What is a Sink Grid?
You may know them as kitchen sink grids, sink racks, sink guards or sink grates, and they serve the purpose of protecting your sink.
If you are a baker and make lots of cookies, you likely have a cookie rack, right? Yes, that kind of rack. They look very much alike, although they serve different purposes.
They are an excellent accessory for the sink. They can dampen (no pun intended here) the sound of clanking silverware, dishes, and pans. They also protect the sink’s surface from scratching.
No one wants their stainless steel sink, or their very expensive porcelain farmhouse sink, scratched or chipped. Sink grids guard against that. They also add that nice finishing touch when the kitchen sink is otherwise empty.
Sink Variations to Consider for Your Grid
You will want your grid to fit well and cover the entire bottom surface of your sink. You’ll also want to make sure the sink drain is not covered. So, measuring for the right size is essential.
The average kitchen sink measures 22-by-30 inches. While the front-to-back dimensions of the sink remain standard due to the size of most countertops and cabinets, the width of different types of sinks can vary dramatically, as can the shape.
What about the drain placement, you ask? Well, that varies from sink to sink, too. Sometimes it will be in the middle of the sink bottom, and sometimes it will be toward the rear wall.
Fortunately, kitchen sink guards come in various sizes and configurations, including rectangular, rounded corners and shapes, or D shaped, or square. Additionally, the location of an opening to fit over the sink drain will vary among all of these shapes.
How To Take Measurements For a Sink Grid
You will want to carefully and thoroughly measure for your sink grid, although it is a relatively simple process. After all, you want your guard to fit well to serve its purposes fully.
Some sink manufacturers also make sink grids, and this makes it easy to find the right size. But, if you don’t know the manufacturer, measuring carefully is important.
These measurements will determine two things: the sink dimensions and the sink drain location within those dimensions. Here are the steps to take:
- Using a tape measure, start at the bottom of the sink wall on one side, just above where the wall begins to curve inward toward the center of the sink and measure to the opposite side of the sink at that same point above the beginning of the curve. This gives you the width measurement.
- Then, repeat that process from the front to the back of the sink to measure depth.
- Using the same process from one side, measure to the center of the sink drain. Then take the same measurement from the opposite side of the sink to the center of the drain.
- Repeat this process from the front and back of the sink to the center of the drain hole.
When you’ve finished these 6 measurements, you know the size of the sink and the location of the drain within that size. It does not end there, though.
You must also take into account the curvature of the corners of your sink. If the corners of the sink grid are too acute, it will not fit neatly in your sink or remain a sturdy support for dishes and pans.
Measurements in Hand, It’s Time To Shop for Your Sink Grid
All the hard work has been done. It’s time to shop for your sink grid or sink grids. If you have a double basin sink, with one side used as your prep sink and the other for dishes, pots and pans, you will need two grids. The measuring process is the same for each basin.
A stainless steel sink grid is the most popular choice. They will have rubber feet and usually have rubber bumpers on sides and backs for added sink protection. They are also the most durable and make a good investment.
Make sure the rubber feet are attached to the grid before you put it in your sink. Otherwise, you’ll scratch the stainless steel bottom surface.
A Perfect Fit for Your Sink Grid
If your measurements are accurate, both for the sink size and the drain location with its dimensions, you’ll be able to find the right grid for your purpose. The grid hole diameter won’t be too big or too small. That will mean a good fit.
A perfect fit means it lays flat, providing a steady and sturdy surface for whatever you lay atop it. A wobbly sink grid will end up being an annoyance and could lead to a warped frame.
A Tip To Follow When Shopping For your Sink Grid
No one will know better than a sink’s manufacturer which grid is the right fit. Look for the manufacturer’s name somewhere in the sink – at the rear, or around the drain, for instance. Or, perhaps you’ll find the name under the sink.
Check the manufacturer’s website for information about grids for their sinks, and perhaps you will be able to make the purchase online. If not, your local big home improvement or plumbing supply stores may carry the particular manufacturer’s recommended grids.
Whether you find that sink maker’s recommended grid or not, your measurements will still lead you to the correctly sized alternative.
Cleaning Your Sink Grid
Kitchen sinks will harbor bacteria by the very nature of their use. Sink grids are no different. Cleaning them periodically is essential as a consequence.
You cook with those pots, eat off those plates, and with that silverware, so you want to eliminate bacteria from your kitchen everywhere, including your sink and its grid.
There are so many connecting points along the grid where food, grease, and more can become stuck. They are not easy or convenient spots to clean, either. You have a few choices to keep them clean and reduce, if not eliminate, bacteria from gathering.
- If it fits, your dishwasher can help. The water is hot, and the cleaning products are designed to both clean and eliminate bacteria. This, of course, would be ideal.
- But if it does not fit, it’s up to you. A brush will be essential, as well as a cleaning agent. Scrub until your hands hurt, making sure you get to every connection point along the grid, front to back, side to side.
- Finally, a steam cleaner might be the easiest and best choice other than the dishwasher. No scrubbing will be required, no skinned knuckles, no broken fingernails.
Don’t ignore the grid at cleaning time. Make sure it’s on your list when it’s kitchen cleaning day, along with the sink, the countertops, and the stove.
Alternatives to Kitchen Sink Grids
Grids are not the only choice for protecting your kitchen sink.
The most widely found alternative is a silicone sink protector sometimes referred to as kitchen sink rubber mat. With suction cups on the bottom, they will adhere to the sink bottom surface to remain in place, offering protection to the surface from scratches and chips.
They are soft and offer protection for your place settings, as well as sound dampening (again, no pun intended) from the clanking of silverware, pots, and pans. They come in various sizes, too, and it should be easy to find the right one for your sink dimensions.
They are easily removed from time to time for cleaning, too. They’ll fit in your dishwasher, although steam cleaning is another option both for cleaning and sterilization from bacteria. They are not as durable as a stainless steel sink grid, but they do serve their purpose well.
Final Words on Sink Grids
It’s not complicated here. Take your measurements carefully, all 6, and account for the angles and curves of the sink corners.
Check for manufacturer grid offerings. Shop wisely. Remember the non skid protective feet. And don’t forget to clean well from time to time.