Sink Scratches

21 years ago

My white (porcelain?) sink gets silvery scratch marks in it very easily. The first time I cleaned it I used soft scrub w/ bleach and they came off, but since then I haven't been able to remove them 100%. As it is I use so much of the stuff I have a hard time getting it all rinsed off. This sink seems high maintenance to me.

What causes these marks? Have any of you had any luck keeping them at bay or getting rid of them more easily?

Featured Answer

PRO

Grampa's Antique Kitchen

8 years ago

I deal with vintage porcelain sinks and have one in my own kitchen. Most of the marks on the sink that people are referring to as silvery scratches, are not in fact scratches. A scratch is a damage into the finish of the sinks porcelain surface. The silver colored marks are actually metal particles being deposited onto the porcelain surface. These deposits are easily removed with Soft Scrub or Bar Keepers friend which I use a lot of to clean old sinks here. However, you should be aware that Bar Keepers and many scouring powders do in fact remove some of the porcelain if you scrub too hard. That is exactly why I use it to help restore old sinks. So use it gently, especially on newer sinks. Here is the best thing you can do. Once your scuff marks, scratches etc. are clean to your satisfaction, dry the sink. Now take regular carnauba car wax and wax your sink. Once dry buff it with a soft cotton cloth. (the whole sink) This will help prevent future metal (silvery) deposits. It will also fill the minute scratches and prevent absorption of stains into those scratches. How often you need to repeat depends on how much you use your sink. I suggest the areas not used i.e. apron etc. only need to be done every few months or less. However your drain board and interior of the basin can be done every few weeks. I actually do not buff the interior of the basin on each application. Best thing you can do after is to always, immediately rinse coffee, tomato sauce, fruit juice etc. when done. These are all acidic and will stain or erode the wax if left to set on the surface.

So clean well, wax and rinse after use immediately. Don't use soft scrub or powders after this unless needed, as it will remove the wax. Typically your daily dish soap is all that is required to clean the surface of the basin etc. once you have followed the above process.

Stop using bleach! It will penetrate the pores of older porcelain and get to the cast iron below causing more staining in the long run. Argue these tips if you like, but I have been dealing with old sinks for 18 years and have 150 of them here. This is my best advice.

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Comments (17)

cupajoe
21 years ago
Buy an alunimum polish called Cameo,and use it with a bleach cleaner.The polish will help move the finish of the porcelin to cover the scratches.To keep them at bay,buy some rubber sink mats to avoid getting them in the first place.The Cameo is a powder in a white plastic shaker can with a blue and silver label.In some stores it's sold by the powdered cleansers,in some stores by the silver polish.
Ina Plassa_travis
21 years ago
the problem with vitreous china (porcelain) and enamel sinks is that the more you scrub, the more 'matte' the surface becomes, the more it invites stains, rub marks, and the like- trust me, I know, I've got a 70 year old enamel sink in my kitchen, and it SHOULD get bleached three times a week, if I wanted to dump that much poison into the system...

I'm solving it by ignoring the sink, and putting money away for a stainless steel sink.
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smom40
21 years ago
Metal pans cause the marks. I agree with the first response..go get one of those rubbermaid mats for the bottom of the sink.

And yeah, gimme stainless too!
JoJo_Ohio
21 years ago
I use Cameo or Bon Ami and the scratches come up fairly easily.
susanjn
21 years ago
I found Barkeepers Friend works better than Bon Ami.
raybeck
21 years ago
I love porcelain sinks and you couldn't give me a ss sink! I guess it just depends on what you get used to having. I think Barkeepers Friend is probably one of my favorite cleaning solutions. I recently found it in the liquid, which is nice for quick jobs but my favorite is the powder form. It keep all of my porcelain sinks looking like new and I have 12 of them scattered throughout my home. I must admit we have only been in our new home 3 weeks, but I have always had porcelain and never a problem, once I discovered the Bar Keeper's Friend. Every time my MIL would come to visit she would always ask me if I had gotten a new kitchen sink, because it was so shiny and clean and every time I would tell her no, same kitchen sink she had been seeing for 15 years! ha
kristyatywam
19 years ago
where do you buy "Barkeepers Friend?"
mcbird
19 years ago
grocery store is where I buy mine. Walmart and Target probably have it too. It's good stuff. I even used it to clean the grout on my bathroom floor.
corsica2001_shaw_ca
15 years ago
I accidentally scratched my white sink with a hairbrush I was washing.....yes, little "pencil like" marks were looking back at me....first tried the magic eraser - no luck! THEN tried rubbing toothpaste on the scratches and WOW! no more scratches! So then I worked on the tub and it worked for those scratches as well!
cmwheelahan_yahoo_com
15 years ago
Wendy, What type of toothpaste did you use?
patburrell
11 years ago
I have "pencil like" marks on my new fireclay sink also. What is the "rubbing toothpaste?" I can't seem to find anything with that name?
morz8 - Washington Coast
11 years ago
Pat, it isn't 'rubbing toothpaste', but rubbing with toothpaste. Any toothpaste that is not the gel-type product should produce about the same results, most have a very fine abrasive in them to aid in cleaning (teeth)
Alyssa
10 years ago
I was in the midst of washing dishes and I noticed a long grey stain from a pan I was washing on my fire clay farmhouse sink. Of course I started to freak out and told my husband to run to the store to buy BKF or SoftScrub. Well I came across this thread while he was gone and tried the toothpaste!! It WORKED!!! Thank you so much. And i called the husband to come back home :-)
PRO
Mr Maid Residential And Commercial Cleaning
10 years ago
Barkeepers works well for these types of scratches. I have found Walmarts has the best price for this product. Just make sure you keep the surface wet where you're scrubbing.
erajek
7 years ago
De
HU-884982645
6 years ago
I have been struggling with those grey vein-like marks on my porcelaine farm sink.

I just tried the toothpaste and it worked! The sink should be dry. It requires a bit of elbow grease and a few attempts. But it is amazing. I would also recommend a basin protector. The rubber ones discolour are are not so sanitary. Stainless steel grids would be the way to go. A bit expensive but probably worth it in the long run.