How to clean a stainless steel sink
Weather you have a small single bowl bar sink or a zero radius stainless steel sink they all need the same care and attention. It can be both simple and rewarding to follow just a few simple steps to keep your stainless steel sink like new clean.
Gentle, inexpensive, and simple routine cleaning are the keys to maintaining your new stainless steel sink.
3 Simple Steps In Caring For Your Stainless Steel Sink:
1. Clean regularly with a mild detergent solution and/or clean water applied with a soft cloth or sponge.
2. Rinse and towel dry after every use to prevent mineral deposits from building up on the surface of the sink.
3. Deep clean once a week with a recommended cleanser (be sure to rub in the direction of the finish lines) and a soft cloth or sponge rather than an occasional aggressive single cleaning. Cleaners should state suitable for stainless steel.
SOME DONT’S:
Do not use coarse abrasive powders, metallic scourers such as steel wool or brushes with metal bristles. Do not use the so termed “silver cleaners.” Do not leave wet sponges, cloths, cleaning pads, rubber mats or dishpans in the sink. This could lead to surface rust or possible pitting.
Do not leave standing solutions of chlorine bleach and water in the sink for extended periods of time. Always rinse the sink after using such solutions. Do not allow liquid soap or other cleansers to dry on the surface of the sink.
PLEASE NOTE:
Chlorides are found in most all soap, detergents, bleaches and cleansers. Chlorides can be harsh on stainless steel, but because chlorides are very water-soluble they are usually not a problem. Thorough rinsing of your sink after each use to remove any chloride residue and weekly deep cleaning will keep your sink in excellent condition.
SCRATCHES:
As with most metallic surfaces, your stainless steel sink will get scratches. These are merely usage scratches and over time will blend in with the overall finish of your sink. However, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the appearance of scratches. Use a nylon pad (such as Scotchbrite) with an iron free abrasive polishing compound. Follow the direction of the original polish lines and you can blend out the scratch in a small area. Be careful not to overdo it. If you get too aggressive, you can’t go back. You will end up with a bright spot.
WATER QUALITY:
Regular routine cleaning can usually prevent lime scale deposits from hard water. Do not allow excessive build up before treating. Soaking in a 25% vinegar solution can treat these hard water spots. Periodically rub with a nylon bristled brush or fine synthetic scourer pad. Then, rinse and towel dry.
RUST MARKS:
If you develop rust marks due to presence of or contact with ferrous (iron containing) materials, swab with a sponge wetted with a dilute (10-15%) solution of nitric acid (HNO3) and follow with routine cleaning. Avoid prolonged contact of ferrous (i.e. cast iron pans) materials with stainless steel.
The following is a video I found that give a good example of caring for your stainless steel sink.
How to clean a stainless steel sink
“Here on howdini.com, and today we’re going to make magic in our kitchen sinks. We’re going to make them sparkle really simply with some vinegar, with some fabric softener sheets, and baby oil, and of course one of my favorite little handy-dandy household tools: microfiber cloth.
All right what we’re going to do is we’re going to put some white vinegar on here. Okay you douse it. Then we’re going to rub it, dub, dub almost like singing in the tub. Then in case you don’t like that smell from vinegar, great little tip here: use these fabric softener sheets and just rub the sides. Mmm, so aromatic almost makes me want to throw a load in.
Okay next though what about the streaks you get? Use some baby oil. That will remove them. It beads up whatever gook is on there. There you go. Look how nice that looks. And then finish with a little buff.”
Tags: bar sink, platinumsinks.com, stainless steel undermount sink, undermount sink, zero radius sink
I read about it some days ago in another blog and the main things that you mention here are very similar
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