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jinnufr

Sink Scratches

jinnufr
19 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?

Comments (17)

  • cupajoe
    19 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
    19 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.

  • smom40
    19 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
    19 years ago

    I use Cameo or Bon Ami and the scratches come up fairly easily.

  • susanjn
    19 years ago

    I found Barkeepers Friend works better than Bon Ami.

  • raybeck
    19 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
    16 years ago

    where do you buy "Barkeepers Friend?"

  • mcbird
    16 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
    13 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
    12 years ago

    Wendy, What type of toothpaste did you use?

  • patburrell
    9 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
    9 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
    7 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
    7 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
    5 years ago

    De

  • HU-884982645
    3 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.

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