My Mom’s Brilliant Kitchen Sink Trick Will Change How You Clean Forever
Since moving into my apartment three years ago, I’ve been fairly meticulous about keeping it clean: I vacuum and dust once a week, my bathroom and kitchen countertops sparkle, and my glass coffee table gleams. But there’s one area that just hasn’t remained up to my standards, no matter how hard I’ve tried — my white porcelain kitchen sink is dingy. Pasta sauce, Diet Coke, and other odds and ends had stained it irreparably — or so I thought.
My mom visited me not too long ago, and after taking one look at my kitchen sink, she said, “I know how to fix this. Where’s your baking soda?” “Baking soda?” I wondered aloud. “Why on earth would you need that?” And, yes, my mom was right. Baking soda was the answer to my sink-cleaning dilemma that I was overlooking.
I’d heard, of course, that baking soda is a true miracle worker in the kitchen — and not just for baking. I always have an open box in the fridge to keep it smelling fresh and clean (another handy life hack my mom taught me!), and I’ve also used it to get rid of plumbing clogs. But as a kitchen cleaner? Really?
I trust my mom implicitly, though, so I ran to my kitchen cabinets and unearthed said baking soda. She dried off the sink, sprinkled baking soda liberally all around it, and said we then needed to wait 20 minutes. “You’ll see,” she promised. I waited for 20 minutes to pass. When it did, my mom took a paper towel, turned the water on, and wiped down the sink in a few quick swipes.
VOILÀ! When I tell you my sink was absolutely sparkling, I’m not exaggerating. No dinginess in sight, only a bright, gleaming, freshly white sink that was so beautiful, it almost made me cry. (I know that may be dramatic, but hey — I told you I like a clean house!). The stains were gone in an instant, and I couldn’t believe it.
Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda Shaker 12 Oz
I’ve taken to sprinkling some baking soda on my sink about once a month to freshen it up. My mom is thrilled that I’m using one of her cleaning tricks — and I’m thrilled that my sink has never looked better. It’s a cleaning win-win if you ask me. Plus, everything you need is probably already in your pantry!
Buy: Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Shaker 2-Pack, $11.73
