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We still have a good 4 weeks before school starts and with three kids here most days, my house isn’t the most organized right now. I’ve given up on the toy areas and bedrooms are a daily hassle. Our kitchen gets a lot of the traffic, especially the sink. Whether the kids are dropping dirty dishes and cups, washing hands after playing outside or washing supplies from a simple art project — the kitchen sink needed a good cleaning. I decided to declutter and refresh the sink area with some cleaning and new DIY stenciled tea towels.
Kitchen Sink Refresh
Start with a clean sink. A really clean sink. You can give cleaning a boost with Borax, an All Natural, Multi-Purpose Household cleaner that can be used in a variety of ways, especially in the kitchen. Aside from using it to help clean sinks, it also helps to clean pots & pans, helps to clean microwaves and even helps to clean countertops. I used 20 Mule Team® Borax, which I picked up at Walmart (and you can too, or at any grocer or retailer in the laundry aisle) Normally, Borax is found in the laundry room as a boost to detergents. It softens water and enhances detergent performance but it can do so much more around your entire home!

The back of the box gives you an idea of everything you can use 20 Mule Team® Borax for!
To use 20 Mule Team® Borax to help clean your sink:
- Using a soft scrub cloth or sponge, sprinkle the Borax onto it.
- Wet the sponge or cloth and the Borax will become like a paste – perfect for helping to clean.
- Clean sink, scrubbing in a circular motion to help remove buildup, marks, residue.
- Wash away and wipe dry.
- Don’t forget to do the drain area – as a lot of odor and residue build up here.
- When you’re done – it’s sparkly clean and odor-free!
After my sink and even countertops were clean and refreshed, I worked on sprucing up the countertops and clearing the clutter. I added fresh flowers and a trinket dish (for rings) on the windowsill.
Use a plate or other unconventional items like a plate, cake stand or tray to house soaps, dish detergents, and your sponge.
Finally, pull color in with DIY Tea Towels. You can quickly stencil plan white tea towels with your design of choice and fabric paint. Wash and done.
After getting a new shade in the kitchen, I had been wanting to pull in some of the blue color. Using plain white tea towels, I stenciled quatrefoil, honeycomb, chevron and triangle stencils onto individual tea towels.
Quick tips:
- Choose a washable fabric paint
- Use spray on stencil adhesive to be sure you get clean edges on the paint by preventing lifting
- Use small pieces of sponge to dab on the paint since it such a small area.
- When finished, allow to dry fully and wash.
It’s an easy, quick kitchen refresh and the DIY towels help you create a new look for little.
How would you use 20 Mule Team® Borax in your kitchen or home? You can get more ideas and inspiration HERE in the Social Hub or visit the Borax Usages Page for a complete list of how to use 20 Mule Team Borax. Reminder that you can find 20 Mule Team® Borax in the laundry aisle – with the laundry additives – at your grocer or retailer.
I LOVE the towels. Especially the honeycomb one!! Thanks for sharing this great tutorial!
What a beautiful of post!!
I love your ideas and what a cute kitchen
Thank you for your kind comment and for stopping by, Dana! 🙂