How to Clean & Unclog a Sink with Baking Soda

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House cleaning professional Raymond Chiu explains how to use baking soda to scrub a kitchen sink

Co-authored by Raymond Chiu and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: December 1, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Removing Grime
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• Unclogging Your Drain
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• Baking Soda Benefits
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• Video
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• Expert Q&A

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Sinks get a lot of use, which means food and grime can build up in them. This can make them drain slowly or even look dingy. Luckily, baking soda is an excellent, eco-friendly way to clean and unclog sinks! In this article, we spoke to several house cleaning professionals to teach you how to use baking soda (and vinegar) to keep your sink in perfect condition. Plus, we’ll also explain the benefits of using baking soda rather than harsh chemical cleaners.

Using Baking Soda to Clean a Sink

House cleaning professional Raymond Chiu says to rinse away any food debris, then sprinkle baking soda in the sink generously. Scrub the baking soda all over the sink using a damp sponge, then pour vinegar over it so that it fizzes up. Rinse the sink with warm water, and dry it with a clean cloth.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Removing Grime with Baking Soda

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1. 
   1
   Remove all of your dishes and give your sink a rinse. To clean your sink, start with a fresh palette. Take out any dirty dishes you might have in the sink and rinse your entire sink with cool water. Chiu says to “rinse away any food debris still left in and around the sink.”

   • If your sink has a lot of food residue, squirt some dish soap in it before you rinse it out.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Raymond Chiu is a house cleaning professional and the owner of Maid Sailors Cleaning Service, founded in 2014.

   Susan Stocker is a green cleaning expert and the owner of Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 green cleaning company in Seattle.

   Kadi Dulude is a house cleaning professional and the owner of Wizard of Homes, a cleaning company based in New York City.

   Jonathan Tavarez is a cleaning specialist based in Tampa, Florida. He founded Pro Housekeepers, a premium cleaning service, in 2015.

   Claudia & Angelo Zimmermann are house cleaning professionals and founders of Everneat, an eco-friendly cleaning service based in New York City and Connecticut.
2. 
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   Sprinkle a layer of baking soda over your entire sink. “Baking soda is an excellent cleaner and odor neutralizer to be used on its own due to its nonabrasive texture as well as its nontoxic properties,” says Chiu. Use a liberal amount of baking soda to cover your entire sink. Make sure to get the sides of the sink as well as the bottom.

   • If you sprinkle too much in an area, use your fingers to gently brush it around the sink.
   • Shake the box of baking soda directly over the sink, or use a spoon to pick up a little bit at a time and sprinkle it around.
   • Professional cleaner Susan Stocker says baking soda is especially good for cleaning ceramic sinks.
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3. 
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   Scrub the baking soda with a sponge in a circular motion. Use a damp sponge to gently buff the baking soda into your sink. Go with the direction of the grain of your sink. Baking soda is mildly abrasive, so it will clean without scratching anything. Make sure to scrub every inch of your sink, or you may get streaks.

   • Chiu advises that you “avoid using wire brushes or steel wool pads” to scrub your sink, as this will scratch it.
   • If you are worried about scratching your sink with an abrasive material, use a cloth instead of a sponge.

   Tip: Use a toothbrush to get into the sides and edges of your sink that are hard to reach.
4. 
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   Pour vinegar over the entire sink. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and foam up. Vinegar dissolves the baking soda and any grease or grime it has picked up, making it easier to wash down your drain. Pour enough vinegar to dissolve all of the baking soda in your sink.

   • Baking soda and vinegar will not clog your drain.
   • House cleaning professional Kadi Dulude recommends letting the baking soda and vinegar fizz for 5 minutes before rinsing.
5. 
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   Rinse the sink out with warm water. Use your sink faucet to rinse all of the vinegar and baking soda down your drain. Warm water will help the baking soda dissolve even more. If you have a hose faucet extension, use that to rinse off your entire sink. Otherwise, use a cup to pour water over your entire sink.

   • If any vinegar or baking soda dries on your sink, it could leave streaks.
6. 
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   Dry your sink with a clean cloth. Wipe down the inside of your sink to ensure that the entire thing is clean. Check for any streaks or dirty spots left that you can use baking soda on again. Your sink should stay clean for at least 2 weeks.

   • If you want to shine your stainless steel sink, rub a lemon slice all over your sink after it is dry.
   • Chiu says, “Keep the sink clean of pots and pans, and never leave items that can stain it on for extended periods of time, such as coffee mugs or tea bags.”
7. 
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   Soak your drain covers in baking soda and vinegar for 15 minutes. Drain covers can also get covered in food scraps and grime. Mix 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon (14.4 g) of baking soda in a large bowl. Submerge your drain covers in the mixture and let them soak. Rinse them off with warm water and dry them with a clean towel.

   • The vinegar and baking soda mixture will foam up at first. Put your bowl in the sink to catch any drips that might happen.
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Section 2 of 3:

Unclogging Your Drain with Baking Soda

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1. 
   1
   Pour a pot of boiling water down your drain. Set a large pot of water on your stove on high heat. Wait until it is boiling and large bubbles appear at the surface. Use pot holders to carefully pick up your pot of boiling water and pour it directly down the drain of your sink. Boiling water helps to break up any super large clogs that are in your sink, and makes it easier for the baking soda and vinegar to work.

   Tip: Take off any drain covers in your sink before you pour your water.
2. 
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   Dump ½ cup (120 g) of baking soda down the drain. Baking soda is a naturally abrasive agent and will work to break up clogs in your drain. Add baking soda to your drain and try to get as much down the drain as you can.

   • The baking soda may sit on top of the drain at first, and that’s okay.
   • Some people recommend using 1 cup (240 g) of baking soda.
3. 
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   Pour 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar down the drain. Vinegar will react with the baking soda and start to bubble up. Vinegar dissolves the baking soda, as well as grease or grime that could be clogging your sink. “It has a very high acid content,” explains Stocker, “and will break down a good bit of organic content that is stuck.” Do not be alarmed if your drain starts to froth up; this means the reaction is working.

   • White vinegar is more acidic than normal vinegar, so it is better for cleaning.
   • Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When combined, the chemical reaction creates carbon dioxide and water that bubbles through the clog to break it up.
   • If you don’t have vinegar or don’t want to deal with the smell, house cleaning professionals Claudia and Angelo Zimmermann say, “Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, and then pour 2 cups of boiling water. Let the mix work for 30 minutes.”
4. 
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   Pour 1 cup (240 mL) of hot water down your drain. Hot water will also work to dissolve any grime that is in your drain. It also helps dilute the vinegar and baking soda so that they go down your drain. Use your sink to pour about 1 cup (240 mL) of hot water down your drain. Dulude suggests letting the baking soda and vinegar sit for about 20 minutes before running the hot water.

   • Alternatively, combine the vinegar and hot water and pour the mixture down the drain at the same time.
5. 
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   Flush your drain with another pot of boiling water. Bring another pot of water to a boil on high heat. Carefully pour the pot of boiling water down the drain to flush out any remaining vinegar or baking soda. This final flush rinses any remaining sludge out of your drain.

   • If your drain is still clogged, you may need to try a harsher chemical drain cleaner.
   • To keep your kitchen sink from clogging, Chiu advises, “Refrain from pouring grease down the drain. Use sealable containers and throw [it] in the appropriate garbage. Always dispose of any leftover scraps in the garbage before placing [a dish] in the sink. Use a drain strainer to capture any small food particles.”
   • Chiu adds that regularly pouring boiling water down the drain can “melt away the grease that may be stuck in the pipes.”
   • Have a better hack for unclogging a drain? Share your tips in our “Easiest way to fix a clogged sink?” forum!
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Section 3 of 3:

Benefits of Cleaning with Baking Soda

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1. Baking soda is a natural, non-toxic cleaner. Using baking soda is an eco-friendly way to remove grime, cut grease, and deodorize your sink and other appliances. It’s a safer, biodegradable alternative to harsh chemical cleaners, making it ideal for homes with children or pets.

   • In addition to cleaning sinks, cleaning specialist Jonathan Tavarez recommends using baking soda to remove grease and grime from your stovetop, to remove odors from a refrigerator, or even to remove oil stains from your driveway.

Expert Q&A

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• Question

  What can you clean with baking soda?

  

  Susan Stocker
  Professional Cleaner

  Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

  

  Susan Stocker

  Professional Cleaner

  Expert Answer

  Baking soda works great when used to clean ceramic sinks. Make sure you get the baking soda mixed with enough water to make a paste. If mixed properly, the solution has just the right amount of abrasive power to lift and remove dirt and grease. The process also requires strong scrubbing to work properly.

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• Question

  Is this harmful for my septic ?

  

  Community Answer

  No, baking soda is a very benign substance and won't harm the pipes or the beneficial bacteria in your septic system.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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