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Sink Care information you need to know

Can a stainless steel sink rust?

It has been found that a stainless steel sink may, on rare occasions, develop some rust spots.

The cause of this is one of the following:

  • Most stainless steel sinks are finished to a brushed satin surface finish using highly aggressive buffing pads that contain steel abrasives. As the brushes wear, minute particles break off and may get imbedded in the surface of the steel sink. These are typically removed during cleaning by the manufacturer. If some remain then after some use in the home, these particles may rust. It is not the sink rusting but these imbedded fragments from the brushing. Over time and regular cleaning with a non-steel abrasive pad these particles will be removed from the surface and any rust issues will be resolved.
  • Sometimes homeowners use steel wool scouring pads to clean pots and pans. As these are used, minute particles of the steel wool break off and remain on the sinks surface. They rust when exposed to water and give the appearance the sink is rusting. Cleaning with an abrasive, non steel pad will remove them.
  • A can or other steel food packaging product left in a sink can rust when exposed to water. This rust will remain behind on the sinks surface and may give the appearance the sink is rusting. Cleaning with an abrasive, non steel pad will remove this rust.

 

CARE GUIDE FOR STAINLESS STEEL SINKS

Restoring the Lustrous Satin Finish of Your Karran® Sink

Your Karran sink is produced from the highest quality nickel bearing stainless steel. Though it is a strong and durable metal, it is still susceptible to abrasions, scratches, chemical stains and even rust. You may find after long term and regular use of your sink that another level of maintenance is required to restore the original beauty of the sink’s lustrous satin finish.

Though regular cleaning can keep your sink looking spotless, over time minor abrasions and scratches can occur. Abrasions are caused by using a gritty sponge or scouring pad to clean the sink. Scratches can occur when heavy objects or sharp utensils are dragged against the grain of the stainless steel finish. Chemical stains might occur when harsh chemicals, including bleach, dry on the sink’s surface, or are used regularly in the sink over a long period of time. Rust might occur after using steel wool scouring pads, or when a can or steel product is left in the sink and exposed to water. The minute particles of the metal can remain on the surface and the give the appearance the sink is rusting.

When cleaning and rinsing your sink is not enough to restore the original beauty of the lustrous satin finish, we recommend using a stainless steel restoration process consisting of a series of quality abrasive pads and a blending solution. One product we highly recommend is Scratch-B-Gone™, manufactured and distributed by Restore It Yourself, Inc.

Scratch-B-Gone is an affordable stainless steel restoration kit that allows you to easily and permanently remove abrasions, scratches, chemical stains and rust. It works by isolating surface damage, re-graining the finish, and oxidizing the newly exposed metal to match the surrounding non-damaged area. Within the kit is a succession of abrasive pads and Ultra Shine™, the company’s proprietary oxidizer, which works with the pads to restore satin stainless steel finishes. Depending upon the type of surface damage, you can restore your sink to like-new condition by following the surface grain in a straight line while using Ultra Shine and any one of the four abrasive pads.*

To learn more about Scratch-B-Gone or to purchase a kit visit www.scratch-b-gone.com or call the company directly at 888.889.9876.

* Scratch-B-Gone can safely be used on any Karran-manufactured stainless steel sink. It cannot however, remove dents or dings, and it is not safe for use on any appliance with a mirrored, polished or synthetic surface.

 

TECHNICAL BULLETIN

Stainless steel sinks are finished with a horizontal brushed pattern on the walls of the bowls and a front to rear brushed pattern on the base of the bowls. This change in direction is typical of all brushed finished stainless steel sinks and results in a clear defining line in the finish where the bowl wall transitions to the bowl base.

Like stainless steel sinks, most quartz sinks have this same defining line between the walls and the base of the bowl. This is not the result of brushed finishing but rather the combinations of a number of factors:

  • The quartz crystals and colored resins in the walls of the sink compress differently under the heat and pressure of molding. The material on the base of the bowl is exposed to greater compression and may result in a slight color difference between the base of the bowl and the walls.
  • The finish on the walls is slightly smoother than on the bottom of the bowl to allow for better material flow during molding. This minor difference in finish between the walls and the base of the bowl increases the refractive light difference when light hits the surface and may emphasize the color difference.

This difference in color on some quartz sink is slight and does not detract from the beauty, style and functionality of the quartz sink in any way.