The sink is often the kitchen's eyesore. Even a beautiful cast-iron farmhouse sink can look dreary if it's surrounded by a ragtag collection of disintegrating sponges and a cheap plastic bottle of dishwashing liquid.

Take care to outfit your sink with the right accessories and cleaning up will feel more like a privilege than a chore.

Eseential Accessories

Soap and Sponges
The easiest way to make over a sink is to get rid of that hideous bottle of dishwashing liquid by decanting it into a restaurant-style syrup dispenser. A capacious sponge tray keeps brushes, hand soap, and scrubbers neatly organized. Twelve-ounce glass syrup dispenser, $8, Broadway Panhandler, 866-266-5927.

Sink Mats
When you're washing, use clear plastic mats to protect your sink from scratches, and your glass and china from getting chipped or cracked; $6, the Container Store, www.containerstore.com.

Dish Drainer
It's a necessary evil, but that doesn't mean it should be painful to look at. This compact stainless-steel model takes care of delicate dishes without stealing too much counter space. A neat flatware box drains directly into the sink.

Sink Etiquette

A well-kept sink area reduces the amount of bacteria lurking in your kitchen.

Brushes and abrasive scrubbers should be washed free of food particles with hot, sudsy water, or cleaned in the dishwasher at least once a day. Odors indicate that bacteria are growing.

Don't use sponges to clean up after raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs. But if you do, wash the sponges in hot, soapy water, then sanitize them in the microwave.

Sanitize your sink's drain and garbage disposal once a week. Pour down a mixture of one teaspoon regular chlorine bleach and one quart water.