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 or 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
Sink dont's
All the items below are known to have a damaging effect on ceramics, 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).
- Scouring pads.
- Scouring powders.
- Scouring liquids.
- Plastic washing up bowls, the built up grit on the bowl floor scratches the glaze.
- Bleach - diluted or neat, especially do not soak items in the bowl for any period.
- Highly concentrated drain cleaners containing hydrochloric or sulphuric acid or similar.
- Cycling very hot and cold substances into the sink, the rapid expansion or contraction may cause cracking. When pouring boiling water into the sink turn on the cold tap first.
'Deep Cleaning' and Repairs
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. A proprietary kitchen cleaner with less than 5% bleach content. 'Astonish' ceramic cleaning paste, this is good for removing stubborn stains and marks from metal cookware. 'Cramer' bath rubber, good for localised small stains and marks from metal cookware.
You should always rinse the sink thoroughly after following any of the above steps, it is worth noting that stronger chemicals should not damage the sink itself but would damage the waste kit so should be avoided.
Small cracks and chips in white sinks can be repaired using proprietary kits available from 'Cramer' or 'Porc-a-fix' RAL reference 9003, please note that due to the natural glazing and firing process an exact match cannot be assured.
