Is there anything worse than a stainless steel sink that is starting to turn rusty and grey? How do you get it back to its original gleaming state? Don’t think you have to go out and spend a bunch of money on a stain removing cleaner and polisher. All you really need is a few common household-cleaning items.
One of the most effective cleaners is pure Baking Soda. Arm & Hammer is the perfect brand to do. Simply make a paste of baking soda water and sprinkle it over the steel. Then give the sink a gentle once over with a very fine steel wool and it will get rid of any hairline scratches. Then all you need to do is rinse the residue away.
If your sink has water spots then dip your sponge in white vinegar and rub them right off. If rust is the problem then try soaking a sponge in rubbing alcohol and that should take care of any crusted rust spots or stains.
If the rust or stubborn stains are particularly hard to remove then try using a mixture of three parts cream of tarter to one part hydrogen peroxide and rub the stain with a cloth. Let the mixture sit and allow it to dry before wiping it away with a sponge or wet cloth.
Another inexpensive cleanser is all-purpose floor. Simply sprinkle it in the sink and buff the steel. The small grains in the flour act as a steel polishing.
Yet another secret to getting a super-shiny sink is to put the plug in the drain and add a bottle of club soda. With paper towels spread the club soda all over the sink and rub until the sink gleams.
Another tip is to use Murphy’s oil soap. Murphy’s oil is typically used to clean wood floors but it can make metal look really shiny. That is because it does have a bit of oil in it and oil not only tempers the surface of the steel it is also naturally shiny.
Finally one of the biggest secrets is to apply a few drops of baby oil to a paper towel and rub the sink everywhere. After you have scratched off the stains this trick helps to smooth out the steel surface so it is more reflective of light.
For an overall rehab of your sink try an overall buff with stain removal and then apply Murphy’s oil or baby oil and people with think you had everything replaced.