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How do I get a shiny sink? Try this old-school cleaning method

“It is so simple."
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If you’re struggling to keep on top of cleaning your house, cleaning your sink is one simple chore that can make you feel like you’ve accomplished something. A shiny sink can make all the difference in your kitchen (or bathroom and laundry, for that matter).

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There’s also a very low-effort way to do this. It won’t even feel like you’re cleaning.

How to get a shiny sink

If you’re familiar with the FlyLady cleaning method, you’ll know the first task she encourages everyone to do is clean their sink and make it shine. (If you aren’t, read our article on the FlyLady cleaning method.)

Why the sink?

“Many of you can’t understand why I want you to empty your sink of your dirty dishes and clean and shine it when there is so much more to do,” writes the FlyLady on her website

“It is so simple; I want you to feel accomplished!” 

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“You have struggled for years with a cluttered home and are so beaten down. I just want to put a smile on your face. When you get up the next morning, your sink will greet you, and a smile will come across your lovely face. I can’t be there to hug you, but I know how good it feels to see yourself in your kitchen sink.”

cleaning a sink making it shiny

How do I make my sink shiny?

This is how the FlyLady recommends cleaning your dull sink, making it extra shiny. 

Before you get started, the FlyLady says it’s really important to rinse your sink well between each step.

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  • First, she says to take everything out of your sink and fill it with hot water. 
  • Add 1 cup of bleach and let it sit for an hour.
  • Using tongs and gloves, remove the water and rinse your sink well. 
  • Now she recommends using powdered cleanser, like bicarb soda. Or you can try something like Bon Ami (read our Bon Ami review), and scrub your sink. Don’t forget the rim and faucets. 
  • Rinse your sink thoroughly. 
  • The last step is to use Windex to make it shine. “Now, get out your window cleaner; I use Windex. Give it a good shine,” she says.
cleaning sink
(Credit: Getty)

How do I get my stainless steel sink to shine?

If you have a stainless steel sink, FlyLady recommends one more step.

“If you have a stainless steel sink, I recommend all of the above directions with one extra instruction: after you soak your sink, rinse well, and use SOS pads to scrub it. This will buff the finish. It will look like new.”

Alternatively, you could try to buff it with a Minky Cleaning Pad, made famous by Mrs Hinch

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How to keep a kitchen sink shiny

Now that you have a clean and shiny kitchen sink, keeping it that way with a little maintenance is easy. 

“Every time you run water in your sink, take your clean dishtowel and dry it out (I lay out a clean one every night as part of my before-bed routine),” says the FlyLady on her website. 

“Before you know it, you will do this every time you leave your kitchen!”

Explaining the sink cleaning method in a YouTube video, The FlyLady wants to remember this: “Amazing things will happen in your kitchen when your sink is that shiny.”

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