Wondering how to clean a white cast iron sink? White cast iron sinks are trending nowadays because they improve the appearance of your kitchen, but how do you clean them?
Maintaining an enameled cast iron sink ensures you enjoy its benefits for an extended period. Cleaning a cast iron sink regularly will retain its luster for a long time.
Not only will it help to keep your sink looking clean and fresh, but it will also help to prevent corrosion and build-up on the sink’s surface.
By regularly cleaning the white cast iron sink, you’ll get many benefits including:
- Increased lifespan of your sink
- Reduced chances of bad odors and bacteria buildup
- Reduced chances of staining or rusting
Cleaning an enameled cast iron sink is easy and can be done by just using a mild soap and water. Be sure to dry it off completely before storing it.
How to Clean a White Cast Iron Sink
Using Dishwashing Soap
Step 1: Collect All the Required Items
- Baking soda
- Hot water
- Dishwashing soap
- Soft sponge or piece of cloth
- Distilled white vinegar
- Spoon
- Small container
- Wine bottle cock
- An ideal cast iron sink cleaner
Step 2: Clear the Sink
After assembling all the items you require for the cleaning process, it’s time to get rid of anything in or on the sink.
Start by removing all the utensils and other kitchen stuff if dealing with a kitchen sink.
Then remove any visible dirt, debris, and particles like food particles. You could scoop them with your hands and throw them in the dust pin.
Step 3: Put Dishwashing Soap in Water
If you don’t have the sink cleaner, do not panic. A reliable dishwashing soap will work out fine. Some dishwashing soaps do not remove grease properly.
For optimal results, use a dishwashing liquid containing a grease remover. Also, the sink cleaners and soaps come in various enticing fragrances. Choose one with a smell you like.
Add two tablespoons of the sink cleaner or dishwashing liquid or soap to four liters of hot water and mix well.
Step 4: Clean the Sink Using the Soap Solution and a Clean Sponge
After mixing the dishwashing soap with hot water, dip a clean, soft sponge, piece of cloth, or rag into the solution. Then wring out the excess solution and start scrubbing the sink.
Never use abrasives like wire brushes, hard sponge pads, or steel wool, for they will damage your white cast iron sink’s surface.
Start with the sink’s bottom, then upwards towards the top while cleaning the sides.
Finish by scrubbing the sink’s top and the surrounding countertop. As you wash, you will start seeing foam mixed with dirt forming up.
Step 5: Rinse the Sink Using Clean Water
After scrubbing all the areas of the sink, it’s time to rinse it. Open the sink’s faucet and allow water to run down. If the spout is flexible, turn it to various parts of the sink, rinsing out the cleaning mixture with dirt.
For those parts the water can’t reach, put water in a container and pour it on them. Rinse down every aspect of the sink until the cleaning mixture is gone.
If the sink still has some dirt or stains proceed to the next step.
Using Baking Soda and Vinegar
1. Mix Vinegar with Baking Soda
Take a small container and mix vinegar with baking powder. Mix until moderate paste forms. If the mixture becomes too thick, loosen it by adding some more vinegar.
2. Put Some Vinegar and Baking Powder Paste on a Sponge and Start Scrubbing
After the paste has gained the right consistency, scoop some of it using a soft cleaning sponge, cloth, or rag. Then rub it on the entire sink, concentrating on the areas with visible dirt or stains.
Use circular motions when scrubbing. Stop when you remove all dirt.
3. Rinse the Sink
Use the procedure discussed above to rinse the sink. Ensure all scum and dirt are gone. If you still find some pot marks after rinsing, proceed to the next step.
4. Scrub Pot Marks Using a Wine Bottle Cork
When you put hard utensils or items in the sink using force, they may crack it. Such scratches are known as pot marks. Pans and pots are notorious for creating such spots or lines.
Scrub the marks using a quality wine bottle cork until they are all gone.
5. Rinse the Sink
After removing all the scratches, rinse the cast iron sink with clean water, as discussed earlier.
6. Use a Clean Dry Cloth to Dry the Sink
When all dirt, stains, and marks are gone and your sink is sparkling clean, dry all water using a clean and dry dishcloth.
Look for a piece of cloth made with good absorbent material. After drying the entire sink, you will have successfully cleaned your white cast iron sink.
You can repeat the above steps until you are happy with the results. Use a reliable cast iron sink cleaner or dishwashing soap and warm water to clean the sink for your daily routine.
Then conduct a deep cleaning using baking soda and vinegar when very dirty or once a month to maintain its durability and luster.
How to Maintain the Cleaned Cast Iron Sink
- Spray an all-purpose bleach cleaner on your white cast iron sink every day and allow it to settle for some time.
- Then wipe and rinse the sink using hot water.
- Allow hot water to run through the sink for a few seconds every day to prevent the accumulation of grease.
- Avoid leaving stuff like coffee grounds or tea bags that can stain your sink’s enamel finish inside the sink. Instead, throw them away after use.
- Keep pans, pots, large kettles, coffee and tea mugs, and other utensils that can stain if left for long out of your white cast iron sink.
- After every use, rinse and dry the sink.
- Buy and use sink accessories like bottom basin racks that will help protect the sink from scratches, lines, stains, or marks.
Cleaning a white cast iron sink is not enough to make it look new and offer you services for many years. You also need to maintain it.
Your white sink will remain shiny and usable for an extended period by performing the above tips each day.
Some spots like coffee stains can be very conspicuous on a white sink. They also look ugly, damaging the attractive look of the sink.
It’s better to avoid them by avoiding placing stuff that can cause such stains in your sink. But they happen; the best solution is to use the correct method to remove them. Otherwise, you may damage your sink, and the stains remain.
How to Remove Coffee Stains From a White Porcelain Over Cast Iron Sink
Step 1: Collect all the items you require for the process. You will need a stiff-bristled brush, clean, dry cloth, lemon juice, baking soda, vinegar, ready-made coffee stain remover, and pumice stone.
You can get the pumice stone from any hardware next door. It costs less than a dollar. If you have the lemon fruits, squeeze out the juice and use it. If not, you can buy ready-to-use lemon juice from the store near you.
Step 2: Sprinkle the entire sink with baking soda. As a mild abrasive, it will help in scrubbing off the coffee stain.
Step 3: Pour the lemon juice on the sprinkled baking soda.
Step 4: Add some vinegar to the lemon juice. You will notice some nice bubbling.
Step 5: Take your brush and start scrubbing the sink. Concentrate on the stained area. The baking powder, vinegar, and lemon juice mixture will work like magic in lifting the coffee stain from your white cast iron sink. Scrub until all coffee stains are gone.
Step 6: If the coffee stains have settled for long, they may be stubborn to come out. In such a case, the above mixture may not remove the stains entirely.
Use a reliable coffee stain remover for cast iron sinks if the stains are hard to remove. A great example of coffee stain remover for white cast iron sinks is ‘Simple Green.’
Pour it all over the sink and scrub with a brush until all the stains come out. If the discoloration is still hard to remove, go ahead and use the pumice stone.
Step 7: Use a pumice stone to scrub a stubborn coffee stain. Pumice stone contains an abrasive power that helps in removing the coffee stain.
Step 8: After removing the coffee stains with a pumice stone, rinse off all the cleaning residues with clean water. Rinse down every part of the sink until sparkling clean.
Step 9: Then, use a clean, dry cloth to dry the sink. There you go! Your white porcelain over cast iron sink is free of any coffee stains.
How to Clean a White Cast Iron Farmhouse Sink
How often you clean your white farmhouse sink depends on how much use it sees.
However, you can either schedule the cleaning or wait till you think it’s required. Whichever cleaning program you’ve chosen, clean the sink using the following guidelines.
Materials required:
- Any sink cleaning product or a homemade mixture
- Bleach
- Dish liquid
- Scrub pad or dish brush
- Dishtowel or microfiber cloth
Step 1: Rinse the sink
Get rid of debris and dirt from the sink using water. You may add mild soap to eliminate oily remains.
Step 2: Prepare your cleaning compound
If you prefer homemade solutions to sink cleaning products, the good news is everyday kitchen items would do.
Get baking powder and mix with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. You will notice a fizzing reaction as you mix both substances. Let the mixture form a paste, and it’s ready for use.
Step 3: Apply sink cleaning mixture
Apply the mixture or your preferred sin cleaning product generously to the sink. It also works to disperse the baking soda over the sink surface and add vinegar.
Step 4: Scrub the entire sink
Using a dish brush or scrub pad, work the mixture into the entire surface of the sink. Ensure you get the solution to all sink areas, including all walls, corners, and crevices.
Use the scrub pad to target specific areas with stains. Then, leave it for 10 minutes and wash away the cleaning solution from the sink using a sprayer.
Step 5: Wash again with warm water and bleach or soap
While the drain is closed, fill warm water, bleach, and dish liquid into the sink. Wait for 10 minutes and drain. Then, rinse thoroughly with water. This will remove any residue, and your sink will appear as good as new.
Step 6: Clean up with a towel
Use the dish towel to clean the surrounding areas and leave it to dry.
Closing Thoughts
White cast iron sinks are easy to clean and maintain. But the sink cannot maintain its luster, attractiveness, and durability if not correctly cleaned and maintained.
As discussed above, the process is straightforward and fast. You don’t need a professional to do it for you, making it an excellent DIY home task.
It is essential to give an enameled cast iron sink a quick daily cleaning, as explained above. When it gets much dirt or stains, conduct a deep cleaning as directed in this article.
