I got this in the mailbag this morning and wanted to share with you readers:
Dear Ivy,
You know there’s more than one way to shine a sink. 
I use the FlyLady method, which although time consuming, produces a wonderful shine on my stainless steel sink.
First, you fill the sink with warm (not hot!) water and add 1/3 cup bleach. Let this soak for 3 hours. 3 shall be the number of hours and the number of hours shall be 3. Four shall it not be and five is right out. When the three hours is up, you drain the sink and dry it with a towel or wash cloth. Lastly, you spray it with regular Windex and buff to a high shine. After that, unless you spill something really ucky in your sink and get it nasty again, all you have to do is Windex and buff.
I<3 shiny sinks
Ivy says:
What a great idea! Fly Lady is not my personal style (I can not handle shoes in the house. Or 42 emails per day.) but she has some wonderful ideas and this one is great! While we’re on the subject of bleach, I wanted to remind our readers to never mix bleach and ammonia.
Have you got some quick tips to share with us? Let us know!
Tags: Kitchen · Sink
Dear Home-ec 101:
I have Corian counter tops and sink. The sink is stained because my family never cleans it. I try to clean it, but even with a special Corian cleaner or bleach, I cannot get the stains out after several cleanings.
The counter tops are clean, but dull. I tried a counter top polish and it did nothing.
What am I doing wrong?
signed:
Corian despair
Heather says:
My sink is similar to Corian and frankly, I’d rather have stainless steel. I feel your pain. My sink, like all Corian sinks has a matte finish, which means it is safe to use an abrasive cleaner. As I’ve mentioned before, my favorite is Barkeeper’s Friend.
I apply it to the stains and rub gently, but not in a circular motion (their rules, not mine). On occasion I have to use good, old-fashioned elbow grease.
To help keep my sink looking nice and temporarily avoid new stains I wax it on occasion. Yes, that’s right, Turtle Wax. I have yet to test Ivy’s Pledge trick, but I will sometime soon.
As far as your counters go, DuPont says you can use a mild abrasive to remove stains and restore the finish. I have laminate counters, but if I were trying to restore shine to what is supposed to be a semi-gloss, or glossy finish, I might try Pledge or waxing, in a hidden area. If you choose to use Pledge, occasionally remove the build-up with mineral spirits.
Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
Tags: Kitchen · Sink
Dear Home Ec 101,
How in the world do you get your sink to stay so shiny?
Signed,
Im in ur house, lookin @ ur sink
Ivy says:
Get out of my house. Seriously, you’re creeping me out.
But while we’re here, I’ll go ahead and share my secrets to a super shiny sink. First, wash it out so any funky bits are gone. Dry it with a dry towel, and buff it a bit.
Now, here’s my secret: I whip out the Pledge, put a bit on a paper towel and buff to a shine. Not only does this make your sink shiny, but it helps keep it shiny, which is always a bonus.
Caveat: I’ve only ever had a stainless steel sink, so if your sink is made of other materials, do a test patch first.
Check that shiny sink, yo:
Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
Tags: Kitchen · Sink
Dear Home-Ec 101,
My house is a wreck. I’m scared to open the fridge, I swear something growled at me the last time I grabbed a soda. I think a dust bunny ate the baby.
Help Me!
Signed,
Don’t Know Where to Start.
Heather Says:
I begin with the kitchen sink, it’s a small area and it can be conquered!
Empty your sink of all dishes, fill it with hot water and a little bleach.
Come back and read for a few minutes or empty the dishwasher, if you’d prefer.
After the hot water has had time to loosen the crud, drain the sink, and use a non-abrasive cleaner to scrub it. Don’t be afraid to use a little elbow grease! Now, if you have a sink like mine, you may have to use a mild abrasive like Bar Keeper’s Friend, or in a pinch, baking soda.
Finish by shining the faucet with a little window cleaner and wipe with a paper towel or soft cloth.
It’s a lot easier to face the day when you don’t have to shovel dishes out the way to brew a pot of coffee.
Now go find that baby!
Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
Tags: General Encouragement · Kitchen · Sink
