How to Clean a Bathroom Sink

Co-authored by Melanie Garcia

Last Updated: March 25, 2022 References

Bathroom sinks get a lot of use. Not only do you use them in the morning to get ready for work or school, but you use them throughout the day. Because of this, your bathroom sink may accumulate a lot of dirt and grime. Thankfully, there are many ways to effectively clean your bathroom sink. By doing routine cleans, taking steps to remove tough stains, and taking steps to keep your sink clean every day, you'll have a cleaner bathroom.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Performing Routine Cleaning

1
Wipe down the sink. Take a clean, wet cotton cloth or dish sponge and wipe down the interior of the sink. Try to get as much debris and grime as you can.
- Make sure to wipe around the drain.
- If your sink is especially dirty, you may need to switch out for a fresh cloth.
- In many cases, it is best to wipe the sink down when it is dry, so you'll be able to remove hair, grime, and other debris easily.
- Wipe down the sink on a daily basis, if needed.^{[1]
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2
Rinse the sink. Make sure to rinse the sink before you use a bathroom cleaning product. If you don't rinse the sink, you'll have to contend with a lot of dirt when you spray the sink down.
- Turn on the faucet and run hot water into the sink. Hot water will loosen soap scum, grime, and dirt.
- Splash the water around the surface – including the sides – of the sink.
- You may need to use a clean cotton cloth to wipe down the sides of the sink with hot water.^{[2]
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3
Spray the sink with a cleaner. Choose a bathroom cleaner of your choice and liberally spray the sink.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Melanie Garcia
Professional House Cleaner
Expert Interview. 10 October 2019.} Make sure to get all parts of the sink, including the faucet and behind the faucet.
- Most bathroom cleaners are formulated to clean bathroom sinks. You may be able to use a tub and tile cleaner or a cleaner formulated for the type of material you sink is made of. In most cases, this is porcelain.
- Make sure the cleaner is a disinfectant. This is important as bathroom sinks can potentially accumulate a variety of germs.^{[4]
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EXPERT TIP

Fabricio Ferraz
House Cleaning Professional
Fabricio Ferraz is the Co-Owner and Operator of Hire a Cleaning. Hire a Cleaning is a family owned and operated business that has been serving San Francisco, California homes for over 10 years.

Fabricio Ferraz
House Cleaning Professional

Our Expert Agrees: For cleaning products to be effective in the bathroom, you have to apply them and let them sit. If you don't, the bacteria in your bathroom can continue to accumulate for up to a year, which can lead to health problems.
4
Wipe the sink. After spraying your cleaner, take a clean cloth and wipe down the entire surface of your sink. Pay special attention to especially dirty areas and apply pressure when you need.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Melanie Garcia
Professional House Cleaner
Expert Interview. 10 October 2019.}
- You may need to use several clean cloths.
- If you need to spray more cleaner while you're wiping the sink down, do so.^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Removing Tough Stains

1
Sprinkle baking soda. If your bathroom sink is still dirty after you've done a light clean, you should sprinkle baking all over the sink. Cover as much of the surface as you can. The abrasive force of the baking soda will help remove tough stains.
- Make sure the sink is dry before you sprinkle the baking soda.
- Use as much baking soda as you need to cover the surface area of the sink. Take care to sprinkle some baking soda into the grout ring around the drain.^{[7]
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2
Scrub the sink. Take a clean cloth and scrub the sink down. You may have to apply a lot of pressure in areas that are particularly dirty. Without scrubbing your baking soda into the sink, you won't be able to remove all stains.
- Swirl your cloth around in circles while you rub the baking soda into the surface of the sink.
- Consider using a regular cotton cloth. Microfiber may not have the abrasive power you need to remove some stains.
- In some instances, you may need to use a mildly abrasive dish sponge.^{[8]
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3
Rinse the sink. After you've scrubbed the sink, you need to thoroughly rinse it to remove all leftover baking soda. If you don't rinse it immediately, some of the stains may re-set and all your work will be wasted.
- Make sure to run the water until all the baking soda has washed down the drain.
- If your sink doesn't drain properly, you may need to wipe the baking soda out with cloth rags or paper towels.^{[9]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Keeping a Sink Clean

1
Rinse the sink after every use.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Melanie Garcia
Professional House Cleaner
Expert Interview. 10 October 2019.} By rinsing the sink after every use, you'll make sure that dirt and soap residue are washed out of the basin into the drain. This is important, as the dirt in your sink accumulates on a day-to-day basis.
- Run the water after you brush your teeth, otherwise toothpaste and toothpaste residue will build up in your sink.
- Make sure you use enough water to wash soap and soap residue down the drain after you wash your hands.
- If you notice any grime in your sink after you use it, run the water.^{[11]
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2
Don't wash hair shavings down the sink. One of the easiest ways to keep a bathroom sink clean is to avoid washing hair shavings down it. Hair shavings not only dirty your sink, but they can partially clog your pipes. As a result, normal dirt and grime will build up in the basin.
- If you shave in front of the sink, put a towel over the sink so your hair falls into the towel.
- If you do wash hair down the drain of the sink, your sink will eventually clog up. When this happens, you'll have to remove the accumulated hair with a coat hanger, or use a chemical clog removing product.^{[12]
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3
Avoid laying metal in your sink. One of the toughest stains to get out of a sink, especially porcelain bathroom sinks, are rust stains. As a result, don't lay any metal in your sink. Because of the presence of moisture, metal will quickly rust and leave a stain.
- If you have a rust stain, take an old eraser and wipe it against the stain.
- If the rust stain won't come out with baking soda or an eraser, you may need to use an abrasive cleaner like Comet cleaning powder. However, make sure whatever product you use is safe on the material your sink is made of.^{[13]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I remove a stopper from the bathroom sink?

Community Answer

You can use the tip of a tail comb and press down on one side of the stopper; the other side of the stopper should pop up, although sometimes it doesn't. In that case, use a thin knife or nail file to get between the stopper and the drain, then gently lift. You can always try running very cold water and letting the stopper sit in it for a few minutes before trying these methods. The cold water should harden and slightly shrink the stopper, making it a little easier. Don't forget to wash the knife afterward and disinfect the nail file with a little rubbing alcohol so that it is safe to use for your nails. Next time, try to not put the stopper so far into the sink.