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I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach, gluten-free recipe creator, and home detoxification expert with a focus on gut health. I show burned-out women with digestive issues how to take a proactive, holistic approach to healing by sharing nutrient-dense recipes, and sustainable lifestyle tips that are easy to implement in everyday life.
As a former interior designer with over a decade of experience designing custom kitchens, I can speak to the popularity and hardiness of cast iron sinks. While they are available in many colors, white cast iron farmhouse sinks are the most popular. If you’ve never had one before you may be asking yourself, how do I clean a cast iron sink?
I’m not a fan of traditional household cleaners due to the toxicity they introduce into our environments (and bodies). As a result, I’ve got an easy method for keeping your cast iron sink clean naturally, using simple and inexpensive ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already.
While I recognize not everyone wants to spend time and effort making their own cleaning products, this really couldn’t be any easier. Add these items to your next Target run and you’ll be ready to clean your cast iron sink in no time.
SHOPPING LIST:
A glass or heavy-duty plastic spray bottle
Distilled white vinegar
Baking soda
Tea tree or lemon essential oil
A round scrub brush
Make Your Cast Iron Sink Cleaner
In your spray bottle, combine equal parts water and distilled white vinegar. Add 10-20 drops of tea tree essential oil, using more or less depending on the size of your bottle.
Tea tree essential oil cuts the smell of the vinegar a bit, but more importantly, it’s naturally antibacterial, and anti-fungal, making a great addition to your cast iron sink cleaner. Lemon, peppermint and thyme essential oils are great alternatives if you don’t care for the scent of tea tree oil.
Before: Our dirty cast iron kitchen sink. You can see one of our new navy pans left a slight stain near the drain.
How to Clean Your Cast Iron Sink
Now that you’ve made your natural cleaner, it’s time to get down to business.
Rinse your sink with hot water to wash any food scraps down the disposal. Spray with the vinegar and water solution.
Sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda around your sink and spray more vinegar and water solution onto the baking soda to create a paste. It will have a chemical reaction and begin to fizz slightly.
Scrub the bottom and sides of your cast iron sink with your scrub brush, working in a small circular motion. Be careful not to scrub the metal drain, as this will wear the finish.
Rinse with hot water and continue to scrub with the brush until all the baking soda paste is gone, and the cast iron surface feels smooth.
Optional: If you have a garbage disposal, an old toothbrush works well to clean the underside of the gasket. Once it’s scraped clean, throw a handful of ice into the disposal along with 3-5 drops of your preferred essential oil from above. Turn on the disposal until the ice chunks have been broken down. This cleans the disposal and helps sharpen the blades. Toss the old toothbrush into the dishwasher and save it for next week.
Cleaning your cast iron sink at least once a week will help keep build-up from forming and stains from setting.
After: Our clean cast iron sink is now sparkling and stain-free!
A Word of Caution
If you have marble countertops that haven’t been sealed properly, the acid in the vinegar will etch the stone. Additionally, the baking soda may scratch it. It’s fine to use this cleaning method for your sink, just be careful not to get any of the baking soda or vinegar water on your counter and wipe up any spills immediately.
Similarly, it’s best not to get this mixture on your plumbing fixtures, as it could damage the finish over time.
Additional Uses
This cast iron sink cleaning formula works just as well on stainless steel or composite sinks.
Additionally, I use the spray to clean our wooden cutting boards after chopping onions or garlic. The acid helps to neutralize the flavor and scent so it doesn’t transfer to whatever you cut next (I learned this trick the hard way after biting into an apple slice that tasted of onion – ew!). Just saturate the cutting board with the vinegar and water solution, let it sit for a few minutes, and rinse with hot water.
Don’t forget to save this method on Pinterest so you can refer back to it.
This simple, natural cleaning solution is great for cleaning cast iron farmhouse sinks. It’s also a great daily spray for cleaning a wooden cutting board.
Ingredients
Scale
Water
Distilled white vinegar
10–20 drops of pure tea tree, peppermint, lemon or thyme essential oils
Baking soda
Instructions
Mix: Combine equal parts water and distilled white vinegar to a glass or heavy-duty plastic spray bottle.
Add Essential Oil: Add 10-20 drops of your preferred essential oil from above, adjusting the amount based on the size of your spray bottle.
Notes
Use this cleaner in combination with baking soda to clean your cast iron sink. It’s also great for stainless steel sinks and wooden cutting boards.
Use caution with this solution around marble countertops and metal plumbing fixtures, as it may damage their finishes.
