The sink is the undisputed workhorse and unsung hero of your kitchen. It handles a constant flow of dirty dishes and food and grease particles and rarely if ever breaks down or gives you a moment’s pause. But that doesn’t mean it can’t become an embarrassing or frustrating appliance if not taken care of properly. And the number one way to keep your kitchen sink in tip top shape is to keep it clean. This may sound like a no brainer, but consider the following tips -- are you aware of them all?

Grease

Many people believe that if they pour grease into their kitchen sink while running the hot water the grease will completely dissolve and happily disappear down the drain. But normally your kitchen sink hot water tap does not reach the temperature of a dishwasher. Instead, grease carelessly poured into your sink can create an unsightly ring that quickly produces a rancid odor. Whenever possible, let the grease in your pots and pans cool and solidify and then scrape it off into the garbage can. This goes for cooking oils as well. The residue that sticks to your plates and bowls should be immersed in soapy hot water and scrubbed thoroughly until all the goo is gone.

A consistent daily cleaning regimen for your kitchen sink takes only a few minutes.

Don’t forget to wipe down the taps to remove water stains. A little diluted multi-purpose cleaner will do the job.

Sponges are cheap, so there’s no excuse to keep a kitchen sponge for too long. It can absorb bacteria and micro-particles of rancid food waste that spread more filth than it cleans up, says Touch Free Concepts founder Elliott Greenberg.

If you have hard water, use a lime scale remover at least once a week. Always wear rubber gloves when using any strong detergent or scale remover. Your hands will thank you.

Keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh and clean by occassionally cutting up a lemon, squeezing and saving the juice, and then putting the peel and pulp down the disposal. You can also use a half cup of vinegar, mixed with some baking soda, to discourage outrageous odors.

Don’t procrastinate

Do not let colored food and drink sit in your kitchen sink very long. Things like grape juice, beets, and red cabbage can leave behind stains that are difficult to remove -- requiring a lot of elbow grease and harsh chemical cleaners. Keeping a covered garbage can right under your kitchen sink or right next to it makes it easy to scrape it all off instead of leaving it to sit in the sink.

Don’t forget

About overfill holes and plug holes. A little vinegar and a bottle brush applied once a week will keep them bright and shiny, not coated with black grunge.

Heavy pots and pans can leave behind unsightly scratch marks in your sink if not handled carefully and deliberately. And never leave knives and other sharp utensils soaking under an opaque cloud of soapy water -- chances are good you’ll plunge your hand into the water some day and cut yourself.

If your kitchen sink is enamel, forgo the lime scale remover and use a plastic scrubbing pad instead to remove limescale. Over time, white enamel gradually turns a bit gray. To keep it sparkling white, always include a half cup of white vinegar when doing a big wash up -- this preserves the original whiteness of enamel.