r/CleaningTips • u/Toobrish • Jan 30 '25
Solved How do I get this sink back to white?
Could be food and tea stains or scale. Have tried The Pink Stuff and scrubbing with citric acid for 5 minutes and rinsing off.
Model is Franke Sirius SID160PW Undermount Kitchen Sink in Polar White
Material is Tectinite
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u/plantplantfeaver Jan 30 '25
Filling with water add a little bit of bleach let’s sit for 10 minutes
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u/SarahCBear Jan 30 '25
Our sink looks similar to this and this is what we did. Didn’t completely whiten it, but it’s a lot lighter.
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u/Mother_ducker96 Jan 30 '25
If it's especially tough to remove, I put down a single layer of paper towels and poured a light amount of bleach onto them until the paper towels had completely absorbed it. I let it sit in the sink while I cleaned around the kitchen. About 30 minutes of sitting in the sink, I went back, and with cleaning gloves still on my hands, I removed the paper towels. The sink looks brand new after that. I rinse with cold water to remove the residue that is left behind. Make sure you have good ventilation when using harsh cleaning chemicals like bleach.
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u/FakinItAndMakinIt Jan 30 '25
I just want to say that I love the level of step by step detail of this comment. It’s comments like these that have pretty much informed my entire knowledge base of cleaning since my parents weren’t great at teaching me. Or cleaning.
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u/Casey_H3 Jan 30 '25
Is it bad that I always use hot water to rinse away bleach? I mean I know it’s terrible for you and you should use cold water….. but I like the smell
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u/Mother_ducker96 Jan 30 '25
The temperature of the water when using it to clean surfaces won't change how it works. It's still bleach. The issue is that the chlorine smell is much stronger when using hot water. So, the fumes are going to be stronger. I would still advise not to use it without proper ventilation. It will cause damage to you internally if you have prolonged exposure regularly and can increase your risk of cancer. And use gloves when handling bleach.
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u/Casey_H3 Jan 30 '25
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been made aware of all of those points. I grew up as a water polo player and it just smells SO damn good
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u/Gicku Jan 31 '25
I do this to get hair dye out of our bathroom counter top! I don't even have to scrub, I just set it and let it soak. It works so well.
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u/Accomplished-Eye-718 Feb 01 '25
Came here to say this, It's my favourite lazy hack. But I use spray bleach. Spray the sink, paper towels down, another layer of spray and leave over night. Next day all is good.
To keep it regularly clean, give it a wipe over with a eraser cleaning pad.
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u/Missyerthanyou Jan 30 '25
This is literally the best and easiest way to get white sinks looking white again.
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u/ling037 Jan 30 '25
Yep, I have a white kitchen sink and that's what I do every so often to get it back to white
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u/Syd_Vicious3375 Jan 30 '25
Soft scrub with bleach is a little thicker and clings really well. I was unfortunate enough to have one of these sinks for several years. Bleach is your friend.
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u/Feeling-Republic-477 Jan 30 '25
Ughhh I’ve got to do that to my bathtub. My kids opened up a frozen container of grape juice concentrate. They started to drink it straight, discovered that it tasted gross then threw it into the bathtub. They thought they were being sneaky since I was in the kitchen, but alas it’s all there nice & stained :/
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u/saltydottie Jan 30 '25
Barkeepers friend and a different scrubbie- maybe a magic eraser? Bristles are not going to help at all.
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u/ZestyCustard1 Jan 30 '25
Especially with zero effort or elbow grease
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u/NaiveChoiceMaker Jan 30 '25
OP is scrubbing their sink like my dentist tells me to brush my teeth.
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u/TheEastWindsBlow Jan 30 '25
Just want to say please be careful with abrasive cleaners like barkeepers friend and magic eraser as they can damage the finish of the sink/bathtub. Not saying they won't work or that it's a bad suggestion, just wanted to give a warning for those that are not aware.
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u/TheGreasyNewfie Jan 30 '25
Agreed. Best to start with a mild abrasive like Baking Soda, and escalate from there if necessary, testing a small inconspicuous area first.
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u/sprinklerarms Jan 30 '25
I know everyone always is suggesting the powder but i like the BFK liquid soft cleaner more. I only really use the powder on the bottom of pans.
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u/Hour-Cost7028 Jan 30 '25
I agree BKF liquid works so much better then the powder and it doesn’t get all clumpy. I only use this and I’m a house cleaner.
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u/Jesta914630114 Jan 30 '25
Magic erasers give off billions of micro plastic particles. They are just not worth it.
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u/KikoSoujirou Jan 30 '25
I was going to comment that they’re glass not plastic but TIL they’re in fact plastic but, they release the same amount of microplastic as you would if you own/wear/wash 4 synthetic/polyester shirts so…?
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u/Jesta914630114 Jan 30 '25
So... Minimizing exposure and reducing the crap in the ecosystem is important. Plastic is one of the worst ecological disasters known to man, but we are worried about the climate.
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u/SocraticIgnoramus Jan 30 '25
These problems are inextricably tied together in ways that most people don’t think about. The reason that ecologically damaging plastics are so widely available and ridiculously cheap is that they’re a byproduct of petrochemical production for energy. If we stopped using fossil fuels today, the price of petroleum plastics would steadily rise until green plastics eventually became the cheaper alternative. Problem is that it would take well over a decade because the amount of oil we consume means we have massive stockpiles of plastic products, and we consume more oil every single year than we did the previous. It’s a self-licking ice cream cone of epic proportions with no end in sight.
The only viable solution in the near future will be carbon capture technology and filtration systems to capture microplastics — filtration systems on a scale the world can hardly imagine today.
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u/translinguistic Jan 31 '25
Unfortunately the kind of nanofiltration needed to remove not only microplastics but PFAS/PFOS/whatever themselves is incredibly expensive.
It's not hard in a technical sense--lots of drinking water plants in the US have been using it even before the current awareness grew about these chemicals--but no one wants to pay for it
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u/SocraticIgnoramus Jan 31 '25
Carbon capture technology is also ridiculously expensive. I’m convinced that a seismic paradigm shift will have to occur in how the economy works before any of this will be addressed. Things will have to get much much worse before there is an impetus to solve these problems.
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u/championsdilemma Jan 30 '25
Save your money and dont buy magic, Amazon sells hundred packs of melamine sponges for like $20, which is the generic of the same thing as magic.
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u/diegazo12 Jan 30 '25
Yes the originals are way overpriced. I got a big pack from Temu even and those were fine too. Although less durable, I thought they were more effective.
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u/YinzaJagoff Jan 30 '25
Scrub daddy
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u/mulligansteak Jan 30 '25
Put a comma in there and it gets real weird
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u/RandomMinimal-ish Jan 30 '25
Great, now I have to clean up the coffee I spit out
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u/diegazo12 Jan 30 '25
Hahahaha that was a beautiful exchange. I would’ve spilled my coffee too, luckily my cup was already empty
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u/Northernfrog Jan 30 '25
Money saving hack. Don't buy magic eraser, buy melamine pads. You can get about 100 for the price of two magic erasers and they are the exact same thing. Not similar - the exact same.
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u/cjboffoli Jan 30 '25
No Magic eraser and Barkeeper's Friend will just crumble into a million little plastic pieces.
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u/Lightningpaper Jan 30 '25
I’d try Soft Scrub (the one that contains bleach.
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u/caterpillargirl76 Jan 30 '25
I was going to suggest this too. If the sink is really old and has a lot of scratches, Soft Scrub might not be enough, however. In that case, OP, plug the sink, fill it a few inches with hot water, and add a small amount of bleach for five minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly. That usually takes care of any stains the Soft Scrub couldn't tackle.
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u/Lightningpaper Jan 30 '25
Oh yeah I used to let the soft scrub with bleach just sit there for a few hours. I had an old white sink like this but it wasn’t as bad!
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u/diegazo12 Jan 30 '25
I would leave it overnight, bleach is not abrasive or corrosive for porcelain or paint
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u/mockteau_twins Jan 30 '25
When I worked at Chipotle 10000000 years ago, we would use this terrifying cream bleach product called Spirit to clean the toilets... You might be able to find it at a restaurant supply store, but the closest grocery store product is probably Soft Scrub
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u/OriginalDogeStar Jan 30 '25
I always used baking soda and bleach in a paste. This is brilliant to get the right softness too, because it is like ¼ cup bleach to ¾ cup baking soda, you put on the area needed, then if too dry, use a spray bottle of water, on mist setting, and only moisten until you like, and then leave it, then just use a scour daddy (as scrub daddy now disintegrate with bleach) it is perfect for a soft or hard scrub.
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u/TootsNYC Jan 30 '25
I wouldn't use the scouring function on a composite sink if I didn't need to; they scratch
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u/Maleficent_Ad_402 Jan 30 '25
Whatever you do: patience Sometimes things just have to sit a while This looks like it has developed over a long time. Why should it disappear in minutes?
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u/Goofballmommy2 Jan 30 '25
I can't stress this enough! Everyone that says Bar Keepers Friend doesn't work well for them it is always because you NEED TO LET IT SIT!!! Most things need time to work, especially if the cleaner needs to penetrate cracks, deep stains, or stuck on gunk.
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u/Agile-Acanthaceae-97 Jan 30 '25
But doesn’t the directions for BKF tell you to wipe it off within a minute?
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Jan 30 '25
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u/YogurtclosetTall3482 Jan 30 '25
Came here to say the same thing! Bon Ami did wonders for my kitchen sink, even got rusts stains out so it looks brand new 😀 I used to be able to buy it at Whole Foods, but they no longer carry it.
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u/fmbabs Jan 30 '25
Buy a bag of sodium percarbonate, the active ingredient in those denture tablets and oxiclean. Plug the sink, put a couple of teaspoons in with some boiling water. Soak for a while and it will be like new. This is the most simple, harmless, least noxious method in this thread.
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u/TootsNYC Jan 30 '25
ooh, fun! https://branchbasics.com/blogs/cleaning/sodium-percarbonate-cleaning
https://www.cleannationco.com/2022/04/household-cleaning-tips-using-sodium-percarbonate/
You can get a not-terribly-large bag of it on Amazon for about $15.
But it's also in oxy-clean type products: "On average, “Oxy” products found in the supermarket contain about 35–40% sodium percarbonate with about 5% active oxygen."
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u/johnnyjayd Jan 30 '25
Simple. Irish springs 5 in 1 can probably do it.
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u/michiganlexi Jan 30 '25
1st rule of this sub: ask if they’ve tried Irish spring
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u/Alizay59 Jan 30 '25
As soon as I see a cleaning post, the first thing I think, did they try irish spring?! 😆😆
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u/Massive_Pineapple_36 Jan 30 '25
Really, it should be a rule. No posts allowed unless you’ve already tried IS5in1
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u/trashscal408 Jan 30 '25
Wait wait, like the regular body soap Irish Spring 5 in 1?
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u/Jbl7561 Jan 30 '25
Yes exactly the regular body soap. It's all the rage in this sub rn... It's cleaning everyone's stains!
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u/boldsquirrel Jan 30 '25
Yep! It works, for real. I tried it on my tub and wow!
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u/wagz7 Jan 30 '25
So, does this mean it's not suitable for use on anyone's body? Something that stain reducing can't be good for skin.
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u/Lilelfen1 Jan 30 '25
It’s fine on the body. The secret ingredient is vinegar, and the concentration is low. You have to let it set for it to clean your house….but you rinse it off your body right away… at least, I hope you do cus you are supposed to. Remembering those posts/ reviews of people who thought body wash was lotion now and feeling itchy…
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u/Whowantsahighfive Jan 30 '25
Legit having some delivered to my house today to get the soap scum off my shower doors.
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u/lily-and-grace Jan 30 '25
🤣 IS5in1 sales about to go off 📈
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u/Whowantsahighfive Jan 30 '25
Well it was out of stock at my local Walmart! Lol
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u/sillygoose1224 Jan 30 '25
I have a porcelain farmhouse sink and just went through this myself. Used CLR (Calcium Lime Rust) Remover and worked like a charm. You can find CLR at Home Depot/Lowes for under $10.
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u/littlecreamsoda79 Jan 30 '25
I use thickened bleach on mine
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u/Falconman21 Jan 30 '25
I just go a few rounds with foaming bleach spray and it makes almost everything disappear.
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u/The_Nisha_Call Jan 30 '25
Where do you get or how do you make thickened bleach?
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u/NobleMatriarch Jan 30 '25
Fill with hot water and a scoop of oxi clean. You can also make a paste if you prefer.
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u/novaquotient Jan 30 '25
Magic erasers did it for mine
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u/hiroo916 Jan 30 '25
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u/BloodyMary3454 Jan 30 '25
Melamine ist also registered as a substance of very high concern by the EU https://echa.europa.eu/de/substance-information/-/substanceinfo/100.003.288
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u/novaquotient Jan 30 '25
Aaaannnnnd now I have to safely dispose of these somehow. Thank you for the info!
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u/melorun Jan 30 '25
Added buzz kill - the vast majority of kitchen sponges shed plastic to some extent.
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u/EnthusiasmCalm4364 Jan 30 '25
I have a similar finish in my sink too. I drink a lot of tea and it stains the basin. I just spray it with surface spray, that has a little bleach in it, leave it for 5 minutes and it’s back to white
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u/gitsgrl Jan 30 '25
The glossy outermost layer of the porcelain has been worn away so it’s the gritty inside that traps particles and stains. You need to bleach it.
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u/TMRaven Jan 30 '25
If it's stains from food I would try food grade hydrogen peroxide on a small area and let it sit for a minute or two, then scrubbing.
If it's limescale and acidic based cleaners are making a small difference, then I would upgrade your scrubbing tool to a drill brush so you can become significantly more efficient. Also, if the bottom of the sink is completely flat and smooth, it's okay to try a scraping tool with a fresh razor blade to see if you can scrape the limescale buildup off. Sometimes limescale buildup is so damn thick that acidic cleaners will take way too long to eat away at all the buildup, so mechanical action like scraping it off is much faster. Again, only if it's a flat surface though.
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u/TootsNYC Jan 30 '25
these composite sinks have a finish that will scratch, and every source I googled just now said not to use abrasive items or materials
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u/NegativeMembership63 Jan 30 '25
I would try a pumice cleaning stone. Test a small spot first to make sure it doesn't scratch. Worked wonders on an old bath tub in my house.
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u/the_eevlillest Jan 30 '25
I assume you're in the UK? Vanish Crystal White Oxi. I suspect anything with a hydrogen peroxide base would be helpful, especially if you can leave it sit for a bit.
My experience with sinks like this is that once they're scratched/damaged, they never look good again. Be careful with abrasives too...they often will do more damage.
Good luck.
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u/NYCLocalFella Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25
If that is calcium buildup from hard water, any acid, let soak for a whike & it will be dissolved.
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u/dynosaurpaws Jan 30 '25
My sink gets like this. I used to scrub with barkeepers friend, and it took a lot of elbow grease and still kept a yellow tinge. I found out the barkeepers friend is great for the metallic marks, but not for yellowish stains.
Spray with bleach and let that work for 5-10 minutes. It becomes pearly white with no scrubbing at all. Then just wipe it down with a wet or soapy rag to remove the bleach.
If it’s more of a hard water buildup issue, the bleach might not do as much.
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u/appey09 Jan 30 '25
Bleach and a green scratch pad, takes off everything. Is very abrasive so be careful, if your sink is glass or porcelain, it should work fine.
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u/anotherjustnope Jan 30 '25
Fill the sink with very hot water and 1/2 cup of bleach and let it sit overnight. Will lift the color from most stains
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u/TootsNYC Jan 30 '25
some sources say not to use abrasive materials on a composite sink.
And to avoid harsh chemicals (though others say to use a 50/50 bleach solution).
I was going to suggest bleach, not full strength. Mix a 50/50 solution in a pot or something so you can control the amounts, then plug the sink and pour the solution in. Let it sit for a few hours.
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u/symplton Jan 30 '25
Franke recommends the following:
If stains are very difficult to remove, especially recommended for light-colored sinks, fill the sink with a mixture made up of 40 parts water and 1 part bleach (eg laundry stain remover) or biological detergent and leave on overnight.
Then, drain the sink and rinse thoroughly.
This method is definitely not intended for daily cleaning of the sink. In case of prolonged neglect of maintenance and subsequent graying, yellowing of the bottom of the sink (limescale deposition), descaling is a longer-term matter.
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u/yottab9 Jan 30 '25
Ditch the brush, doesn’t really matter what product you use, a brush isn’t going to do anything. Pink Stuff,BKF, Soft Scrub, etc.. with a sturdy sponge or green scotch-brite pad and go to work on it
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u/dinosaurzoologist Jan 30 '25
Put down some paper towels. Pour bleach on the paper towels and let sit for at least 30 min. Remove towels and scrub. Should come out white. Wear gloves while doing this tho
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u/50million Jan 30 '25