Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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HOW TO REMOVE A STAIN FROM A STAINLESS STEEL SINK
Quickstart:
We're trying to herd cats here :-(
Lots of people like some given products, lots of people dislike them. Read through and see which, if any, sound most reliable to you. The curator of the page believes most of them will work as scouring agents, but most will stain a sink if left on it overnight.
Q. I recently moved into a new home that has stainless steel sinks. They look to be in good condition and I would like to keep them this way. How do I keep them in good shape in the future? But, in one sink there looks to be residue from paint, like from cleaning a paint brush in the sink. So far normal cleaners have not worked. What can I use to clean this stain out.
Thanks,
Carole Peer- Swartz Creek, Michigan
2003
A. There is a product called "Barkeepers Friend" ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] that is great for removing stains on stainless steel and also for regular care for ss. It comes in a container like Comet does, is powder form, and is fairly nonabrasive. It is inexpensive and I have found it at some discount stores and grocery stores.
Sally Warren- Mt Pleasant, South Carolina
A. Dear Sir,
There are pickling & passivation chemical products that can solve your problems for SS sink. You can use jelly for localised application by brush or spray form to spray on SS sink to remove stains on it. Try to solve your problem.
Vinay Golwala- Bombay, India
Q. I had a ceramic plate with a silver stain on it from being in the sink with a wet pot, and I found out that the stain could be removed with toilet bowl cleaner. I thought, "where should I clean this?" I decided to do it in the kitchen rather than the bathroom sink. Unfortunately, I didn't read the bottle which states to keep away from metallic sinks, and now the stain on my plate is gone but I have stains from the toilet bowl cleaner on my sink. Can these be removed?
Gabriela Ayala- Moreno Valley, California
2005
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B A R K E E P E R S F R I E N D B A R K E E P E R S F R I E N D |
- Henderson, Nevada July 21, 2009
- Valrico, Florida ! Hi, Jack. I did check out their website and don't quite understand your posting. Their website prominently says: "... and is great for cleaning stainless steel.", and "If you're looking for a cleanser you can trust to clean your stainless steel, ..." Regards,  Ted Mooney, P.E. Striving to live Aloha finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey A. Ted, Jack began by talking about putting it on stainless steel, but ended by talking about it taking the silver/silver plating off. My guess is it is the silver plating that is not listed on the website. - Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina A. I found this thread because I had purchased a fantastic retro set of brass flatware and immediately stained it with Tarn-X, thinking that it would polish up the metal (yes I did read the back of the bottle, but did not realize the metal was actually brass at the time) - Aiken, South Carolina October 27, 2009 A. I had a Tarn-x stain on my new stainless steel sink, I used the Barkeepers Friend powder and my stain went away 95%, there is still a small mark but I'm sure If I keep cleaning it will eventually go away. I was worried the Tarn-x was going to be there permanently but I'm so happy most of it is gone, so Barkeeper's Friend-ly ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] powder did the job. For all of you who had the same problem, this is the solution. Evelyne Hadida- Montreal, Quebec, Canada June 5, 2012 A. I own and operate a green cleaning service in NYC. Many of our clients have stainless steel appliances. Great Green Cleaning of NY - Brooklyn New York USA June 9, 2014 |
I took the above advice and tried Barkeepers Friend
⇦ 
Be advised, BarKeeper's Friend is NOT recommended for Stainless Steel. Check out their website. I did have success with removing rust on my silverware, but then there was some in the grooves of the serrated blade still, so I let some barkeeper's friend set on it for awhile. When I went to clean it, the barkeeper's friend had permanently damaged the silver. It works chemically, so I'm guessing that it removed the silver plating from it. So, if you use it, do so sparingly.|
K A B O O M K A B O O M |
Q. Hi, hobbyist - Ambler, Pennsylvania, USA 2005 Q. Hi, - Dallas, Texas 2007 Q. By mistake I poured Kaboom toilet bowl cleaner into my ss sink and it left a stain. Tried comet didn't work. How can I remove the stain? Please help me. Thanks Elizabeth Diaz- METAIRIE, Louisiana September 11, 2012 |
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W H I N K W H I N K W H I N K |
A. Whink rust stain remover ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] works great with little to no elbow grease at all. I have also used Easy Off oven cleaner ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] liquid form. It takes a little more elbow grease but works good. I recommend to follow up with a soft scrub to bring back luster. R Shapley- Center, Texas August 26, 2010 A. Thanks R.,
However, Whink contains hydrofluoric acid according to its material safety data sheet, and Easy Off is reasonably concentrated sodium hydroxide (lye) according to its MSDS. I would not use such stuff unless the alternatives don't work. Q. I had a major meltdown today! I brought my horse's bridle home to polish (some silver grommets on the leather had rust around them). I held the bridle over my stainless steel sink and used Rustoleum as recommended at the hardware store. OMG. it has chemically changed the finish in big places and totally taken the shine out of those places.
The sink is relatively new. I'm freaked! What can I do? This is not about "scratches", It's more like chemical burns. Help!! Sherri Haskell- Sausalito, California July 4, 2012 Ed. note: "Rustoleum" is the brand name of numerous paints and painting aids & accessories. Please be more specific about what silver polish or rust remover stained your sink. Maybe "Whink"? Thanks! A. I found this thread on-line earlier today. Like most of the others who stumbled across this, I was looking for help for discoloration of my stainless steel sink.
"Thank you for contacting Whink Products Company.
Rust Stain Remover will damage metal surfaces, which is why it is not recommended. We cannot guarantee anything will reverse or remove the damage. We have heard that some people have had luck using Barkeepers Friend . Thank you," Others who have posted in this thread have also recommended Barkeepers Friend. I looked around my house thinking I might have some but instead found a product called Cameo Aluminum and Stainless Steel Cleaner
⇦ this on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links]
hiding under my sink. I think I purchased it a long time ago to use on my Calphalon cookware. It is manufactured by Church & Dwight Co. and available from Amazon. It's inexpensive. - Chicago, Illinois, USA September 10, 2014 |
Adv.
Scratch-B-Gone to the rescue once again! All of your stains from chemical, heat and acids are quickly removed using Scratch-B-Gone. Just 3 minutes and your sink and other Stainless surfaces are looking NEW! Really!
Barry Feinman
BarrysRestoreItAll
Carlsbad, California
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B R A S S O |
A. Tried everything on my stainless appliances and got NOwhere. The stain was from muriatic acid that was used as a cleaner for the floor. Then I found a bottle of stuff I haven't thought of for years and it worked like like magic with NO scratching and the stains are gone: Brasso ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Jack McKee- Bethel Park, Pennsylvania October 24, 2011 A. I just moved to a house with my first stainless sink. As usual I put C-L-R around the faucet to clean hard water stains. I got busy elsewhere and when I came back there were terrible black stains around the faucet and running down into the sink. I read all these posts and tried the only one I had on hand....Brasso ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . It worked great! It did take a bit of elbow grease though. Brenda Gervais- Ventura, California, USA November 15, 2011 |
Q. Hi, I just used the liquid cleanser, 409 Natural Stone Cleaner on my stainless steel range hood not realizing it wasn't my stainless cleaner that I usually use. It left my hood with staining, almost like bleached out where the cleaner was sprayed on. I wiped the cleaner off right after I sprayed it on with a towel and then noticed it had stained. I then immediately cleaned with dish soap and water followed by Stainless Steel Magic polish, but you can still see the staining. Any suggestions or is it permanently damaged? Thanks!!
Deb PartingtonHome owner - Victor, New York, USA
June 6, 2012
Q. I have always used Barkeepers Friend and I have a new stainless steel sink. I sprinkled it all over the sink and ran to the store; upon my return I went to scrub the sink and the Barkeepers Friend left spots all over the sink!
Any suggestions?
Thanks so much!
- The Woodlands Texas USA
June 8, 2012
Q. I left some Barkeeepers Friend in my ss sink. It left white milky stains all over. How do I get this off? Does anyone know ?
Cathy Downey- Las Vegas, Nevada
April 30, 2013
Q. I need help, I put Barkeepers Friend all over my stainless steel sink and left it overnight, when I went to clean it there are black spots all over the sink, does anyone know how to get these spots out? Hysterical, it is a brand new sink!
Marley Vranesic- denver, Colorado
August 26, 2014
Q. My son squirted Clorox Derived Natural dishwashing detergent around the sink and forgot to clean the sink. It sat overnight and darkened the sink with a ring and drizzle stain. PLEASE tell me what to use to get rid of this stain ... Thank you!
LaDawn Burt- Los Angeles, California, US
July 18, 2013
adv.
To All who are having sink staining, scratching, or rust issues PLEASE READ MY LIPS! Scratch-B-Gone does and will fix these issues quickly and effectively.
Barry Feinman
BarrysRestoreItAll
Carlsbad, California
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S I L V O |
- Quispamsis, N.B.,Canada May 12, 2014 |
Q. My daughter used toilet bowel cleaner on our stainless steel sink. It now has turned all cloudy and spotty. I've tried cleaning it again, no luck. Can I fix this?
Lisa Swaine- toronto, ontario, canada
April 23, 2015
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C O O K T O P C L E A N E R |
A. To get dark stains out of stainless steel use ceramic cooktop cleaning creme for smooth ranges ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . Used some on a scratchless cleaning sponge rubbed in a circular motion -- it came right out, no problem. Kelly Blair- Spring, Texas, U.S. November 1, 2015 A. Bar Keeper's friend is what ruined my stainless steel sink with black spots all over. I tried ceramic cleaner for stove tops and with a little effort, it did work! I needed to repeat the process, but it was worth it. Great forum. Beware of false advertising! Ary Weisman- Kissimmee, Florida USA A. Hi Ari. |
Steel table
Q. Hi
I have read a lot of stuff on this blog and hope that I am not beating a dead horse here . . .
I recently bought a dining table made out of unfinished steel. It is very cool (and very heavy) The man who sold it to me had it made. It has some glass rings, etc. on it, but I'm not really bothered by that -- I rather like the passed-down look. But, I think it should be protected in some way. I came home from work the other day and found the housekeeper had spilled some water on the table. I wiped it dry, but, by the next morning, there were small rust spots. I want to be able to USE this table! I am really intrigued by the idea of wax ⇨
or, in this case, linseed oil
⇦ this on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil links]
, since I can't heat the steel, but I don't want to lose the long-term use of the table trying to be a purist when I should be practical. What would you recommend? And, if not wax, what sealing product specifically? Thanks.
owner - San Antonio, Texas
November 1, 2015
Q. I called some cleaners to clean my home, which the front view of my house was built with stainless steel but now it has turned to brown colour because of the hydrogen peroxide chemical they used to clean the tiles on the floor. Now what can I use to remove those brown colours from the stainless steel in other to bring the stainless steel back to the original color it was?
FABIAN OKECHUKWU- ENUGU, NIGERIA
January 14, 2017
A. Fabian,
Are you sure it was peroxide? Peroxide tends to not damage stainless unless there's a lot of contaminant iron on the surface.
Tile cleaner with fumes that corrode nearby stainless tend to be hydrochloric acid (aka muriatic acid). This happens to people a lot as workers don't seem to be aware of the hazards of their cleaning chemicals to the stainless.
You can remove the rust using a commercially available rust remover (or just some phosphoric acid) and then you will probably need to passivate the affected areas as well (using citric acid).
Ray Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
McHenry, Illinois
Q. How to remove bathroom cleaner stain on my stainless kitchen sink?
Situation: I accidentally spilled the bathroom cleaner on my stainless kitchen sink and left stains that I can't remove. Looks dirty now. I used baking soda, vinegar, and dishwashing liquid but they did not work. I'm not comfortable looking at my sink with those stains. I would appreciate your help. Thank you so much!
- Ilocos Sur, Philippines
May 8, 2019
A. Lily,
Your "stains" are probably not residue ON the surface, but rather etch marks IN the surface. Generally what is needed is a fine abrasive to smooth the area out again.
Ray Kremer
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
McHenry, Illinois
Q. I used The Works toilet solution for rust on my stainless steel refrigerator. Now I have yellow and orange rust smudges all over my stainless steel fridge. Honestly what works? Would the Brasso cleaner work? I tied vinegar, baking soda & water. I want the natural color back. I know olive oil did work on the steel shine but I still have rust smudges/streaks.
Caressa nowden- Humble, texas
June 5, 2019
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A. Caressa, Ray Kremer Stellar Solutions, Inc. McHenry, Illinois A. Hi Caressa,  Rachel Mackintosh lab rat - Greenfield, Vermont \ |
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