Question & answer
Can You Clean a Stainless Steel Sink with Baking Soda?
Yes. Bob Vila recommends a blend of baking soda and water as a cleaning option for stainless sinks. Use a soft cloth or sponge, wipe along the grain, rinse it off and dry the sink. For daily cleaning, mild soap is enough.
The short answer
Yes. Bob Vila lists a blend of baking soda and water as a cleaning option for stainless steel sinks. Apply it with a soft cloth or the soft side of a sponge, wipe along the grain, then rinse and dry. KRAUS rules out cleaners with abrasive powders, so don't scrub hard or switch to powdered cleansers. Daily cleaning only needs mild soap.
On this page
Baking soda is a good thing to have ready for stuck-on marks. It isn't something you need every day.
How to use it
Rinse the sink
Clear it and rinse away loose food.Make a blend with water
Bob Vila suggests a blend of baking soda and water. It gives no exact ratio, so go by feel and make it soft and wet.Wipe along the grain
Use a soft cloth or the soft side of a sponge, and don't go in circles. Blanco warns that circles can permanently change the surface.Rinse and dry
Rinse off every trace, then dry with a microfiber cloth.
What it's good for, and what it isn't
Use it for stuck-on marks that mild soap didn't move. If your problem is limescale, KRAUS suggests a vinegar-soaked dishcloth and Blanco uses vinegar essence diluted 1:10, followed by a rinse and a dry. If you have orange marks, look for the cause first, since Franke and Bob Vila point to iron particles and damp cast iron. Our page on rust spots goes through them.
Watch the finish as well. A brushed sink has its own fine grain, and Bob Vila says to wipe in its direction, not across it. Rubbing hard across the grain with anything gritty is what you want to avoid.
Where it fits
For daily cleaning, KRAUS and Blanco both stay with mild soap, as our cleaning guide explains. Keep the baking soda for marks the soap didn't move.
KRAUS rules out cleaners with abrasive powders, and Bob Vila names Comet and Ajax. It treats baking soda differently, but we wouldn't scrub hard with it. If it scratches, stop and read about scratches.
For the next step up, see Bar Keepers Friend. And before you reach for something stronger, read bleach on a sink.
Asked before buying
Can I mix baking soda with vinegar in the sink?
None of the care guides we read recommends that mix. KRAUS and Blanco each describe vinegar separately for hard water or limescale, and Bob Vila warns against leaving vinegar sitting in the sink. Use one at a time, and rinse well after each.
Does baking soda work on fireclay too?
Yes. KRAUS names baking soda or a mild abrasive cleaner for stuck-on food on fireclay, with a soft sponge. So you can use it on both, though fireclay has its own care rules, which our fireclay page covers.
Where this comes from
Read next
How toHow to clean itHow to clean a stainless steel sink: mild soap, a soft cloth and a dry wipe. Plus what KRAUS, Franke and Blanco warn against, and how to treat limescale.- Question & answerCan You Use Bar Keepers Friend on a Stainless Steel Sink?Yes, KRAUS itself names Bar Keepers Friend for minor scratches on its stainless sinks. How to use it along the grain, what the maker says, and what to check first.
- Question & answerCan You Use Bleach on a Stainless Steel Sink?Better not. KRAUS, Franke, Blanco and Bob Vila all warn against bleach on stainless steel sinks. What to do if it happens, and how fireclay differs.
- TroubleshootingScratchesScratches in a stainless steel sink are normal, says Franke. What makers suggest for fine ones, what to avoid, how to follow the grain and how to prevent more.
Who writes this
stainlesssteelkitchensink.com Editorial Team
Kitchen sinks & fit
We are the editorial team at stainlesssteelkitchensink.com. We read makers' spec sheets, install manuals and care guides and turn them into plain-English buying advice, with sources on every page. We do not run lab tests, and we say so openly.
- Spec sheets & standards read
- Sources on every page
- No lab tests – stated openly
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