The kitchen sink is the hardest working spot in most Singapore homes, and often the one that smells first. Knowing how to clean sink basins, taps and drains properly keeps that smell away and stops small problems becoming blocked pipes. This guide covers stainless steel and ceramic sinks, a simple daily routine, deeper weekly cleaning, and how to deal with drains and odours safely.

Sinks get dirty in two ways. Food, grease and soap collect on the surface every day, while grease in the pipes cools, sticks and builds up until water drains slowly or a sour smell rises.

Most of this is prevented with two minutes after the evening washing up, plus a deeper clean once a week.

What you need and the safety rules first

You do not need much: mild dishwashing liquid, baking soda, white vinegar, a soft sponge, a non-scratch scrubbing pad, an old toothbrush, a microfibre cloth and rubber gloves. A stiff bottle brush helps for the overflow hole and strainer.

Cleaning products can be dangerous when used carelessly, so keep these rules in mind:

Never mix bleach with ammonia, vinegar or other acids, or with other cleaners. These combinations release toxic gases. Rinse well with water between products.
Ventilate the room. Open a window or switch on the hood fan while you clean.
Wear gloves. Drain cleaners, bleach and even strong degreasers can irritate skin.
Test first. Try any new product or method on a small, hidden spot before using it across the whole sink.
Keep chemicals out of reach of children and away from food.

How to clean sink surfaces every day

This routine takes two minutes and is the single biggest difference between a fresh sink and a smelly one.

Empty the strainer. Tip food scraps into the bin, not down the drain. Rinse the strainer basket.
Rinse the basin. Run warm water around the sides to wash away loose bits.
Wash with soapy water. Add a little dishwashing liquid to a soft sponge and wipe the basin, the rim, the tap and the area behind it, where splashes collect.
Rinse again. Leftover soap leaves a dull film.
Dry it. Wipe the sink and tap with a dry microfibre cloth. This takes seconds and prevents water spots and limescale.

Drying is the step most people skip. In a warm, humid kitchen a wet sink stays damp for hours, which encourages slime and odours.

How to clean a stainless steel sink

Stainless steel is tough, but it scratches and shows water marks easily. The aim is to clean it without dulling the finish.

Wash with warm soapy water as in the daily routine.
Sprinkle baking soda over the damp basin. It is a mild abrasive that lifts grime without harsh scratching.
Scrub along the grain. Rub in the direction of the fine lines in the steel with a soft sponge or non-scratch pad. Circles leave swirl marks.
Spray with diluted white vinegar if you have limescale or water spots. It will fizz with the baking soda. Leave it for a few minutes.
Rinse thoroughly and dry with a microfibre cloth.

For extra shine, buff the dry sink with a clean cloth and a few drops of cooking oil, then wipe off the excess. Avoid steel wool, wire brushes and scouring powders, which scratch the surface and can leave tiny metal particles that rust. Do not leave bleach sitting on stainless steel, and do not leave cast iron pans or wet steel wool in the sink, as they can leave rust marks. If you already have rust spots or scratches, our guides on removing rust from stainless steel and dealing with scratches on stainless steel go into more detail.

Cleaning ceramic, porcelain and composite sinks

Ceramic and porcelain sinks, common in bathrooms and in some kitchens, are hard wearing but can chip and stain. Composite sinks, made from stone and resin, have their own care instructions, so check what the manufacturer recommends first.

Ceramic and porcelain

Wash with warm soapy water and a soft sponge daily.
For stains from tea, coffee or curry, make a paste of baking soda and a little water. Apply it, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub gently and rinse.
For tough stains on white ceramic, a diluted bleach solution can help. Follow the dilution on the label, keep the room ventilated, wear gloves, and rinse thoroughly. Never use it alongside vinegar or other cleaners. Do not use bleach on coloured ceramic, which can fade.
Avoid abrasive powders and hard scrubbers, which can dull the glaze and make future stains more likely.

Composite and stone

Use mild soapy water and a soft cloth. Many manufacturers advise against acids such as vinegar and against bleach, which can dull or mark the surface. If in doubt, stick to plain dishwashing liquid and test anything stronger on a hidden area first.

Drains, smells and blockages

Most sink smells come from the drain, not the basin. Grease, food particles and soap scum coat the inside of the pipe and the trap, the curved section under the sink, and start to decay.

Prevention is far easier than cure

The most important habit is keeping oil and grease out of the sink. PUB notes in its used water FAQ that grease from kitchen sinks can clog internal sanitary pipes and public sewers, leading to used water overflow. At home, the simplest fix is to keep used oil out of the drain altogether. Wipe greasy woks with kitchen paper before washing, and bin cooled oil in a sealed container.

Also keep a strainer in the plughole at all times, and avoid washing rice grains, coffee grounds, eggshells and vegetable peelings down the drain.

A weekly drain refresh

Remove and scrub the strainer and the stopper with an old toothbrush and soapy water.
Run plenty of hot tap water slowly down the drain to loosen grease. Avoid pouring boiling water down the sink, as it can damage plastic pipes and fittings.
Pour about half a cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Cover the plughole and leave it for 15 minutes. Skip this step if bleach or a drain cleaner has been used in the sink recently; flush with plenty of water first, because vinegar must never meet bleach.
Flush with more hot water.
Clean the overflow hole, if your sink has one, with a bottle brush and soapy water. It collects slime and is a common hidden source of smells.

When water drains slowly

For a slow drain, try a plunger first, with the overflow hole covered by a damp cloth so the pressure goes down the pipe. Chemical drain cleaners are strong caustic or acidic products; if you use one, follow the label exactly, wear gloves and eye protection, ventilate the room, keep children and pets away, and never combine it with any other product or use a plunger straight after, because it can splash back. If it gets into eyes or onto skin, rinse with plenty of running water; if anyone swallows it or has trouble breathing, see a doctor or call 995.

If the sink stays blocked, or if water backs up in more than one fitting, stop and get help. HDB’s home care guide on pipes explains that flat owners maintain the sanitary branch pipes inside their flats, while the Town Council maintains the main sanitary pipes. A blockage in your own sink pipe calls for a plumber; a problem in the main stack is a matter for your Town Council. Femme5 cleans homes but does not do plumbing work, so we cannot clear blocked pipes.

Taps, the sink rim and the area around the sink

The tap is touched with dirty hands many times a day, so give it attention in every clean. Wipe the handles and spout with soapy water, then dry them. Limescale around the base and the aerator, the small mesh at the tip of the spout, can be softened by wrapping it in a cloth soaked in white vinegar for 15 to 30 minutes, then scrubbing with a toothbrush and rinsing well. Check the finish first, as vinegar can damage some coated or brass taps.

Clean the silicone seal around the sink edge with a toothbrush and soapy water. If you see black spots there, that is usually mould. Dry it well afterwards.

A damp sponge left in the sink is often the real source of a sour smell, so let it dry between uses and replace it regularly. If your hood and backsplash are also greasy, our guide to cleaning the kitchen hood filter covers that next step.

A simple sink cleaning routine for your household

Here is how the jobs fit together:

Every day: empty the strainer, wash, rinse and dry the sink and tap.
Every week: deep clean the basin to suit its material, refresh the drain, scrub the strainer and overflow, and wipe the seal.
Every month: descale the tap aerator and check under the sink for slow leaks or damp.

If you have a helper, show her once how you would like each step done, especially the order of products and the rule about never mixing them. Bathroom basins follow the same principles, and our guide on cleaning a bathroom covers the rest of that room. For a blocked toilet, see our guide to unclogging a toilet safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to clean a stainless steel sink?

Wash it with warm soapy water, sprinkle baking soda over the damp basin and scrub gently along the grain with a soft sponge or non-scratch pad. Use diluted white vinegar for water spots, rinse well and dry with a microfibre cloth. Avoid steel wool and abrasive powders, which scratch the finish, and do not leave bleach sitting on the steel.

Why does my kitchen sink smell even after cleaning?

The smell usually comes from the drain, the overflow hole or a damp sponge rather than the basin itself. Grease and food build up in the trap and decay. Scrub the strainer and overflow, pour hot tap water and then baking soda and vinegar down the drain weekly, keep oil out of the sink, and let sponges dry between uses.

Can I pour cooking oil down the sink if I run hot water after it?

No. Hot water only moves the oil further along the pipe, where it cools and sticks. PUB notes that grease from kitchen sinks can clog internal sanitary pipes and public sewers. Let used oil cool, seal it in a container and put it in the bin, and wipe greasy pans with kitchen paper before washing them.

Is it safe to use bleach to clean a sink?

Diluted bleach can be used on white ceramic, following the label dilution, with gloves and good ventilation, and rinsed off thoroughly. Never mix it with vinegar, ammonia, acids or other cleaners, as this releases toxic gas. It is not recommended for stainless steel, coloured ceramic or many composite sinks, which it can mark or fade.

Who should I call for a blocked sink in an HDB flat?

If a plunger does not clear it, call a plumber for a blockage in your own sink pipe, since HDB says flat owners maintain the sanitary branch pipes inside their flats. If water is backing up from the main pipe or affecting neighbours, contact your Town Council, which maintains the main sanitary pipes.

Conclusion

A clean sink is mostly about habit. Empty the strainer, wash, rinse and dry the sink every day, give it a deeper clean suited to its material once a week, and keep grease out of the drain. Those three steps prevent most smells and slow drains before they start.

When you do reach for stronger products, use them one at a time, ventilate the room, wear gloves and test first. And when a blockage will not clear, call a plumber or your Town Council rather than adding more chemicals.

A fresh sink sets the tone for the whole kitchen. Prefer to hand it over? Our regular home cleaning covers routine upkeep, and a deep clean goes further. Ask us for a quote.

The Femme5 Team
Home cleaning team, Femme5 Agency
Femme5 provides part-time home cleaning, deep cleaning and post-renovation cleaning for HDB flats, condominiums and landed homes across Singapore.

Femme5 Cleaning Team

Written by the home cleaning team at Femme5 Agency Pte Ltd, which provides part-time home cleaning, deep cleaning and post-renovation cleaning across Singapore.

How to Clean a Sink: Stainless Steel, Ceramic, Drains and Smells