from smelling bad.
Regular cleanings also help get rid of bacteria and germs that are known to develop in sinks. As an example, a food truck sink likely comes into contact with raw ingredients, which could have bacteria and other germs. While the sink is rinsed after use, a simple rinse may not eliminate germs like a good cleaning can.
Despite the name, stainless steel can stain. Coffee, grape juice, or tomatoes can stain the sink basin if the residue isn’t completely rinsed away. A deep cleaning every few weeks polishes away surface stains and keeps them from becoming worse.
There’s a good chance you have all the ingredients you need to clean a stainless steel sink right now. The basic supplies are:
That’s it!
If you want, you can add distilled white vinegar and lemon to your supplies, but, as you’ll see, those are optional.
Here’s how to clean a stainless steel sink to keep it looking good.
The first thing you need to do is empty the sink. While that means taking any dishes, pots, pans, or other equipment out of the bowl, it also means removing any other debris that may be in the sink. That could include food scraps, loose bits of dirt, hair, or anything else you can easily wipe out of the sink or rinse down the drain.
Don’t spend too much time on this step. You’ll tackle the stuck-on dirt in the next step.
Sprinkle the entire surface of the sink with baking soda. You don’t need to use the entire container, but don’t be shy, either. If you’re worried about overdoing it, start with a small amount and add more as you work. The baking soda acts as a natural but gentle abrasive that removes tough stains from the sink’s surface.
Now, apply the dish soap directly to the baking soda layer. The soap cleans and sanitizes the sink in a way baking soda can’t. If you want, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice to the mix to add a natural citrus scent.
Wet your microfiber cloth or sponge, and gently scrub the sink. Focus on the areas that are stained or have stuck-on dirt. As you scrub, your baking soda-dish soap combo creates a paste that helps polish and clean the sink. If the paste is too pasty, add a little bit of water to thin it, but don’t add too much. You don’t want to wash the paste down the drain!
Scrub in the direction of the stainless steel’s grain so you don’t scratch the finish.
Once you’ve scrubbed the entire sink, rinse with warm water until the paste is gone. You may need to wipe away any residue using your microfiber cloth or sponge. If you notice any stubborn stains, sprinkle a little baking soda on it, scrub, and rinse again.
Rinsing with club soda is an effective way to remove the paste from hard-to-reach areas. Or you can pour some white vinegar on your cloth and wipe away any stubborn paste and mineral deposits. Just make sure you rinse after using the vinegar.
While you could stop at step five and have a beautifully clean stainless steel sink, you can take an extra step and buff or dry the sink. Take a dry paper towel or microfiber cloth and wipe out the last of the water from the bowl. This helps prevent water spots or streaking, which aren’t harmful but don’t look good.
Usually, you’ll only need to clean your stainless steel sink when it’s dirty. In most cases, that’s once every one to two weeks. However, heavy users or those who use the sink for things that stain (like hair dye) may want to consider daily cleaning to keep stains away.
While cleaning a stainless steel sink is relatively simple, avoid these missteps that could harm your sink.
Bleach has a reputation for getting things clean, and with good reason. However, bleach and other harsh chemicals don’t mix with stainless steel. They can damage the stainless steel finish, which could cause pitting and rusting.
It’s tempting to use a stiff cleaning brush like steel wool or wire brushes to scrub dried bits of dirt off the sink surface. However, these are also not meant for stainless steel. They are too harsh and can scratch the stainless steel sink, which can allow rust spots to form.
Along those same lines, metal items can scratch the sink’s finish and allow rust to form. While you can’t avoid washing metal items in your sink, don’t let them sit in the sink, and be careful when washing these items.
Finally, make sure to keep the drain level. An uneven drain may cause standing water in the bottom of the sink basin. Over time, that can create water spots, which could lead to corrosion.
One great way to extend the time between stainless steel sink cleanings is with regular maintenance.
At least once a day, wipe the sink down with some warm water and dish soap. Skip stainless steel cleaner or polish because they won’t clean the sink’s surface. We also recommend:
If you have an Ozark River Manufacturing portable sink, we also recommend cleaning the drain and hot water system with Steramine quaternary sanitizer biweekly. It’s not as harsh as bleach or chlorine and is also non-toxic. You can also use it to sanitize your stainless steel sink after cleaning it.
No matter what kind of business you’re in, Ozark River Manufacturing has a portable sink that suits your needs. We work with:
Contact us today and learn how Ozark River Manufacturing portable sinks are the perfect solution for your business.
Ozark River Manufacturing designs and delivers top-quality, NSF-certified portable sinks. Since 2006, our inventive and bold team has ensured health compliance with quick-connect tanks and instant hot water. With over 55 models, we provide solutions for every need, backed by exceptional customer support and timely delivery. Healthy people matter, and we make a positive impact every day.
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