Sink do's
- Clean regularly with hot soapy water and a soft cloth this is much easier and more preferable to the sink finish than infrequent ‘heavy’ cleaning.
- Use soft or micro fibre cloths (eg. E-cloth).
- A 50% mix of water and white vinegar can be used to remove limescale deposits, ensure to rinse thoroughly after use, do not leave the vinegar in contact with the surface. A nylon scratch pad and toothbrush can be used on difficult areas. Dry the sink after use to delay future build up.
- Always rinse the sink with water after cleaning or preparing food.
- Always clean the sink ‘along the grain’ of the scratch pattern.
Sink dont's
All the items below are known to have a corrosive effect on stainless steel, to ensure your product(s) last beyond its warranty period you should avoid this non exhaustive list below:
- Spray cleaners (irrespective of the label claims).
- Photographic developing solutions.
- Sterilising solution.
- Alcohols, beer and wine etc.
- Bleach – diluted or neat, especially do not soak items in the bowl for any period.
- Fruit juice.
- Abrasive cloths and creams.
- Soaps with antibacterial content.
- DIY related products and chemicals.
- Coffee.
- Milk.
- Soldering flux.
- Salt, Table salt or high salt content food.
- Mustard, mayonnaise & pickles.
- Oven cleaners.
- Drain cleaning products containing hydrochloric or sulphuric acid.
- Steel wool pad, note if you use these to clean cookware all small broken ‘hairs’ should be flushed from the sink.
- Silver dip cleaners.
- Leaving any wet cloths or sponges on the surface for prolonged periods.
- Leaving any iron or mild or carbon steel based metal (cookware or cleaning pads) in contact with the surface, rust will transfer to the stainless steel.
- Do not use a plastic bowl in the sink, dirt and grit will become engrained in the bottom of the plastic bowl and scratch the sink.
'Deep Cleaning'
It should be noted that if the above advice has been followed then ‘deep cleaning’ should not be necessary. ‘deep cleaning’ should be seen as a last option after trying the above cleaning advice, repeatedly using these methods will alter the appearance of the sink and reduce its lifespan. You should start with the (first) least aggressive method.
Absorb as much contaminate as possible with kitchen roll, rinse with lots of hot water. ‘Shiny sinks’ or ‘Cif’ cleaner with a soft wet cloth in the direction of the grain. Fine stainless steel scourers used in the direction of the grain.
If you are removing any form of corrosion due to accidental misuse you should ensure that all the corrosion is removed, you should always rinse the sink thoroughly afterwards.
