can't help but I wouldn't be concerned about 50 or even 20 years from now

As someone already renovation fatigued (and we're still in design/permitting!), I totally get where you're coming from - wanting to be "one and done." That said, ask yourself this - how many folks on these forums or elsewhere are posting about how they are still pleased with their kitchens from the 1970s? The kitchen is a room in your house that gets used frequently - for most of us daily - and appliances and other technology is constantly evolving. It's a bit unreasonable to expect any kitchen materials to be "good as new" in 50 years. If you're instead hoping for something that's bulletproof and can withstand abuse regardless of how it looks, I'd recommend stainless steel or enamel coated cast iron - both will take abuse and can be cleaned up rather easily.

Composite sinks are a relatively new kitchen trend (past 10 years or so), so I also wouldn't expect anyone to be able to predict exactly how they will weather 20+ years of use. I've installed them in previous remodels - the darker grey one showed water marks pretty quickly (a sort of dusty haze), but YMMV.

We installed a Blanco granite sink 10 years ago and it still looks as good as the day it was installed. Can't speak for other brands my contractor highly recommened the Blanco.

If you want a long lasting (half a century) kitchen sink, I'd suggest taking the following three steps.

1. Select a cast iron sink by a reputable manufacturer with white porcelain.

2. Clean it only with the manufacturer's recommended, non-abrasive cleaner.

3. Donate or gift all your cast iron cookware.

No guarantees, of course, but a pretty good chance it could last that long.

Just don't drop any heavy pots in it ^.

I have a Kohler cast iron sink with white porcelain, 20 years old, still looks good as new.

Sorry, OP, i was just knd of replying to Joe.

Hopefully I am dead in 50 years. Chipped and broke more than a few dishes and glasses in a cast iron sink. Won’t have a rock hard surface sink now.

I wanted to replace my Blanco silgranit after only a year. I cannot imagine how gross it will look in 50 years.

I have the Cinder color. It started getting these ugly white streaks down the sides of the sink. For some reason the bottom doesn’t get the stains. It started gradually getting worse and worse after about a year.

I assume that the problem is from hard water as Kristina mentioned, but have no idea or proof of what causes it. It seems like whatever they coat the sink with when it is new begins to wear off. Many people have had this issue so it is not just me. But then others have no issues.

To temporarily hide the permanant streaks, I have to oil it with mineral oil or coconut oil after scrubbing it with a baking soda and vinegar paste to make it look nice again. Although as soon as I use the water, you guessed it, the streaks come right back over about a day or two.

I am disgusted, but now after 7-8 years, I have totally given up obsessing over it. I only do the oiling process if I have company coming over so they don’t think I am a filthy pig who never cleans the sink.

Oh and I have two of the same sink in both my main house and our tiny cottage next door. Here is what the staining looks like. 😳 😖

Close up to show streaks better better.

Here is after I scrub and then oil it.

Looks like new again…..for one day. 😠

Not the fault of the sink... but a reason to avoid these sinks.

Mom’s Family Design,

Thanks for the citric acid tip. I actually have some citric acid and I will definitely try that next!

I have tried so many methods and bought so many ”miracle” products that people claim solved their white residue issue with their dark blanco sink. Nothing has worked for me so far. I will try the citric acid and post the results here if it works.

Yes that is true that if the hard water is the culprit, that it is not the sinks fault. However, I have no doubt that Blanco has been fully aware of the issue for years. Don’t you think they should warn customers that their product will be destroyed by hard water? Shouldn’t they add a clear warning of this issue so their customers can make an informed decision whether or not to purchase this sink if they have hard water?

I would not have purchased if I had known.

Get a stainless sink. Stop worrying about fifty years. No kitchen remodel will last that long

That said? A good stainless sink WILL go more than half that distance, still gleaming when clean.

Composite? Hideous. Like a laundry sink. Appliances? They're stainless? That's a forever finish as well.

Stainless it will still look and function as long as you want it to.

rebunky- I accidentally got miracle 511 *enhancing* sealant on the edge of our dark colored silgranit sink and decided to apply it to the entire sink, it looks similar to when it is freshly oiled and it has kept streaks away (we do not have hard water so no experience with sealant and hard water). I searched online to see if this was a common approach or if anyone had done similarly and had issues but did not find anything.

Even stainless sink will lose their sparkle. Everything patinas with use.

We have a white cast iron sink farmhouse sink and was told the won’t sell it to me if I didn’t buy a stainless steel matching grid. Since I’m more likely to break a glass or dish in that kind of sink anyway, I appreciated getting the extra protection.

I think it protects both the sink and your dishes.

S m,

So you get the white streaks and do NOT have hard water. Interesting!!

I always have wondered if hard water was indeed the culprit or if it could be something else like possibly a clear protective finish is put on that slowly wears off. I did not use any harsh cleaners before the streaks started. only dish soap.

Thanks so much for the 511 tip! I actually was thinking of trying that because I had used that on my leathered black granite since all around the sink got a similar white hazing.

I am pretty sure that in my case I DO have hard water. The 511 fixes the streaks on the granite turning it back to black for a year or two before I need to repeat the sealer.

Here is before using the 511.

After 511. And the process I described above of oiling the sink.

Jan,

Too funny because my husband calls the farmhouse or apron front sinks, laundry sinks! Even the Stainless ones. Stainless is pretty indestructable, but I dislike the how stratched up they get. Maybe it is because all the ones we have had were made of cheap SS though.

RedRyder, I wanted a Kohler whitehaven enameled cast iron farmhouse sink in the sea salt color so bad for my kitchen when we remoldeled it, but my husband would not stop calling it a laundry sink. Grrrr…. After all the problems with the silgranit, I wish I pushed harder for it!

If you don't mind- what is 511???

Abby,

I actually used the “511 Seal and Enhance”. Mine looks like this.

Seems they also make one that does not enhance or darken the color, but is just is an impregnator sealer.

rebunky- My last house had very hard water and I had a Kohler cast iron sink installed, which I loved, but it was difficult to keep clean. Hard water is really terrible to deal with on almost any surface. As for the white streaks on silgranit, I am not sure why we get them without hard water. Here is a pic from when the house was listed for sale, yuck. Hot market so previous owner didn't have to stress these details:

Now:

It was 511 enhancing sealant that I used, not impregnating. For some reason my brain mixes the two up, so much so that I initially used the wrong one on my counters.. all worked out in the end.

This cracked, stained, and worn composite Blanco was replaced with a stainless steel Blanco:

A basin rack is available.

S m,

Wow what a difference! Dare I say, I think your white streaks were even worse then mine?🫢

I am dying to know now what could have caused it, since your ugly white streaks could not be blamed on you having hard water.

I cannot find anything on Blanco’s website or sink specs/instructions that address this well known problem. Hmmm….🧐

Btw, I absolutely love your soapstone countertop!

@rebunky - My designer insisted on the farmhouse sink for several reasons. The main one is because, like her, I am short. A farmhouse sink allows you to be closer to the basin since there is no countertop in front. Some people find the depth of them annoying but I don’t. I also live on a farm so it kinda goes with the whole house…

We all have regrets of “couple decisions” we gave in to. I have a totally disinterested husband on remodeling/ design decisions so I get advice from friends and a professional. He loves everything I choose - probably because he didn’t to have to do anything.

I have to ask -- you guys with hard water, aren't you treating your water with a softener? I have hard water out of the well but it's softened before it comes out of the tap -- I have no buildup at all on anything. If you do have a softener, maybe you need to adjust your settings?

RedRyder,

We are on a working farm as well and so it would have looked right at home in my kitchen!

Ok so I did find a cleaning product on Blanco’s website made by them that they claim will remove what they say is “limescale” stains. They don’t sell it, so you have to get from an authorided seller.

The site also recommended using liquid laundry detergent and filling the sink up with very hot water and leaving it a couple hours. I tried that already with no success.

I did find the above product for sale on A, but it is unavailable to purchase right now. The reviews were not good from people with dark colored sinks.

I also found this Activ powder, yet this one is not featured on their website.

This too had bad reviews, saying it made the white marks on their dark sinks even worse with the attached photos.

I am just going to do the 511 seal and enhance as that seems like it worked well for, s m who posted above.

rebunky and s m - same problem with my Silgranit sink. I have very hard water and no room in my utility room for a water softener. I assumed the white streaks and overall dullness were due to the hard water and started spraying it with vinegar after each use to prevent build up. It didn’t work. (Interestingly, the streaks are always in the same location.) Bianco’s web site suggested oiling it, which I do every few months and it looks like new for a few weeks. I feel like I’m babysitting my sink. Very disappointing. I happen to have 511 leftover from a tile job so I’ll try using it in the sink. Thank you!

Mxk3,

I have city water. I am unsure if it is hard water, but am just guessing it is because my dark pebble shower floors also are turning white.

Do you have a whole house water softener? Iirc, are they are pretty expensive? Maybe I could afford to just get a softener for the two kitchen sinks.

Which brand would you recommend?

I don't know much about the softener unit other than its a whole-house one, the tank in the basement holds aroiund 4 bags of softener and DH loads it about once a month, I think it's around $8 a bag (so a little over $30 a month). There's also a couple other filtering components -- actual filters and what I think is a greensand unit, but those are seperate from the softener. This is all DH's department....

There's no reason you can't soften city water on your premises. I'd call a couple local water treatment places and see what sort of units they offer.

I tasted the water from the outside spigot once -- BLECH! High iron in my area. Once it all goes through the filtering and softening in the house, it's terrific-tasting water.