REMEDIES FOR STAINLESS STEEL

The best approach to refreshing a scratched stainlesssteel surface is to clean and polish the entire sink, using the least abrasive methods possible, plus a lot of elbow grease. Always work with the grain of the metal. Some sinks have matte (brushed) finishes while others are smooth and reflective. It’s especially important to clean in long, uniform strokes, covering the entire surface. Otherwise, you may leave marks.

> CLEAN

Start by rinsing the sink with water, then do a quick cleaning with a degreasing detergent such as Dawn dishwashing liquid. For deeper cleaning, use almost any cleanser: one with bleach, a lightly abrasive cleaning powder such as Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend, baking soda, whitening toothpaste, or even flour scattered over the surface. Use a scrubbing pad (such as Dobie or Scotch-Brite) and work in long smooth strokes, always in the direction of the grain. A thorough cleaning should take at least three to five minutes. The result is a much cleaner, lightly abraded surface.

> REMOVE SCRATCHES

You’ll need to use steel wool or a Scotch-Brite pad with some level of abrasiveness in combination with a liquid polish or rubbing compound to remove scratches, such as a stainless-steel cleaner or an automotive chrome or metal polish. (Just be sure not to get Turtle Wax on your countertops, as it may erode them.) For deeper scratches, start with a scouring pad or a slightly coarser grade of steel wool (00 Fine or 0 Fine) and expect to repeat the process.

Add some cleaner to the steel wool and apply it over a large area, then begin to scrub in long strokes, taking care to reach all areas, especially corners and rims. The more even the strokes, the better the finish will look. The pad may turn grey or even black: it’s picking up metal from the sink as part of the smoothing process. Clean up as much of the residue as possible with dry paper towels; avoid rinsing it down the drain. The more time you spend, the smoother the sink will become. If scratches remain, repeat the process with a finer grade of steel wool and more polish. To get a more reflective finish, follow up with a metal or chrome polish and a cotton rag for at least three and up to 15 minutes. Clean up residue with Bar Keepers Friend and a wet paper towel.

> ALTERNATIVE METHODS

Cleaning and buffing kits are designed for use with a bench grinder or drill, but few are made specifically for sinks. A good kit includes polish formulated for stainless steel, plus sanding pads and soft buffing pads. Or: have the sink professionally sanded and buffed. Check references and make sure the pro you use has experience restoring metal and stainless-steel sinks.

with enamel or epoxy coatings, usually after etching the surface with chemicals that allow successive coats of paint to bond.

While the best new finish on a tub can last for eight to 10 years, it’s a different story for a hard-working sink. “You can’t put paint—and that’s what all the finishes are—on a surface and expect that it’s going to take cast-iron pans and knives and last,” says Ken Buzzell, the owner of Grampa’s Antique Kitchen.

One of the few places that still does high-heat reporcelainizing is Custom Ceramic Coatings, a company in the Chicago area. The company will sandblast the sink, removing all the original porcelain, then apply a new enamel finish, and bake the sink in a kiln. The results can last a decade or even more. But demand is high (there’s usually a waiting list measured in years rather than months); the heavy sink must be shipped to and from the factory; and the refinishing cost is comparable to the cost of a vintage or new cast-iron sink.

You can have higher hopes if your vintage porcelain sink is made of cast steel, however. A handful of companies around the country will sandblast the porcelain from a cast-steel sink and refinish it with new porcelain, which is then fired to between 1400 and 1600 degrees F. Be aware, though, that for most of these companies, refinishing vintage fixtures is a sideline. (See Resources on p. 95.)

Kitchen sinks made of other materials are more forgiving of daily insults. Stainless-steel sinks are among the easiest to restore, even when the sink is nicked and scratched. Yes, you can damage a stainless-steel sink if you go cleaning and polishing it the wrong way. But as long as you follow some key techniques, you’ll end up with a sink that gleams once more. Always start with the gentlest, least abrasive methods, and always work with the grain of the metal.

As for copper, allow it to develop patina naturally, and the sink will supply decades of successful use.

Because soapstone is nonporous, it is extremely stain resistant. It’s also impervious to chemicals, acids, and heat, so no household products that can harm it. Soapstone likes to be used, adherents say, and small scratches can be rubbed out with the flick of a thumb.