Quick tips for daily sink cleaning and care:
- Combine a simple daily treatment with weekly cleansing using a soft abrasive scouring pad and any common kitchen cleanser. Make sure to scrub in the sink corners and around the drain to. remove any grime build up from food and oils.
- Remember to always scrub in the direction of the polish lines so that your strokes blend with the surface of your sink.
- Since most soaps and detergents contain chlorides, once cleaning is complete, rinse the surface immediately to prevent corrosion. Rinsing in clean hot water leaves stainless steel shiny and germ free, all ready for the next use.
- Ordinary carbon steel brushes or steel wool should be avoided as iron particles that are left behind can lead to rust and corrosion.
- Lastly, it is advisable to wipe the surface completely with clean dry towels so that the water does not evaporate and leave water spots. Avoid the use of oily rags or greasy cloths when wiping the surface. Regularly drying your sink works wonders to prevent hard water and surface rust marks.
Things to AVOID:
- Don’t let soap cleansers, sponges, towels or rags dry on the sink’s surface. They can dull the surface beneath them as well as harbor bacteria or other unwanted items.
- Rinse regularly to keep the chlorides found in most cleansers from affecting the natural luster of stainless.
- No steel wool pads should ever be used on stainless steel sinks. The iron particles that are left behind can lead to rust and corrosion.
- For tough stains or dirt, try a ScotchBrite scouring pad and rub deeply in the direction of the grain.
- Avoid leaving steel and cast iron cookware in your sink for extended periods of time. Iron plus moisture on top of stainless can lead to surface rust and staining.
- Rubber dish mats, wet sponges and cleaning pads are a no-no for a lengthy stay in your sink. Since they trap water, discolouration and staining can result.
- Don’t use your sink as a cutting board. Knives and other sharp kitchen instruments will naturally damage the surface of your sink.
Discolouration and Heavy Staining
In most cases, staining of stainless steel is due to something being deposited on the steel rather than an attack on the material itself. The most common cause of staining is the build-up of a thin film of waterborne deposits on the sink surface, often first seen as a rainbow effect. The build-up of such a film can be avoided by drying the surface of the sink after use.
Should such a film appear, apply proprietary cream cleaner or stainless steel sink cleaner neat and rub vigorously with a damp cloth along the length of the sink surface. After cleaning, rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry.
Wire wool products and ferrous water supply pipes can leave minute ferrous particles adhered to the sink surface. Since stainless steel under normal conditions does not rust, these particles can cause the appearance of small brown rust stains. These stains can be removed using the procedure described above.
Caution!
Certain household products contain substances that will attack the stainless steel surface. They are:
1. Bleaches
Most common domestic bleaches contain Chlorine in the form of a hypochlorite. Chlorine attacks the microscopic Chromium Oxide film on the surface and can cause pitting of the surface.
Bleaches should always be used in the prescribed strength specified by the manufacturers. Undiluted bleaches can cause pitting and staining of the surface and should be immediately rinsed off with plenty of clean water.
All cleaning agents containing hypochlorites are unsuitable for use with stainless steel and, even highly diluted, can cause pitting under certain circumstances. For this reason we strongly recommend that the sink is not used for soaking clothes or cleaning clothes in hypochlorite solutions for long periods.
2. Silver Dip Cleaners
These are particularly harmful since they contain strong acids that can cause discolouration and pitting. The first sign of this is an iridescent rainbow stain that turns an etched dull grey colour.
Should any silver dip cleaner come into contact with the surface of the sink it should be immediately rinsed off with plenty of clean water.
3. Corrosive Foodstuffs
Fruit juices, damp salt, vinegar, ready made mustards, pickle and mayonnaise can cause pitting and corrosion if left in contact with the stainless steel surface for long periods.
4. Acids
Sulphuric, Hydrochloric and other strong acids will cause pitting corrosion, as will photographic developing liquids. If contact occurs immediately wash off with plenty of clean water.
How to get that stainless sparkle again?
Every Zomodo sink comes with a Sink Care Pack. Please check the original Zomodo box for this item. Our care pack contains small samples of stainless steel polishing cream, conditioning oil, a ScotchBrite pad, and a smooth nylon scouring pad. Instructions on how to recondition your sink can also be found in your SCP and at the link below.
Additional Zomodo Sink Care products an be purchased at the Cleaning Products Tab.
Reconditioning your sink will eventually create a new finish, otherwise referred to as a patina. However, it should be noted that sinks starting with a very high-lustre polish (such as our ScotchBrite and Microbrush finish) will not return to their original state after reconditioning. They will form a new patina, which will always be slightly duller than the original finish.
How to manage scratches on a stainless steel sink
Zomodo Regular Stainless Care Pack