Cleaning stainless steel: Here’s how to look after your sink

It’s here at last: your new stainless steel sink! The shine of a newly installed sink will attract plenty of admiring glances. If you want to keep it that way, you need to know how to clean and maintain stainless steel properly. This includes daily cleaning, removing limescale and monthly deep-cleaning.

It’s here at last: your new stainless steel sink! The shine of a newly installed sink will attract plenty of admiring glances. If you want to keep it that way, you need to know how to clean and maintain stainless steel properly. This includes daily cleaning, removing limescale and monthly deep-cleaning.

Every stainless steel surface is different

Stainless steel isn’t all the same! In their original form, stainless steel surfaces with a natural finish are resistant. These surfaces may be treated with both anti-limescale or lemon or vinegar cleaning agents. Linen-look, satin matt and Durinox surfaces may also be cleaned in this way.

Durinox is extremely hard for uncoated stainless steel and is thus twice as resistant as conventional stainless steel surfaces; however, you should not use any polishing agents on it, either. A damp microfibre cloth or a soft sponge without any detergent are fine for daily cleaning. One major advantage is that Durinox stainless steel sinks are also impervious to fingerprints.

Surfaces with a stain polish or brushed finish require a little more care. These materials should be polished along the direction of brushing.

Surface finishes for stainless steel sinks:

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Satin polish surface

Satin polish

A polished stainless steel sink is a real kitchen showpiece.
Brushed surface

Brushed finish

In a matt finish, the slightly polished stainless steel sink blends subtly into the overall kitchen concept.
Durinox surface

Durinox

The specially developed Durinox gets scratched less easily than any other type of stainless steel sink.
Linen surface

Linen

At first glance, it looks rough yet wonderfully delicate – how about stainless steel in a linen look?
Dark Steel Sample

Dark Steel

The dark gray stainless steel has a pleasant, warm feel that does not require any coating at all.

Avoid these cleaning mistakes

  • Do not use aggressive cleaning agents, abrasive cleaners or bleach containing hypochlorite
  • Do not use cleaning baths for silver
  • Do not use prickly brushes or the scratchy side of sponges (especially pot scouring pads)
  • Never use steel wool for cleaning

All of these things can cause scratches and permanently damage the stainless steel surface of your sink.

Maintain the shine and look of your sink with the right kind of cleaning.

Daily Cleaning

All stainless steel surfaces are best cleaned immediately after they have been used. This helps prevent limescale. The process is quite simple: squeeze some detergent onto the soft side of your sponge. Clean the stainless steel surface by working in the direction of brushing. You will be able to see the direction if you look at the stainless steel from an angle. At the end, simply rinse with clean water and rub dry with a microfibre cloth. This also helps to prevent limescale. And you’re done!

Here’s how to clean it properly: when cleaning, avoid circular movements, as this can cause permanent changes to the surface structure. This is particularly applicable to surfaces with a satin matt finish. Note also that vigorous polishing in a particular spot may cause changes to the level of gloss in this area.

BLANCO stainless steel sink is dried with a microfibre cloth

How to remove stubborn limescale

Vinegar- or lemon-based cleaning agents are good for dealing with limescale. They clean thoroughly and are easily biodegradable. However, if your cleaning agents contain any additives, you need to tread a bit more cautiously: ingredients added to such detergents tend to be too aggressive for most stainless steel surfaces. If they also contain limescale-removing substances, small particles in the fluid may rub against the stainless steel surface and cause it to change appearance.

To be on the safe side, it’s best to opt for pure vinegar essence of the sort your grandmother might have used. Dilute the vinegar essence with water in a mixing ratio of 1:10.

The same applies here: when cleaning stainless steel, always work in the direction of brushing. Avoid circular movements. Afterwards, rinse surfaces down thoroughly with clean water so that no traces of the cleaning agent remain. Finally, rub the sink dry with a microfibre cloth.

BLANCO stainless steel sink is sprayed with BLANCO DailyClean+, the professional limescale remover.

How to remove stubborn limescale

Vinegar- or lemon-based cleaning agents are good for dealing with limescale. They clean thoroughly and are easily biodegradable. However, if your cleaning agents contain any additives, you need to tread a bit more cautiously: ingredients added to such detergents tend to be too aggressive for most stainless steel surfaces. If they also contain limescale-removing substances, small particles in the fluid may rub against the stainless steel surface and cause it to change appearance..

To be on the safe side, it’s best to opt for pure vinegar essence of the sort your grandmother might have used. Dilute the vinegar essence with water in a mixing ratio of 1:10.

The same applies here: when cleaning stainless steel, always work in the direction of brushing. Avoid circular movements. Afterwards, rinse surfaces down thoroughly with clean water so that no traces of the cleaning agent remain. Finally, rub the sink dry with a microfibre cloth.

Regular basic cleaning

You should give your stainless steel sink a basic clean with a suitable polishing agent every 3 to 4 weeks. One exception is stainless steel sinks in Durinox, satin matt finish, natural finish or a linen look. As these materials are more delicate, you should avoid using polishing agents on them.

The following applies to all stainless steel versions: the polish seals the surface, so that less limescale can form. In addition, your sink becomes less susceptible to unsightly fingerprints. If cleaned regularly, a protective layer will form over time, making scratches disappear and increasing the shine.

Draining surface of a BLANCO stainless steel sink is cleaned with BLANCO DeepClean Stainless Steel.

Questions about stainless steel sinks