Our sinks are subjected to constant abuse and even with the most careful cleaning, stains can occur over time. The most common stains are due to hard water and they can be difficult to remove. However, there are a few easy tips that you can use to get rid of these stains for good.
Ceramic
One of the easiest ways to remove a bad water stain from a ceramic sink doesn’t involve any cleaner. All you need for this project is a few sheets of drywall sandpaper. That’s right - some sandpaper. Most products like this are black in color and have small holes. It’s not as rough as sandpaper, you don’t want to scrape the finish off your sink.
We recommend this fix for when all the cleaners you’ve tried have failed and you really want to get rid of that stain. Put on some gloves so you don’t rip up your hands with the paper and you’re ready to get started.
Make sure the sink is completely dry. Rub the paper in circles over the stain. You may really need to put some effort into it if the stain is very bad. Keep rubbing and you’ll notice that black residue is being left on your sink. Don’t worry, this is normal. If you need to rinse off the area to see your progress, remove the sandpaper from the sink, rinse it and completely dry the area off once again.
This technique works best completely dry, but if you do get your sandpaper a little wet, don’t worry. This should completely remove your stain and is very useful if you’re trying to take care of stains that collect around your drains that are very hard to remove.
Stainless Steel
It’s a bit easier to clean off a stainless steel sink. We recommend using a mixture of vinegar and baking soda to power off any nasty stains or white marks. It is best to use a soft cloth to avoid scratching the surface. If you prefer, you can also use half of a citrus fruit to get a very quick cleaning tool that works well.
You can take any citrus fruit, but we recommend a grapefruit since it is very acidic and quite a bit bigger so the job goes faster. Cut the fruit in half (watch your eyes!) and then place the half cut side down on the sink. Gently rub the fruit in a circle over the surface of the sink. You may want to wear gloves if you have sensitive hands since the juice can be pretty hard on your skin.
Once you’ve done this for a few minutes, you should notice the stains disappearing thanks to the citric acid. Now, rinse the sink thoroughly with cold water and then dry it. Once it is dry, you can take a small amount of olive oil on a soft cloth and rub it into the sink in spots where it still looks a little white.
We recommend oiling your stainless steel sink once a week to keep it looking shiny and to help it stay protected.
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