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Believe it or not, I actually enjoy cleaning. And so many of my cleaning and lifestyle habits and routines come from what my mother taught me over the years. Her teachings are the reason I air my bedding out while I get ready in the morning, and why I open the blinds first thing in the morning to let the light in.

Growing up, like most other kids, I found my mom’s insistence that things be done and kept a certain way vaguely annoying and often disruptive of my far more important teenage things to do. Then, I got to college and my stellar cleaning skills stood out, which led me to appreciate her teachings more. And that includes her kitchen sink cleaning routine, which has served me well over the decades.

What is my mom’s kitchen sink cleaning trick?

As a young adult, I had just enjoyed a meal at the home of a close family friend. After volunteering to wash the dishes after dinner, I asked for a powdered cleanser (like Comet) to scrub out the sink afterward to truly finish the job. Our family friend, who was my mom’s age, looked at me in disbelief. She was impressed and asked who taught me that trick. That’s when I realized just how impressive the cleaning techniques my mom had passed on to me were. It was the first time I became aware of and thankful for the effort my mom put in to try to instill us with the character and work ethic she viewed as important, no matter the task.

My mom taught me so many little cleaning habits that can ultimately make a big difference, and that kitchen sink trick — scrubbing it nightly with a powdered cleanser after the dishes are done — was one of them. This technique really helps to banish tough stains and grime before they can set in. My mother’s friend became the first of many people to compliment me on using this technique as part of my kitchen cleaning routine.

Why my mom’s sink cleaning routine has stuck with me

As a child who dutifully pulled out the Comet after I washed the dishes every night, I thought this was simply what one did to clean up the kitchen, not realizing that I was giving it an extra level of TLC. I’ve kept up many of the traditions my mother passed down to me growing up by also teaching them to my kids. And I hope they get the same compliments on their attention to detail in their future homes one day too.

(Apartment Therapy is dedicated to helping people transform their lives by providing everything they need to create beautiful, organized and healthy homes. For more information, visit www.apartmenttherapy.com.)

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