To keep microorganisms from populating your sink, you should wash and disinfect the sides and bottom at least one a week, says Lisa Yakas, microbiologist and Senior Certification Project Manager of Food Equipment at NSF International.
Hygiene expert, Lisa Yakas, has revealed to Bon Appétit that we should be disinfecting our kitchen sink at least once a week. If you have been handling raw meat or scrubbing dirty potatoes in the sink, however, you'll need to up your cleaning game and get scrubbing immediately.
Start by coating the wet sink in baking soda and adding a little dish soap and hot water to your sponge. Whenever you scrub a sink, start with the sides of the basin and work your way down, pushing any grime directly into the drain. Keep adding soap and water as needed or until the surface is scum-free.
Regular drain cleaning is essential for maintaining the health of your drains and preventing major clogs from occurring, so make sure to get it done at least once every year or whenever you start noticing any of the warning signs mentioned above.
Cleaning gets rid of grease, food particles and dirt, and it can lift a lot of bacteria buildup. But it isn't enough to kill off all stubborn germs, and it might spread them around further. Properly disinfecting your sink is the only way to guarantee you vanquish all viruses and bad bacteria.
Even if they look clean, sinks can get really gross — Tetro says the bathroom sink accumulates fecal matter (from washing your hands after you use the bathroom). Also, bacteria from food, like E. Coli and Salmonella, can contaminate the kitchen sink, especially if you've been handling raw meat.
If you're looking to disinfect your kitchen sink, vinegar is also your answer. White vinegar can kill bacteria without presenting the same risks as chemical cleaners. To clean your sink with vinegar, mix up a solution of equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
It's always a good idea to take care of your plumbing before a problem happens because a plumbing problem can turn into an emergency very quickly. You should have your plumbing pipes cleaned every 18 to 22 months or so.
For simple unclogging work, you can expect a professional plumber to clean your drains using a motorized drain auger (sometimes called a drain snake), which can take care of almost any size of obstruction within a drainpipe.
The main thing you can do for your plumbing system is to clean drains once a week. This can be done easily with a little baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Simply pour the two substances down the drain and let it foam up before flushing the toilet. This will clear out any small clogs forming in your system.
Rinse the sink with warm or hot soapy water. Wipe the faucet and handles with a mild soapy solution. Use the toothbrush to clean the hard-to-reach areas. If you see any spots lingering, use a cloth soaked in white vinegar to remove them.
Simply pour 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar down the drain when you notice a funky smell, and then flush the drain with cold water. You could even do a white-vinegar flush on a daily or weekly basis to help keep your kitchen drain smelling fresh. It definitely won't hurt anything!
A home's kitchen sink carries more bacteria than both the toilet and the garbage can, Gerba's research found. "There's more fecal bacteria in a sink than there is in a flushed toilet," Gerba told "Today." "That's why dogs drink out of the toilet. They know better than to drink out of the kitchen sink," he joked.
Mop Frequently
High-traffic areas, like kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and entryways, require weekly mopping. Infrequently used rooms, such as formal living areas or guest rooms, can be mopped every other week, or even once a month, so long as they're vacuumed once every seven days to remove dust and grit.
Vinegar is both safe and beneficial to pour down your drain.
Pour a mixture of 1 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar works best) and 1 cup boiling water down the drain. (Substitute lemon juice for vinegar for a great-smelling drain ? Plug the drain to keep the vinegar baking soda reaction below the drain surface. Flush the drain once more with 4 cups of boiling water.
If you let your glass pipe go long enough without being cleaned, a slimy biofilm can develop. This biofilm is similar to the pink discoloration often found in bathtubs and showers. Biofilm can contain both bacteria and fungi, depending on what happens to be hanging around your home or environment.
Generally, routine bathroom cleaning in which you scrub the tub and shower walls should take place at least once a week. However, there are some parts of the bathroom that need to be addressed more frequently than every seven days.
A Brief Explanation. In general, you should give your bathroom a good clean at least once a week. This includes wiping down the toilet and sink. The floor and bathtub should be cleaned every two weeks or so.
The kitchen holds the title for “germiest place in the house”, where bacterial contamination is far more common than in the bathroom, for example: Kitchen rags, towels and sponges are notorious for bacterial contamination.
According to Stapf, you should always sanitize your sink after handling raw meat or poultry. "Wiping or rinsing these areas is not enough to kill any bacteria that may have spread around your kitchen while you were preparing your food," says Stapf.