How to clean a stainless steel sink and a glass cooktop, the way the pros do

The sink and the cooktop are the two spots that decide whether a kitchen looks clean. Water spots, fingerprints and burnt-on rings make the whole room feel dirty, even when the counters are spotless. These are the steps our team follows in client homes every week, using the same products you'll find in our shop.

What you'll need

You don't need a cabinet full of products. For both jobs we use a soft cleanser, a couple of microfiber cloths and a small brush for the drain and faucet base.

How to clean a stainless steel sink

1. Clear the sink and rinse it with warm water to wash away loose food and grease.
2. Squeeze a small amount of soft cleanser onto a damp, non-scratch sponge. Less is more; you can always add a little.
3. Scrub in the direction of the grain, the faint lines in the steel. Work from the back wall toward the drain.
4. Use a small brush around the drain, the disposal flange and the base of the faucet, where grime collects.
5. Rinse thoroughly. Cleanser left behind dries into a dull, chalky film.
6. Dry the whole sink with a clean microfiber cloth, again following the grain. This step is what gives you the shine and stops water spots.

How to clean a glass cooktop

1. Make sure the cooktop is completely cool. Cleaning a warm surface bakes residue on and can leave streaks.
2. Wipe away loose crumbs and spills with a damp microfiber cloth.
3. For burnt-on spots, hold a flat razor scraper at a low angle, about 30 degrees, and gently push the residue off. Keep the blade flat to the glass.
4. Apply a small amount of cleanser made for glass and ceramic cooktops, and work it in with a non-scratch pad using small circles over the stained areas only.
5. Wipe off all the cleanser with a damp cloth, then buff dry with a clean, dry microfiber cloth until the surface is streak-free.

Mistakes that scratch or dull the finish

Most damage we see in kitchens comes from the wrong tool, not the wrong product. Steel wool and green scouring pads leave fine scratches in both stainless steel and glass. Bleach and chlorine cleaners can pit and discolor stainless if they sit on it. Abrasive powders on a glass cooktop wear away the finish over time. And skipping the final dry is the number one reason sinks look spotty a day later.

How often to do it

A quick wipe and dry of the sink every night keeps water spots from building up. Wipe the cooktop after each use once it has cooled. A full scrub of both, following the steps above, once a week is plenty for most homes. Our recurring cleaning clients get this done on every visit.

Keeping it clean between visits

Two habits make the biggest difference: dry the sink before bed so minerals in the water never get a chance to spot it, and keep one microfiber cloth just for stainless and glass. Cloths that have been used with polish or grease leave a film on everything else.

Want the whole kitchen done top to bottom, including inside the oven and fridge? That's part of our deep cleaning, and it's included in every move-in and move-out clean.