An expert shared the best tips for cleaning porcelain and stainless steel sinks in your home

• Fiona Mills is a former hoarding technician and current franchise business coach at Spaulding Decon.

• Mills, 32, told Insider advice for cleaning porcelain and stainless steel sinks.

• She said to avoid bleach or chlorine because it will ruin a sink's finish over time.

The TikTok hashtag "sink clean" has more than 509 million videos in which people debate and share tricks on how to tackle sinks.

Fiona Mills, 32, is a former hoarding technician and current franchise business coach at Spaulding Decon who shared how to properly clean sinks — stainless steel and porcelain — with Insider.

She previously shared cleaning hacks for a spotless house, bathroom cleaning tips, advice about garbage disposals and pipes, her go-to cleaning products, and getting rid of stubborn odors.

A homemade baking soda paste is an excellent tool for cleaning stainless steel and porcelain sinks, Mills said

Mills explained that baking soda can help clean those types of sinks because "it's abrasive enough to scrub away those hard water stains and any greasy substance on the sink, but it isn't abrasive enough to scratch or damage the stainless steel."

Mills said to make a paste out of baking soda and water.

"The key is to scrub or wipe in the direction of the grain," she said. "Hope's Perfect Sink leaves an invisible water-repellent barrier on stainless steel sinks, making ongoing cleaning a lot easier."

She added that homeowners should deep clean their sinks bi-weekly or at least once a month.

Mills also suggested cleaning porcelain sinks once a week with warm water and soap

Mills told Insider that porcelain sinks should also receive a deep clean at least once a month to prevent grease, dirt, and soap scum buildup. She said to use gentle cleansers.

"Use warm water, liquid soap, and a sponge to gently clean the porcelain sink," Mills said. "Wash away all soapy residue, and dry with a kitchen towel."

Don't use bleach or chlorine on sinks because it will ruin the finish over time, Mills said

Additionally, Mills said to avoid alcohol and glass cleaners on sinks in general because they can discolor the protective layer. She added that heat and hot water could easily blemish stainless steel.

"Never scrub with steel wool brush, steel brushes, or highly abrasive cleaning pads that may scratch the grain," Mills said.

Instead, Mills advised using a neutral detergent low in chloride and homeowners should remember to wipe in the direction of the grain.

Read the original article on Insider