Stainless steel may be a very resistant material, but its cleanliness and shine require appropriate maintenance. The ideal way to keep your stainless steel sink always new? Natural and non-aggressive products, which have the merit of being economical and respecting the environment. Above all, never use an unnatural stripper or metallic or abrasive sponge.
1 – bicarbonate of soda
This product can do everything in a kitchen. Always have a box of baking soda in a closet, preferably not added with other products. A baking soda is sufficient.
To clean your sink, just mix a little baking soda with water to form a paste. With a sponge or microfiber, apply this paste to the sink in circular motions, rubbing gently. Then pass your sponge in hot water and rinse generously. Finally, dry with a soft cloth; it shines !
2 – Lemon
We always have a lemon in our fridge. To clean your stainless steel sink, the juice of a lemon will do wonders. With a sponge soaked in lemon juice, scrub the sink vigorously. No stain will resist! If you come across a really stubborn stain, you still have a secret weapon… Apply half a lemon directly to the stain and enjoy your victory! Finally, rinse the sink and dry it with a dry cloth. Voila, your kitchen smells good.
To get rid of all stains more easily, you can combine your lemon juice with a little olive oil. And if you have white streaks of salt, the stubborn kind, you’ll get rid of them with lemon combined with super fine steel wool.
3 – Household alcohol
A little household alcohol on a soft cloth and you will clean your sink without much effort. This product is able to clean, disinfect and shine the surface with great efficiency. No stain of tartar resists it. If you mix a few drops of alcohol with water, you won’t have to rinse at the end, and its characteristic smell (which not everyone likes) will be less strong.
4 – Baking powder
Between two cakes, you can use your baking powder to give your stainless steel sink a facelift. Nothing could be simpler: pour the yeast over the sink, sprinkling the dirtiest areas in particular. Leave on for two or three minutes, then rub with a damp sponge. Rinse. Admire: it shines!
5 – The white of Meudon (or white of Spain)
This is a proven grandmother’s product. For frequent maintenance, sprinkle Blanc de Meudon directly on the surface of the sink and rub with a damp sponge. But if your sink is really dirty, make a paste in a bowl with a little white Meudon and water. Spread this paste on the surface of the sink, leave to act a little, then rub delicately with circular movements, with a microfiber or a cloth. Rinse and dry.
6 – The clay stone
Clay stone is stainless steel’s best friend. She protects it and makes it shine. To clean your sink, use the sponge provided with the clay stone. After application, simply rinse well with lukewarm water and wipe with a clean, dry cloth. That’s all.
7 – The potato
No need for additional product if you have potatoes in reserve! Cut a nice potato in half. All you have to do is rub each potato half (raw of course) directly on the surface of your sink. Leave on for a quarter of an hour before rinsing thoroughly with warm water. Finally, a blow of clean microfiber to dry. Watch out for your eyes, your sink shines brightly!
8 – Black soap
Hyper degreasing, black soap is your ally to clean and shine stainless steel. A dab of black soap on a sponge, and let’s go! By rubbing your sink with black soap, you will see the most stubborn grease stains disappear. Finally, rinse thoroughly with water. The black soap can be advantageously replaced by a Marseille soap. In your sink, mix a few shavings of Marseille soap in hot water. With a sponge, clean your sink with this soapy mixture. You will appreciate its efficiency!
9 – White vinegar
Another multi-use product that is better to always have on hand! For a stainless steel sink, white vinegar is used diluted. Do you want to avoid limescale marks? Vinegar water is perfect for daily cleaning. If your sink needs a big cleaning, make a mixture of water and white vinegar (50-50), to which you will add a tablespoon of olive oil (preferably, but another oil will be fine too). Take a sponge to scrub the sink with this mixture. Leave to act a little before drying with a cloth. No need to rinse.
10 – Beeswax
A stainless steel sink is easily scratched if you do not protect it. Beeswax is a protective product that you can apply in a thin layer to your sink, with an ultra soft cloth or chamois leather. This simple trick will prevent scratches from forming.
Bonus: restore your sink to its youthful glow!
After cleaning your sink, you still find it a bit dull…? Here’s how to make it shine for sure.
- Nylon tights. An old pantyhose with holes will do just fine. Use it to scrub and shine your sink. The result will surprise you!
- Newspaper. Wait a bit before throwing away your newspaper; it can still be used to polish your sink! Crumple a page into a ball and scrub your sink with it. A little culture is always good (note that it does not work with glossy magazines).
- A little olive oil. Put a few drops on a cloth and work the oil into the stainless steel surface, pressing well. Finish by drying with a soft, clean cloth.
- Of flour. But yes, a little flour and it shines! Place the flour in your sink and gently apply it with a paper towel, using circular movements. At the end, remove the used flour with an absorbent paper (especially not with water!). Instead of flour, you can use talc, which is also very effective.
My sink has scratches! How to get rid of it?
As a super bonus: three tips for reducing superficial scratches!
- Glass wool. With a little elbow grease, fine glass wool will effectively remove scratches from your sink. Gently rub the stainless steel surface with circular movements.
- Toothpaste. Apply a cloth soaked in toothpaste (any toothpaste) to the scratches, rubbing gently.
- Cigarette ash. In case you are a smoker (but you are encouraged to quit), use cigarette ash as follows. Roll up a damp cloth and sprinkle some ash on it. Pass the cloth over the scratches to make them disappear.