In order to get the most out of your sink, you’ll want to customise it a bit with some fabulous sink accessories. We’re covering our favourite add-ons that will make your sink work for your home and your family. Some of these sink accessories should be installed by a professional, and you can pick some up at the store and add them on yourself. We’ll let you know which ones we recommend hiring a pro to install for safety reasons and which ones you can DIY.

Would you like to learn more about the different decisions that go into choosing the perfect kitchen sink for a kitchen renovation? If you would, click on any of the links below! This article is a part of a series dedicated to kitchen sinks, so we’re covering all of the important topics.

Now without further ado, let’s get into our top suggestions for kitchen sink accessories that will make your life easier!

What Are Our Favourite Kitchen Sink Accessories?

Kitchen Sink Garbage Disposal

Garbage Disposal

Professional Installation Recommended? Yes

Are you prone to throwing your dish in the sink without scraping off your food scraps into the rubbish bin? If you are, and you’re tired of scooping out your scraps from the sink basin while you’re washing dishes, it might be time to invest in a garbage disposal. A garbage disposal will grind up your food waste and dispose of it appropriately. Just make sure you don’t try to push your food down with your hand!

Near Me tip: To ensure your family’s safety while using a garbage disposal, we recommend setting out ground rules for its use. This article from the Food Network includes seven important rules for using a garbage disposal.

We advise against installing a garbage disposal yourself and recommend hiring a trusted professional to complete the project for you. You don’t want to risk your rubbish ending up where it shouldn’t or breaking your kitchen sink setup. Luckily, you can find a local plumber on Near Me to install your garbage disposal for you.

Keep in mind that owning a garbage disposal comes with added maintenance in your kitchen. You’ll need to keep it running properly and clean it regularly. Given that disposals are cutting up food waste, you can imagine the amount of residue that can build up inside of them (including on the rubber flap that separates it from your sink). You’ll want to be absolutely sure that the disposal is not running when you clean it, though. You don’t want to risk an injury. If you’re worried about cleaning it regularly, we recommend hiring a professional cleaner.

Kitchen Sink Soap Dispenser

Soap Dispenser

Professional Installation Recommended? Yes

If you find yourself constantly running out of hand soap or washing up liquid in your kitchen, a built-in soap dispenser might be right up your alley. Built-in soap dispensers are also perfect if you’re regularly knocking your soap into your sink, as it can get quite annoying.

When you’re installing a new sink in your kitchen, why not make your life more convenient and install a soap dispenser as well? Your technician will need to install the dispenser alongside your kitchen tap, so this will need to be done before the sink installation is complete. Otherwise, the project will be more laborious, but likely still possible depending on your sink.

Are you ready to put your days of running out of hand soap behind you? You can find a professional to install a built-in soap dispenser on Near Me. All you need to do is answer a few quick questions about your project and you’ll be on your way to a more convenient life.

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Side Sprayer

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Side Sprayer

Professional Installation Recommended? Yes

Adding a side sprayer to your kitchen will make washing produce and washing up your sink so much easier. You’ll be able to pick up the tiny sprayer and rinse off anything you’d like. That means no more splashing water from your faucet around your sink to clean up after washing up. We think that sounds like a pretty sweet deal!

You’ll want to hire a trusted plumber to install a side sprayer in your sink. Like a soap dispenser, a side sprayer requires its own hole in your counter or sink. It’s best to have a pro tackle this project to avoid breaking your counter or cutting a hole the wrong size. Get custom bids from local plumbers on Near Me and choose one to install your new side sprayer!

Protective Sink Grid

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Protective Sink Grid

Professional Installation Recommended? No

Did you decide on a new stainless steel kitchen sink? If you did, you might be a bit worried about the finish of your sink wearing down over time. Of course, you could always be as careful as possible when setting dishes or utensils in the sink, but we all know that’s not possible. So to preserve the flawless finish of your stainless steel sink, we recommend picking up a sink grid (or two if you have a double basin sink). The grid will serve as a guard for your shiny sink and prevent it from being damaged by everyday life. Just be sure to take it out every once in a while and give your sink a good clean.

Kitchen sink dish rack

Dish Rack

Professional Installation Recommended? No

Without a dish rack, washing up after a meal becomes a two-person job. You need one person washing dishes and another drying them and putting them away. If that sounds like too much of a hassle (we think it does), you’ll want to invest in a dish rack. You can find dish racks that sit inside your sink basin if you have space or you can purchase one for on your counter. Whichever one you choose, we’re sure having a dish rack will make your life simpler.

Washing up Bowl

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Washing-up Bowl

Professional Installation Recommended? No

If you’ve chosen a large single basin sink, this accessory might interest you. If you’d like to create separate spaces in your sink without adding a second basin, pick up a washing up bowl. These convenient bowls (or small basins) can sit on the edge of your sink (or inside your sink) and allow you to wash up your dishes in one space while using the rest of your farmhouse sink for another purpose. Then when you’re done washing up, just put the bowl away and your sink will be back to normal. This is a perfect way to add functionality to your sink without changing the style of your kitchen.

Kitchen Sink Rinsing Tub

Rinsing Tub

Professional Installation Recommended? No

This accessory goes along with the washing up bowl, or could be the same piece but used for a different purpose. If you have a single-basin sink but want to rinse dishes as you’re washing up, using a rinsing tub is perfect for you. You can fill it up with cool water before you start doing the dishes and use it to rinse off each dish before placing them in your dish rack. That way, you won’t be stuck with a dish rack full of annoying soap suds after washing up. You can also find rinsing tubs with holes in the bottom to drain out water.

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Kitchen Sink Strainer

Sink Strainer

Professional Installation Recommended? No

Do you find that you’re constantly cleaning out bits of food waste after washing up? If you do, we bet you’ll love having a sink strainer. When you place a sink strainer in the drain of your kitchen sink, it will catch all the bits of food that inevitably end up in your sink. Each night as you’re washing up, just take it out of the drain and tap the scraps into your rubbish bin. By investing in a sink strainer, you’ll be saving yourself from clogging your sink and needing an emergency plumber. You’ll also be avoiding touching food scraps that may gross you out a bit.

Kitchen Caddy

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Kitchen Caddy

Professional Installation Recommended? No

Finding a convenient spot for your sponge, washing up brush, and other kitchen utensils can be a bit difficult, especially in a smaller kitchen. For this reason, we recommend picking up a kitchen caddy that can hold everything you need. Most kitchen sink caddies have suction cups that will adhere to the wall of your sink’s basin. If you have a double basin sink, you can also find caddies that hang over the sink’s divider. These ones are perfect for holding sponges or other small pieces.

Kitchen Sink Colander

Colander

Professional Installation Recommended? No

A colander is a must-have in any kitchen, as it is necessary for draining pasta or rice. You can also use a colander to rinse off fruit or vegetables to avoid dripping water all over your kitchen. While a regular colander is all well and good, a colander that sits on the edge of your sink is ideal for busy kitchens.

With a resting colander, you don’t need to worry about cleaning out leftover dishes from your sink so you can sit your draining pasta in your sink basin. You can also use it to set out fruit or cut up vegetables for your family without taking up precious counter space. This is one of our favourite sink accessories, as it has so many benefits!

Kitchen Sink Cutting Board

Cutting Board

Professional Installation Recommended? No

Have you always wanted to wash your produce and then cut it up without having to transport it across your kitchen? If you have, why not pick up a cutting board that sits on top of your sink? Many are made of butcher block, which is quite durable and sanitary, and they are available in a wide variety of sizes.

When you’re ready to chop up some peppers or strawberries, all you need to do is rest your cutting board over your sink, wash your produce, and get to cutting! When you’re done, you can just wash up the cutting board and put it in your dish rack to dry. Doesn’t that sound simple?

Kitchen Sink Ring Holder

Ring Holder

Professional Installation Recommended? No

This isn’t a piece that improves the functionality or appearance of your sink, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important. If you wear a lot of rings on your fingers, you don’t want to be washing up while wearing them. You could risk losing one down the sink drain (another bonus for the sink strainer!) or tarnishing the finish of your rings. But if you take them off and leave them on your counter, you might forget to put them back on and end up losing them in your kitchen.

To avoid these mishaps, it’s smart to purchase a ring holder to keep beside your sink. Before you start washing up, just take off your rings and set them on your ring holder. Then when your hands are clean and dry, you can put them back on and be on your way. You can also pick up a ring holder for your bathroom for many of the same reasons.

Which of these kitchen sink accessories was your favourite? Let us know on social media! We’re @bidvine on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and we’d love to hear from you.

If you’d like to install a new sink in your kitchen but don’t know where to start, you can get help from a local professional on Near Me. Hit the button below to get custom bids from local plumbers who are ready to help.

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