What is a Utility Sink?

A utility sink is, as the name implies, a useful thing to have in a home or garden. People may have small rooms, especially located near front or back doors, where they have a utility sink installed. These sinks can vary in price and design, but usually have a much wider and deeper basin than the average kitchen sink. Some people use their utility sinks to hook up portable washing machines or dishwashers so they don’t drain into the kitchen sink. Others use them for a variety of household tasks.

For instance, the utility sink may be the perfect place to water plants that need a good soaking. Instead of getting plant dirt and matter all over a sink or bathtub, you can place potted plants in the utility sink. Other people use these sinks for tasks like mopping floors, and again, this means you don’t have to get chemicals for floor mopping or floor dirt into your regular kitchen sink. Especially large utility sinks may be the perfect place to wash cats or dogs.

Another benefit of the utility sink is that you can use them to clean up big messes. If you’ve just changed the oil in your car, hands can be scrubbed in the utility sink. Kids coming in from muddy play can wash hands, and you can even get their shoes clean in this type of sink. It can be a relief to have a designated “mess area” where extreme messes get cleaned up without dirtying the rest of your house. Some people install these sinks in mudrooms, to help promote cleanliness in the rest of the house.

There are utility sinks that can be installed outdoors. These may have smaller basins but they can still be terrific for cleaning up after gardening or washing smaller pets. Some allow you to attach the garden hose to the sink, and you may need to have some extra plumbing work done if you want hot water for these outdoor sinks.

In homes, you’ll have to install a sink near a water connection and this may require some extra plumbing work too. The sinks themselves are not terribly expensive, and you can purchase many styles at hardware stores for about $100-200 US Dollars (USD). Larger sinks with more features may be significantly more costly, but many outdoor styles can be purchased for less than $100 USD. Price is variable depending on where purchase the sink and what features you are looking for.