The Natural Way to Clean a Utility Sink
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When we moved into this home, I had a to-do list a mile long. You know how it is when you move into a new home. Cleaning the stained utility sink in our laundry room was on the list but kept getting pushed farther down the list as we tackled other chores. Cleaning the utility sink isn’t very glamorous, or at least it’s not very glamorous until you finally do it and see your glorious looking-like-new utility sink. Then you wonder what had been keeping you from cleaning it for so long. The best part is that I cleaned this sink for pennies and without chemicals by using my favorite natural way to clean a utility sink (or laundry tub) and anything else that’s stained and grimy.
At a glance: All you need is baking soda, a scrubby sponge, and a little elbow grease, with no harsh chemicals. It took me less than an hour of scrubbing, spread over short sessions, to lift 20 years of stains from our plastic utility sink. The same method cleared the crusted gunk around the faucet and in the built-in soap dishes. It’s a pennies-cheap fix for anyone with a stained laundry sink or utility tub.
I shared our new kitchen renovation with you, and I can’t tell you how over-the-moon happy our new kitchen still makes me.
Our laundry room and utility sink are right off the kitchen (through the door to the left of the cooktop). Once our kitchen renovation was completed, it really highlighted how much the stained utility sink was bugging me, so I impetuously jumped on cleaning it before I even took before pictures (that’s how much it was bugging me!). The house was about 20 years old when we moved in, and I assume the utility sink was original to the house, so that means there were 20 years’ worth of grime and stains in that plastic utility sink that needed to be cleaned. Yuck!
The Natural Way to Clean a Utility Sink
My longtime favorite cleaning trick is to use a scrubby sponge and baking soda. Yep, you heard me right. A scrubby sponge, baking soda, and a little elbow grease were able to take that grungy utility sink back to almost new.
It took less than an hour total of scrubbing to get rid of those stains, even in the corners of the sink. I’d scrub until I was tired and then come back later to do a bit more until it was all bright and clean.
The baking soda and sponge even removed the gunk that was all over the faucet, crusted around the base of the faucet, and crusted in the grooves of the built-in soap dishes.
Baking soda is my all-time favorite cleaner and was the perfect natural way to clean a utility sink that had 20 years of stains and buildup. I use baking soda for cleaning all around my home. It’s almost magic.
How to Clean a Plastic Utility Sink or Laundry Tub with Baking Soda
Here’s my method, step by step. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once. Short sessions work well. Scrub until you’re tired, take a break, and then come back to do more later.
- Start with a quick win. Pick one corner or the area around the drain. Seeing one spot come clean is great motivation for the rest.
- Dampen the sink. Rinse the sink with warm water so the surface is wet. Baking soda clings and works better on a damp surface.
- Sprinkle on the baking soda. Cover the stained areas. For dark or stubborn stains, add a little water to make a thick paste and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Scrub in small sections. Use a scrubby sponge and some elbow grease. Plastic can scratch, so start with the gentler side of the sponge and test a hidden spot first if your sink is older or has a glossy finish. When you get tired, take a break and come back later.
- Get the faucet and soap dish grooves. Work the baking soda around the faucet base and into any built-in soap dishes, where gunk likes to hide.
- Rinse well and wipe dry. Rinse thoroughly so no gritty film is left behind, then wipe the sink dry with a soft cloth.
Utility Sink Cleaning FAQs
A baking soda scrub is a gentle, low-cost choice for plastic sinks. Skip harsh solvents like acetone or paint thinner, which can damage plastic, and save scouring powders like Comet for a last resort, since they can scratch.
Let a thick baking soda paste sit on the stain for 10 to 15 minutes before scrubbing. If a stain still won’t budge, a mix of equal parts water, baking soda, and white vinegar or lemon juice gives you a little more cleaning power.
Yes. Plastic, fiberglass, and stainless steel utility sinks can all be cleaned with baking soda, vinegar, or both. On any of them, avoid stiff-bristled brushes and abrasive scrub pads that can leave scratches.
Rinse the sink after messy jobs, wipe it dry with a soft cloth, and give it a quick baking soda scrub whenever stains start to show. A little regular care keeps buildup from settling in.
Lint from the washing machine is one of the most common causes of a slow laundry sink. Clear any debris you can see, run a few inches of water into the sink so the plunger can seal, and plunge the drain. To help prevent future clogs, put a lint catcher (or a nylon stocking) over the end of the washer’s discharge hose. If the clog won’t clear, it’s time to call a plumber.
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More Simple Cleaning Tips
Check out my post about how to Remove Stains from Aluminum Cookware Naturally,
and these additional natural kitchen cleaner ideas from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship.
If your utility sink is part of a bigger refresh, my Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist and these 10 areas you always forget to clean can help you pace the rest of the house.
For all my best cleaning tips and resources, scroll through the table below.
I’m a mom of 3, a veteran, military spouse. I’ve moved into 20+ homes all around the world. My passion is helping busy people make the space and time for what’s really important to them. Learn more about Organized 31 and me.
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Susan, I love to use baking soda for cleaning. I am always amazed at how well it scrubs things clean. I would love to have a sink like this in my wash room.
It’s the first time I’ve had a laundry room tub and I’m loving it (especially now that it’s nice and clean).
That is so brilliant and so simple. I’ll be trying that on our utility sink. My husband, the plumber, learned something new with this post.
Lol, Monica. I’ll send your hubby a bill. 🙂
Cleaning with harmful chemicals falls by the wayside with your fabulous idea which does as good if not better job of getting that sink looking its best. Baking soda has so many uses and it doesn’t harm our water supply like those chemicals do.
Baking soda is my favorite cleaning trick, Janis, and I’m with you about avoiding harmful chemicals.
I am very impressed! As a cleaner, for this kind of stains, I usually use expensive toxic cleaners and the result is not better then this one! 🙂 I need to start using more natural cleaners as I am exposed to toxins every day and that isn’t good. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Baking soda, spritzed with water and left overnight makes oven cleaning so much easier, too.
I love cleaning with baking soda too, but when I saw your post on Hometalk, I guessed you’d used white vinegar because I didn’t think baking soda would do the trick. Now I have to go tackle my icky sink.
Baking soda is my favorite natural cleaner, I use it on almost everything, Linda. White vinegar is a close second though. Have fun cleaning your sink ;).