A dish rack has many uses, among them is holding clean utensils. With time, and especially when it is in constant use, it tends to get dirty. The dirt comes from water, dust, oils, and also from the utensils, especially if they are not very clean.
Frequent cleaning should be your priority. If you don’t clean it for some time, it will attract tough stains that will require more effort to clean.
This article is going to present the various ways with which you can clean the dish rack. It shall touch on all the agents to use and their advantages. There will also be some FAQs and a conclusion. Please read on for more information.
How often should you clean the dish rack?
I would recommend that you do it once or twice a week. Such practice helps to prevent tough stains and plaque from building up.
Frequent cleaning will save you time and costs since tough stains will not build up. In this way, the rack will retain and maintain its beauty for quite some time.
Another way to keep your rack healthy for long is by keeping it dry. Water can make it develop a foul smell and even get tough stains.
How do you clean a dish rack by use of vinegar?
Requirements:
-
- A larger basin.
- A cup of vinegar.
- Soap
- Scrubber and
- Hot water.
The procedure:
Fill a large basin with hot water, and add one cup of vinegar. Hot water weakens tough stains and also melts away oils and fats that are stuck in the rack.
You can dismember it if the bucket is small. It is not, however, a requirement if the rack can fit into the basin. The aim of dismantling it is to make sure that it fully submerges in water.
Soak the dish rack in a hot water solution:
Make sure that the rack fully submerges. The reason for doing this is to make it for scrubbing. Leave it soaking in hot water for approximately 20 minutes or more. Do not let the water cool while the rack is soaking. It may make the stains to reattach to the dish rack.
Remove rack and its components when water is still warm. You can as well drain the water before you start scrubbing the dish rack. Water will take with it some stains.
Scrub it gently. Some scrubbers tend to remove the out layer of the rack. To avoid this problem, use a soft brush to remove the stains. Repeat the process until all stains are off.
Rinse the rack thoroughly with warm water. Repeat the process until the water becomes clear. Warm water is the best for rinsing as it takes off all the traces of vinegar that would otherwise remain on the rack.
Inspect it for any dirt spots that you might have missed.
Dry the rack:
Use a clean towel to wipe off the water excess water from the rack and place it in an open space. Alternatively, you can leave it to dry on its own.
Do not place it under the intense heat from the sun, as it shortens life. Use a strong absorbent if your rack is metallic. It helps to prevent it from rusting.
Reassemble the rack in preparation for use again, but you can dismantle it and store it for future use.
Clean your basin thoroughly (the one which you have used to clean the rack). Wipe it clean and store it also for future use.I would advise you not to make a concentrated solution as it may end up corroding the dish rack.
How do you clean a dish rack by use of baking soda?
The process is similar to that of vinegar. Here, you will still need vinegar in addition to baking soda.
Requirements:
-
- A basin.
- Baking soda.
- Vinegar.
- Soap and
- Hot/warm water.
The Procedure:
Prepare a mixture of baking soda and dish soap. Add vinegar to the solution to the product and mix it thoroughly.Take a cup full of the solution and mix it with water in a large basin. The water should be warm to hot. Mix it thoroughly until it produces soap foam.
Immerse the dish rack into the solution and let it soak for approximately twenty minutes or more. Make sure that you immerse it fully. Do not let the water cool before you proceed with the cleaning process.
Drain the water and scrub the rack thoroughly. Use a light scrubber so that you avoid damaging the surface. Keep checking on it so that you do not leave dirt spots behind.
Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Repeat the process until when you cannot notice any soap foam in the water.
Inspect the rack for any spots that might have remained behind when scrubbing for the first time. If you notice any, scrub it off and rinse again with warm and clean water.
Dry the rack properly:
If it is a metallic one, use a clean towel to wipe off all the water. Do not leave traces of water on it as it might cause it to rust. If it is a plastic one or any other material, you can let it dry naturally on the sink. You can use it again when it is dry.
If you had disassembled it before cleaning, then you will need to reassemble it in readiness for use or short term storage.
Clean the other components such as the basin, or the sink using warm water. Leave everything to dry out before deploying it again.
I would caution you again not to use a rough scrubber while cleaning the rack, not unless you are dealing with tough stains.
How to clean a plastic dish rack?
Cleaning a plastic dish rack is more the same as cleaning the other type of dish racks.
The procedure:
- Dismantle the rack into the small manageable pieces. It is easier to clean the plastic dish rack when it is in parts.
- Disinfect various parts to remove some of the tough stains that have been there over some time.
- Prepare a mixture of warm water and either a vinegar solution or baking soda.
- Immerse the dish rack into this solution and let it soak for about twenty minutes. Make sure that it is totally in the solution. It will then soak.
- After 20 minutes, drain the water and scrub it. Use a soft scrubber so that it does not damage the surface of the rack.
Rinse it in warm and clean water until all the soap, and the foam is off. Keep on inspecting it for any spots that might have remained behind when first cleaning the rack. Scrub off any remaining spots and rinse the dish rack again.
Dry it thoroughly by placing it on the kitchen sink. Let it remain there until it drops off all the water.
You may either need to wipe it dry or even not. Plastic cannot rust, and hence you should not worry much about leaving it to dry on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
How often should I clean my dish rack?
If you leave for long without cleaning, then it will get tough stains. It might, then, become tough while cleaning. I would advise you to do it regularly, maybe once or twice a week. A white plastic dish rack will need regular cleaning because it can display dirt easily.
Which is the best cleaner between vinegar and baking soda?
Vinegar is a bit stronger than baking. However, they perform the same function effectively. When you add vinegar to baking soda, it produces an instant reaction. This reaction cleans out faster than either of the two singly.
The reaction will be slower when you add baking soda to vinegar, but it will still happen. This mixture can remove even the toughest stains.
In conclusion, vinegar is better than baking soda. However, if you combine both, it will be stronger and better. For better results, mix the two.
How long does it take to clean a dish rack?
On average, it should take close to half an hour to clean it. However, much depends on the stains on the rack. One with tough stains will require more time to soak and hence will take more time to clean.
One the other hand, if you frequently clean your rack, then it won’t take a lot of time to clean it. You can complete the process in about 20 minutes.
What happens if you make a very concentrated solution?
If you make a concentrated solution, it may damage the dish rack, especially if it is metallic. A strong solution corrodes the bonds, and it may end up damaging it soon.
Always add a cup of the detergent to a large bucket full of water. That is a standard measure in use worldwide. It will lead to the formation of a solution that is perfect for the work.
Conclusion.
Cleaning a dish rack adopts a similar procedure, no matter the type of solution that you use. It involves mixing the detergent with a cup of either vinegar or baking soda.
After cleaning, make sure that you rinse it thoroughly as you check for remaining dirt spots. Dry the rack thoroughly after cleaning. If it is metallic, use a clean absorbent to get rid of water from the surface to avoid it getting rust.
Clean your dish rack often.