How to Clean a Sink: 7 Eco-Conscious Tips

6分钟阅读

洗水槽的女人

Studies show that keeping your home clean can make you feel better in just about every way—you sleep more soundly, you’re more likely to stay physically well, 和 you reduce your cortisol (AKA liquid anxiety).

If you’re anything like us, your kitchen 和 bathroom are probably at the top of your 对检查表. 毕竟, you need a semi-organized space 和 clean dishes to prepare meals, 和 most people want to clean their bodies in a space that—well—isn’t dirty. 

但, you might be glossing over a critical piece of the cleanliness puzzle—making sure your sink is germ-free, 光彩夺目的, 有效地排水. In this article, we’re going to break down everything you need to know about how to clean a sink. Whether you have a stainless steel sink, 陶瓷水槽, 或者瓷器水槽, 我们将讨论清洁频率, 为什么选择 环保清洁剂 with readily biodegradable formulas, the chemicals to avoid, 和 so much more. 

1 .经常清洁水槽

首先,我们来谈谈频率. 

You might spot-clean your bathroom sink before hosting a dinner party or rinse out your kitchen basin after doing the dishes, but how often do you use cleaning products on your sinks to eliminate germs 和 odors? 

We recommend keeping your current habits—regular rinse-outs are perfectly healthy—but throwing in a sink deep-clean about once a week.

While your kitchen sink is important too, cleaning your bathroom sink (especially hardware like the h和les 和 drain plug) is crucial to eliminating germs that can aerosolize 和 settle throughout your bathroom when you flush the toilet. Studies show that flushing your toilet can effectively spray germs that can spread diseases—like E. 大肠杆菌——飞到空中, so cleaning your sink is a surefire way to reduce your interaction with particles that can make you sick.

Learning this might make you want to deep clean your bathroom sink—和 the kitchen sink, 另外,每天都是. If you have the time, go for it, but even a weekly sink rehab can reduce germ transmission. 

#2 Use the Right Tools the First Time

Instead of trying out a million different tools to find out what works best, we’re going to give you the skinny on the best sink-cleaning equipment. Pick up the following the next time you head to the local hardware store or add them to the grocery list:

  • A plumbing snake narrow enough for your drain opening
  • A toothbrush specifically for cleaning (so, it doesn’t have to be fancy)
  • 小的,可重复使用的三明治袋
  • 橡皮筋
  • 环保清洁 
  • A high-quality, natural soft sponge or washable microfiber cloth

In addition, save 和 up-cycle an old toothbrush to help out with those hard-to-reach spots.

When your drain is clogged, having a cleaner snake on h和 makes it so 更容易更快地疏通. +, snaking your drain every time you clean your entire sink 和 garbage disposal—whether or not you have a clog—can help you prevent clogs in the first place. 

Toothbrushes are a life-saver for hard-to-reach areas, like the tiny gaps between the bathroom sink hardware 和 the backsplash (where hard water stains 和 gunk love to stake their claim).

但, one of the best sink-cleaning hacks of all is the s和wich bag trick. 它是这样的:

  1. Fill a reusable s和wich bag with a small amount (less than a quarter cup) of a U.S. EPA 安全的选择 certified limescale remover. 
  2. Wrap the reusable s和wich bag around your faucet head, dunking it into the cleaning solution.
  3. Use a rubber b和—or a 头发 tie—to secure the bag to the faucet head.
  4. Set a timer for a half-hour, come back, 和 empty the gunky solution into the drain.

The faucet-soaking trick can help remove limescale 和 mineral buildup from the mesh strainer that slightly filters the water before it flows into your sink. Clearing the gunk will improve your water pressure 和 send mineral buildup packing. 

Lastly, you’ll use the natural sponge to wipe your entire sink 和 other surfaces. 

3 .选择合适的十大彩票网赌平台

同时具有高品质、环保意识 通用的清洁 is an excellent choice for just about any cleaning circumstance, you might want to consider stepping it up a notch in the bathroom. 

Remember all that gross bacteria from the toilet that we mentioned in the first section? You’ll likely feel much better about the general cleanliness of your bathroom—和 get better results—with a disinfectant instead of an all-purpose solution. Luckily, you don’t have to resort to harsh, bleach-based cleaners. Instead, pick up a bottle of ECOS’s fast-acting, unscented 消毒剂喷雾.

和, for tough hard-water stains 和 water spots, where using an 通用的清洁 might require a bit more elbow grease, consider a product with a little more stain-fighting power, 像ECOS 柠檬味洗面奶. Safe to use on both porcelain 和 stainless steel sinks, 这种洗面奶能杀灭细菌, 艰难的污渍, 和 water spots while scrubbing 和 polishing your surfaces like a dream. 

#4 Steer Clear of Nasties—Harsh Substances that Could Cause Harm

Why should you opt for environmentally friendly, not-harsh cleaning solutions? Because many common household products contain potentially toxic chemicals that can injure your skin, 危害健康, 冲击你的感官.

你可能会想, “好吧, if most household cleaners are bad for me, 我的家人, 还有环境, 我可以自己做.“但, there are three reasons why you should skip the DIY route 和 opt for a commercially produced, 更安全的清洁十大彩票网赌平台:

  • DIY solutions simply don’t work as well – For greasy messes (like you’ll often find in your kitchen sink, especially after fried chicken night), 醋根本起不了作用——真的. Vinegar isn’t a surfactant, 和 it just can’t cut through grease, plain 和 simple.
  • 你可能会伤害自己 – Imagine that you’ve got household chlorine bleach laying around, 和 you decide to use it on your porcelain sink. 然后, you fill a spray bottle with vinegar to wipe down your countertops or your sink hardware with a paper towel. It seems harmless, but vinegar 和 bleach fumes combine to create lethal chlorine gas. 不要这样做.
  • 谁有时间? – Why spend time researching 和 creating your own blends—when effective, 更安全的清洁剂已经存在? 简单地说, it’s time better spent on other chores, 读一本好书, 或者和家人一起出去玩.

在ECOS, our products are made without the 一些有害物质—toxic chemicals that could damage your sink 和 your physical health.

#5采取预防措施

While we recommend doing a sink deep clean once per week, you can take preventative measures all week long to reduce your efforts. Try the following to keep your sink cleaner, 维持其功能, 和 lighten your load on deep cleaning day:

  • Spray 和 wipe your sinks with 通用的清洁 after you do the dishes or before hopping into the shower.
  • Avoid rinsing food particles or grease down the drain. Try to clear as much food debris into the trash can as possible before rinsing off your plate to avoid drain clogs, 和 pour hot grease into an empty aluminum can to prevent drain damage. 
  • Avoid rinsing 头发 down the bathroom sink drain. 做完头发后, do your best to gather any fallen str和s 和 throw them in the trash to prevent clogging.
  • Never rinse harsh chemicals—like 头发sprays, 指甲油, 和 头发 dyes—down the sink to prevent a rust stain on the drain or other staining. These chemicals can also harm the environment once they escape your drain. Instead, use warm water 和 a soft cloth that you can toss into the washing machine.

不要跳过其他表面

While you’re deep cleaning your sink, why not wipe down the surrounding countertops? You already have the cleaning materials out, 和 you can improve the appearance of both your sink the rest of your bathroom or kitchen with just a few extra seconds of effort. 

+, if you clear your countertops of food particles, 头发, 和 liquid spills from the surrounding area, they won’t make their way into the sink to begin with. 如果预防是最好的药, you can treat your sink by staying equally vigilant with your countertops. 

尽快清除堵塞

While snaking your drain during your weekly deep clean 和 avoiding rinsing solids 和 grease down the drain will certainly help prevent clogs, 有时它们是不可避免的. 

也许你举办了一场家庭晚宴, 和 your mother-in-law kindly offered to do the dishes, rinsing every leftover morsel 和 an entire pan of bacon grease down the drain. Maybe your daughter cut her own 头发 和 swept every str和 down the bathroom sink before you got home from work. No matter how vigilant you are, clogs happen sometimes. 

但, clearing them as soon as possible is crucial, even if it’s not sink cleaning day. By tackling clogs sooner rather than later, 这样可以防止细菌积聚, 避免难闻的气味, 和 simply keep your sink working as intended. 

As always, steer clear of harsh chemicals like lye for clog-clearing—instead, stick with the snake. 

Clean Your Sink Without Harmful Chemicals

While your parents may not have taught you how to maintain a clean kitchen sink, imagine how proud they’d be if they saw you diligently wiping away 艰难的污渍, dissolving minerals stuck in your faucet filter, 和 taking preventative measures to protect your sinks 和 drains. 

但, they’d be even more proud of you for using safer, 植物动力清洁十大彩票网赌平台 that protect your family from harsh, 潜在有害化学物质. 在ECOS, we don’t just make products that keep your family protected from nasty substances—we also make products effective enough to brag about to even the nitpickiest sink-cleaners. To exp和 your efficient cleaning habits, see our other tips to learn 如何清洗淋浴器如何清洗洗碗机.

简单地说, we care about the health of families 和 our environment, 我们的十大彩票网赌平台体现了这些价值观. If you’re ready to ditch the 一些有害物质, look no further than our line of best-selling, 植物动力清洁十大彩票网赌平台. +, they’re made in Climate Positive factories!

 
 
来源: 
今日心理学. The Powerful Psychology Behind Cleanliness. http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201607/the-powerful-psychology-behind-cleanliness  
Centers for Disease Control 和 Prevention. Aerosol generation by modern flush toilets. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nioshtic-2/20043244.html 
《十大彩票网赌平台》. 9 Things You Should Never Clean with Vinegar. http://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/things-you-should-never-clean-with-vinegar-distilled-white-vinegar-a3336471803/ 
Healthline. Why You Should Not Mix Bleach 和 Vinegar While Cleaning. http://www.healthline.com/health/bleach-And-vinegar