Reasons Why An Outdoor Sink Is Worth The Investment

Every now and then, topics arise that not only help out readers but also let the writers do some work they were going to have to do anyway. For example (purely hypothetical, of course), if one were to install outdoor sinks in a few places around one's property, one can anticipate needing to do some explaining to one's spouse. And if one has stockpiled a few more outdoor sinks for future projects — again, hypothetically — justifications are all the more useful. And the best part is that there are loads of cool ideas for an outdoor sink, and almost none of them were discovered after the sinks were installed.

Our favorite outdoor sink excuses — umm, that is, rationales — follow, but don't let yourself be hemmed in by any limitations they might imply. A potting bench with a sink makes a wonderful outdoor bar for al fresco parties; an outdoor kitchen sink is a great place to muck out your beer-making gear; and your tool/parts station's sink is also a good place to pre-rinse the filthy clothes you were wearing and the tools that made them dirty in the first place.

Most of the DIYed outdoor sinks we see are incorporated into potting benches, and for good reason. As pleasant as gardeners find soil to be, it's best kept outside. This is easier said than done, though, when you have a runaway harvest of root vegetables to rinse or seed-starting trays to dampen. The stuff gets everywhere, and outside is a good where for it. The sink brings you water for vases of cut flowers from your garden and carries away whatever you were touching in your chicken coop.

Water supply and draining are simple matters for the average potting bench. For YouTuber Hamilton Dilbeck's potting bench sink, he includes two holes at the bottom of the sink well for drainage and has a nearby rain barrel as a possible water source. But you can connect a garden hose to any modern faucet with an adapter from your local big box hardware store, and the sink can drain into a bucket, onto the ground, or into a French drain that meanders over to your garden. Hamilton Dilbeck also stresses the importance of sealing the wood to protect it from water damage, so keep that in mind if you're going with a wooden potting bench.

If you've ever hosed off a child before letting them in your home, you already know the value of an outdoor sink. You also probably didn't intend to hose the kid off, but a garden hose isn't always the most controllable way to wash a small thing like a child's hand... or a Mazda Miata, for that matter. And we shouldn't place all the blame on kids. Any shade tree mechanic needs an outdoor sink so that all the grease and road grime doesn't become a permanent part of your bathroom's vintage wash basin. One of our favorites is YouTuber Sow the Land's garden vegetable washing station, which has a sink, sprayer, and a brilliant countertop made with hardware cloth.

But back to blaming the kids. It doesn't stop with dirty hands, either. The Tonka dump truck that lives under your deck can stay as muddy as it dares — and it does. But the little excavators and bulldozers and monster trucks that flock indoors at night like snowbirds to Boca could stand to be a little cleaner. As could their shoes, balls, and friends, come to think of it. You're gonna need a sink with a sprayer.

If you build even the simplest of outdoor sinks, you have just achieved an outdoor kitchen. This is possible because the only other thing you really need is a grill, and who doesn't have a grill? Oh, sure, your sister with the fancy job has the marble countertop and wine fridge next to her pool, but this isn't about sibling rivalry or social competition. It's about prepping your food outdoors without having to abandon your guests. It's about expanding your kitchen's capacity for that family holiday get-together you foolishly agreed to host. After all, maybe you don't need a prep sink in your kitchen, but outdoors. It's about filling up that stock pot or dishpan you're using outdoors without having to splash your way around tipsy guests and children who became suddenly feral, and quite fast, once two or more of them gathered.

YouTuber Karen Governale's outdoor sink has all the amenities of the kitchen sink — hot and cold running water, a proper drain, and even a sprayer. Plus, you get to stand in the rain while using it! Though in this case, it's actually situated under an outbuilding's roof overhang, so it stays relatively dry.

Cleaning tools is really not the sort of thing you want to do in any sink inside your house. Most tools require aggressive chemicals and aggressive treatment to remove serious gunk, and you don't want any of those things happening in your kitchen sink. Mechanics' tools are notoriously greasy and garden tools are predictably dirty. Then there's the matter of tools that require sharpening, leaving metal shards all around, and tools that require lubrication, which by design isn't easy to remove. What you need to deal with this is an outdoor tool-washing station.

Commercial parts-washing stations are available but are designed specifically for high-water-pressure application to durable parts, which doesn't always describe your hands. Better to rinse your paintbrush and those wrenches you used to remove a toilet in a low-key, but outdoors, traditional sink. You can, of course, have the sprayer as well, if you feel the need. Just remember to drain any harsh chemicals according to local laws and common sense, especially if you're on a septic system.

Perhaps the most honest rationalization for turning some sinks into outdoor basins is that they are simply gorgeous things that you don't want to part with, or that you can't stop yourself from buying at the Habitat ReStore. From tiny, shallow vessel sinks to three-compartment commercial sinks, their beauty is in the eye of their beholder, and you just beheld it right onto the roof of your Tahoe with some ratchet straps. You'll still need something to actually do with it, though, and fortunately, there's no shortage of uses for them, as we've already seen. But consider this: if you find the sink pleasing to look at, you will probably find it more pleasing to use than a garden hose or a laundry room utility sink. So why not fill up the dog bowls and hummingbird feeders there? 

Of course, you should still be intentional about sink size and materials, especially if you have a specific purpose in mind for it. Also, not every sink can make it in the great outdoors. So, before you get too ahead of yourself, there are things to consider before you buy an outdoor kitchen sink.