#MYBLANCOUNIT – Go Clean Co’s Top Three Tips for a Sparkling Clean BLANCO UNIT

Discover how cleaning influencer and educator Sarah McAllister cleans & organizes her custom BLANCO UNIT

Sarah McAllister at her BLANCO UNIT

You may know me as the cleaning lady from the internet and lord knows I’ve cleaned some disgusting sinks in my line of work.  I’ve seen first-hand which sinks hold up to the test of time, and which DO NOT. I have noticed that BLANCO sinks last, and are a breeze to clean. So when it came time to replace the sink in my kitchen, a BLANCO SILGRANIT sink was top of mind. With over 95 years in the industry, I knew I could trust BLANCO for faucets and organizers as well to have everything work together as a UNIT. 

The DIAMOND Super Single sink shines in White, paired with the EMPRESSA Semi-pro faucet and Bottom Grid

My Kitchen Sink Selection

I do a lot of cleaning and soaking of big things like oven racks etc, so I knew I wanted a large single basin sink. My old house had a larger single basin sink and I loved the convenience of being able to soak large items and even laundry in it! That drew me to the DIAMOND Super Single sink in WHITE. I couldn’t be happier with my choice of a white kitchen sink. I’ve soaked large baking sheets, washed boots, BBQ grates, vacuum parts, you name it. My kitchen sink has held up perfectly to everything I’ve thrown at it. The granite composite material (a.k.a. SILGRANIT) is so durable and the corners are curved ever so slightly to make it easy to clean every crevice, which you know I appreciate. 

I had a lot of questions on why I chose a “drop in” sink instead of an undermount. In order to get the size I wanted without having to replace my granite countertops, the drop in made the most sense. Installation was a breeze (but I did have to call a professional, your girl can’t do EVERYTHING!) We called a counter installation company and they cut the countertop to fit the sink (BLANCO even sends tracing paper with the sink, the countertop company mentioned it was super helpful to keep perfect measurements. It took about two hours from start to finish (including the plumbing hook up!) and made a huge impact on the beauty and functionality of my kitchen! 

A simple wipe down of a BLANCO faucet brings back its original shine

Cleaning SILGRANIT sinks:

Daily sink treatment: Simply use the soft side of the sponge and some dish soap to lightly wipe down the surface of the sink, and then rinse all your troubles away. That’s literally all there is to it. I am honestly surprised how easy just plain dish soap will lift the daily mess. 

Stain Treatment: If you get any staining in your sink, make a mixture of 50/50 bleach and water and apply it to the stain. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then rinse. Easy peasy. The fact that the sink is bleach safe gives me peace of mind in my cleaning ventures. FYI: all colors of BLANCO SILGRANIT sinks are bleach safe. 

Monthly Sink Maintenance: Here is where you may notice a difference between white sinks and black sinks. Black kitchen sinks (actually, any dark home finishes) tend to show a buildup of hard water and minerals over time. Once a month (or as needed), you can treat it easily with vinegar. The buildup is there on white kitchen sinks too, you just don’t see it as easily.

Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 TBSP of dish soap in a spray bottle. The dish soap helps the vinegar stay in place.
Spray down the entire sink with the mixture, and then let it sit. It depends on how bad your buildup is, but it should soften after a few minutes, up to an hour. 
Wipe away all the hard water deposits with a soft sponge, and then rinse well.

Pro Tip: To bring back the shine to black kitchen sinks, we condition them with food grade oil (like olive oil). Dry your sink out completely first, then simply pour a small amount of oil into your sink and buff it into the surface. Doing this at night will give it time to soak in before you need to use it again. Voila! 

Sarah loves the powerful dual spray feature of the EMPRESSA Semi-pro faucet

My Kitchen Faucet Selection

For my kitchen faucet, I selected the EMPRESSA Semi-Pro in MATTE BLACK. The transitional style flows perfectly with the rest of my kitchen. The pull-down spray arm and dual spray settings make rinsing the sink or dishes a breeze. The docking arm keeps the faucet in line and looking neat and tidy when not in use. 

Turn chaos into calm with the BOTTON II under-sink organizer

Cleaning Kitchen Faucets:

Daily Faucet Maintenance

Just like daily maintenance on your kitchen sink, simply wipe down your kitchen faucet with a soapy sponge, then rinse with a clean damp cloth.

Monthly Faucet Maintenance

Faucets also tend to get a buildup of hard water deposits on them. This is from touching them with wet hands or from getting splashed with water on a daily basis. It’s easy to treat! Just wet a cloth with vinegar and gently wipe it away. 
If you’ve let it go for a while and you have a white buildup around the base of your faucet, wet a paper towel with vinegar and wrap it around the base where the buildup is. Let it sit to soften, and then wipe it away.

Pro Tip: If you find that your faucet sprayer is getting clogged, hard water is the culprit. Once again, plain white vinegar is the answer! Rig up a cup of vinegar where you can set your sprayer into it and let it sit for about an hour. Use a soft scrub brush to brush away the deposits, give it a rinse, and it will spray with new life again. 

Turn chaos into calm with the BOTTON II under-sink organizer

My Organization Selection:

Under the sink, I chose the BOTTON II organizational system. I use it for storing (some of) my many cleaning supplies. Having the ones I use most in the kitchen right where I need them saves me from running around my house looking for supplies.

Pro Tip: The two removable bins have handles and make the perfect portable cleaning caddy to take to my cleaning tasks. You could use one for kitchen cleaning supplies and one for bathrooms. Then it’s a quick grab and go to the bathroom without having to search for and take all your supplies. Or you could use one bin for liquid cleaners and one for paper supplies like paper towels, this would save your paper towels from being ruined if something leaks. 

BUILD YOUR UNIT

Trust me, you can never have too many cleaning caddies. I love the ability to pull it out and see everything I have without crouching down and digging. The cupboard underneath the kitchen sink is often one of the most dirty and unorganized spaces in the homes I clean, and the BOTTON II under sink organizer brings so much functionality to this often overlooked space. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this idea first!

You can find BLANCO at many kitchen and bath retailers, or big box stores like Build.com, Amazon and Home Depot. There’s a search tool on the website to find a location near you.

Want to learn more kitchen cleaning hacks or game plan your next home declutter and deep clean project? Explore my site BleachPrayLove.com and follow along on Instagram.

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ABOUT BLANCO

For over 95 years, BLANCO has served as passionate kitchen experts delivering premium products backed by industry-leading German engineering. Our niche is transforming how you use the water zone with the BLANCO UNIT, the seamless integration of our sinks, faucets, accessories and organization systems into one smart solution. Everything you need to drink, prep and clean is all in one place.

We are utterly obsessed with improving the heart of the home and want to impart our decades of residential kitchen knowledge to those embarking on their kitchen reno journey or considering an upgrade. Discover more valuable insight in our Ultimate Kitchen Remodel Guide.